Renaissance Man
George Strayton, our man at Renaissance Pictures, brings Xena Magazine his regular update on the seasons in production…
Official Xena Magazine: Issue 01
XENA MAGAZINE: Has it been sad preparing for the end of Hercules?
George Strayton: We’ve been so busy gearing up for our two new series, that we haven’t had a great deal of time to reflect on the end of Hercules. However, there were many tears shed on the final day of shooting.
What’s the atmosphere like on the Xena side of things, now that this series is going to be the ‘torch-bearer’ for Renaissance (albeit only for a month or two)?
We’re very excited about the new season of Xena. We’ll have a few old favourites back for more and many new elements never seen before on the show. I think people will be blown away by this year’s series.
What can we look forward to over the next month of broadcast in the US?
There will be many changes for our heroes. You’ll have to stay tuned to see what they are!
How tricky has it been coping with Lucy Lawless’ pregnancy?
The first several episodes were not affected in any way. We slowly restricted Lucy’s time on-set and her stunt-work, but it won’t have any visible effect on the shows. Actually, it’s given us a great opportunity to produce episodes that we might not normally attempt.
What do you think viewers are going to like the most about the new episodes?
Xena has a great season-long story arc that starts in the premiere episode, comes to a high point mid-season and then rises to an even greater level in the finale.
On Hercules, we’re continuing the tradition of exciting, action-packed episodes that made the series great. Only this year, we’re pulling out all the stops. The series finale, Full Circle, is especially loaded with amazing visual effects.
What kind of stories are lined up for later in the year?
On Xena, we’re going to Egypt. We’ll have an episode containing a great deal of music. And there will be a lot of surprises throughout the season!