Xena Warrior Princess reboot might still be happening after all

A number of months ago, NBC revealed that they were working on developing a reboot of the Xena: Warrior Princess TV series, with Sam Raimi producing alongside original co-creator Rob Tapert. There was no word on whether or not the series’ original star, Lucy Lawless, would be returning or involved in the reboot at all though, and the last we heard from the project was that it was desperately in need of a writer.

Finally, after months and months of silence from the project too, it looks like the reboot has officially begun to move forward in the development process.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach has been brought on to pen the series’ pilot episode, who worked heavily on Lost and will serve as an executive producer on the series alongside Tapert and Raimi. The report states that the series will follow a new and modern Xena, who combines the charisma and charm of Lawless’ original iteration with the edge of characters like The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen.

Despite fans’ wishes and hopes too, there has been no updates on Lawless’ involvement in the reboot, even though the actress has continued to voice her enthusiasm for a reboot over the years as well. Unfortunately, considering how the original series concluded, it would be difficult to include Lawless’ version of the character, without some kind of explanation that the writers and producers might not be willing to sacrifice time to make.

Part of what made the original Xena series so charming though was the time period it lived during,and while I’m not entirely skeptical that this project can work, I’m also seriously hoping that the new reboot doesn’t try and take the fun out of the property, like so many reimaginings and reboots have done over the past few years. Raimi and Tapert were able to bring back the spirit of Evil Dead completely in tact with Ash vs. Evil Dead, so here’s to hoping they can do the same thing here as well.

The Xena: Warrior Princess reboot is currently in development at NBC.


geeknation.com

So conflicted about this. 

I would love this to happen so that the franchise of this awesome show can be revived. 

But on the other hand I would rather only all the originals were involved in it.

Also I would be a lot happier if it was anyone other then NBC. 

NBC hasn't been the same since ER ended, they cancel more shows then they keep. 

Their track record for making good shows has gone downhill since then as well.

As a life long fan of the original, "new and modern" Xena just doesn't appeal to me. 

If they were to drastically change it, I would rather it was left alone altogether. 

The fact that Rob Tapert is supposedly involved does give me a small glimmer of hope though.

'Xena' body armor for U.S. Military Women?

The US military is developing “Xena: Warrior Princess”-style body armor for women that it hopes will give them greater protection on the battlefield, with more curves in the chest and hips.


It is a considerable engineering challenge to make body armor that better fits the bodies of female troops, US military officials acknowledge, and such armor may be years in the making.


In the meantime, Army engineers are forging ahead with improvements that they hope will provide much-needed changes after a decade of women serving on the front lines of an unpredictable battlefield.


Much of the impetus to change the body armor came in 2009, when the female soldiers of the storied 101st Airborne Division deployed to war and had some concerns about the gear they had to use on a daily basis.



“It rubbed on the hips, and the vests were too long in the front, so that when you had female soldiers climbing stairs or climbing up a hill or a tree, or sitting for a long time in a vehicle, that would create pressure points that in some instances could impact blood flow and cause some discomfort,” says Lt. Col. Frank Lozano, who helps develop female body armor.


Ill-fitting body armor is “more than a matter of comfort,” according to a subsequent US Army study. “It affects combat effectiveness.”


The study found that the poor fit of the body armor on female soldiers “made it difficult for [them] to properly aim their weapons and enter or exit vehicles.”



And so the Army set about to see what it could do to improve the fit of body armor for women. “It became clear to us that there was a difference in torso length,” says Lozano, who is the product manager for the Army’s soldier protective-equipment program. “The other point that we realized is that there is a significant difference in shoulder width. I read this data, and it seems so obvious.”


The most important goal is to be able to “spread out the energy” when a bullet hits the body armor plates, says Douglas Graham, a spokesman for the Army’s Office of Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment.

“Some people would like to eventually make plates so it’s like ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ and conforms to the shape” of female soldiers, he adds.

Yet there are engineering challenges. The more curves the plates have, the heavier they get. It also creates potential weaknesses in the armor, like creasing a paper, Lozano explains.

“There are some complex curvatures that come into play with female hard-armor plates,” he says. “I could make female hard armor, but it would be twice as heavy.” As a result, some of the Army’s developmental efforts involve “unique chemical designs” to create plates that are lighter and conform to different body shapes.

Currently, female soldiers have a choice of 11 male body-armor sizes.

Now, the Army is testing eight additional sizes made specifically for women, with, among other changes, more-narrow shoulders and “bra-shaped darting” in the chest.

