New gladiator: Spartacus Manu

Gladiator: Manu Bennett.

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Expat Kiwi actor Manu Bennett, (Xena, Street Legal, Shortland Street, Mataku), whose last film was 30 Days of Night with Josh Hartnett, has scored the supporting lead role in the new 13-episode series Spartacus being made in New Zealand for US television.

He plays an offsider of rebel slave leader, Spartacus, which is a big role, and the series will have all the drama of a classic swords-and-sandals piece including battles in the Colosseum.

Manu arrived back in the country this week to go into military-style training to learn how to spar like a gladiator. Filming starts at the end of the month.

All being well there will be seven series and Manu is thrilled. (It might make him rich and it might make him a household name.) Other gladiators and various Romans will all be played by local actors and Lucy Lawless's husband Rob Tapert is one of the producers. Each episode is expected to cost about $3.5 million.

Another interesting production in the works is the filming of the New Zealand novel The Insatiable Moon, the story of an eccentric hobo called Arthur, who thought himself to be the second son of God.

When Whale Rider star Rawiri Paratene read the book he called the writer, Michael Riddell, to say he wanted to play the main character. He believes it will be the best thing he will ever do. Shooting is planned to start in November in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby.

- © Fairfax NZ News