Some 100 women of the 101st Airborne Division, who will soon be headed to Afghanistan, are testing them and have given positive early feedback. “They say, ‘I could wear this all day,’ ‘I could run a marathon in this,’ and ‘It feels much lighter,’ even though it really isn’t any lighter,” Lozano says.

Now, he adds, the challenge will be finding the money, in the midst of robust calls for cuts in defense spending, to mass-produce them.

MSNBC

It's amazing how a little show like Xena Warrior Princess still serves as an inspiration in all kinds of different areas all these years later.

Best wishes Ms. O'Connor

Image Source

Happy Birthday and all the best to one of my favourite actresses Xena Warrior Princess alum Renee O'Connor who turns 39 today (and doesn't look a day over 30!).

Happy Birthday to my favourite t.v. heroine

Ms. Lucy Lawless turns 41 today. Looking as good as ever!. Happy Birthday!.

And congrats on 11 successful years of marriage (March 28) to her and Mr. Rob Tapert. All the best.

Happy Birthday Renee O'Connor!!

Best wishes to the Xena alum who turns 38 today. =)

'Xena Warrior Princess' 1 of 4 steps to learning mythology

Step 1

Take a class on Greek mythology. If you haven't studied Greek mythology beyond a high school class, it might be better to follow the direction of an expert before you attempt to take on an entire ancient civilization’s system of beliefs by yourself. Your class syllabus will outline many of the essential texts and academic criticisms you need to read, and from there you can decide what to pursue further, including a certificate or degree.

Step 2

Read the myths. The Greek mythological canon Homer's "Illiad" and "The Odyssey" are good places to start. Hesiod’s “Theogony” and Apollodorus’ “Library of Greek Mythology” are some of the only texts to survive antiquity. These authors were the original journalists, chronicling the Greek myths of their day, yet they are rarely taught, even in college literary foundations classes.

Step 3

Watch “Xena: Warrior Princess.” Popular culture’s presentation of Greek myths can say even more than scholarly works. From Disney’s “Hercules” to “Troy,” Hollywood has an important say in what portions of these stories are remembered, and which are forgotten. If you sit down to study a few episodes of “Xena,” some storylines will feel familiar, while others will not. Writers say a lot about their own beliefs with their work, especially through what they decide to alter under the guise of creative license. If Xena’s Ares is a love-struck fool instead of a compassionless god of war, maybe that’s the writer's way of valuing a loving world, rather than one of bloodshed.

Step 4

Make everyday connections. To study Greek mythology is to study your self. These stories are the basis for the Western concept of heroism and death, melancholy and the act of falling in love. Discover these archetypes in popular culture and contemporary literature, and look for reinterpretations. Take pleasure in recognizing Greek gods and heroes, in astronomy, anatomy and chemistry. Think about the stories behind certain words, the meanings behind metaphors and allusions. Most importantly, explore how Greek mythology fits in your life, what you can learn from it and what you can contribute to its continued study.


Source:ehow.com

I love coming across random references to my favourite t.v shows, and for once this reference is actually related! :D.

I think it's a well deserved mention and a very valid one at that. Watching XWP was certainly the key reason for my interest in mythology. What I find the most amusing is that this is a "How To" guide to learning mythology *lol*.

That has gotta make the Buffy fans just a little bit jealous. 'The Slayer' may be part of countless College/University studies, and discussions but I bet she's never been on a list of "How To's" :P.

And before any Buffy fans jump down my throat let me clarify that I am a huge fan of both shows (as you can probably tell from my posts). Therefore, the above statement was only meant in good fun. Don't want to start a war ;).

Also interesting to note that there's no #3 in the article so technically Xena should be moved up a spot (as I've already done). Just sayin' ;).

Song of the Moment: Fisher-Too Late

I think I've mentioned that I'm a big fan of the band Fisher (who I discovered a couple of years ago watching fan made videos like the one above).

Their songs always have such great lyrics and this one is a perfect example. Unfortunately there is no official music video, but I was able to find one set to clips from one of my favourite shows.

I didn't realize this until I watched it, but this song is a perfect fit for the show (I'm sure fellow Xena fans will agree with with me).

Oh, and I should also mention that the video was not made by me. But the person who made it did a wonderful job. I never get tired of this song, it's a little meloncholy but I love it.

Xena: the chocolate Warrior Princess

A bit of cool or should I say yummy? pop-culture news for today. Two of my favourite things chocolate and Xena :D.

Source

Actually the original source is here but it doesn't seem to be working at the moment, me thinks the Xena fans have crashed the website server *lol*.

As Homer Simpson would say "mmmm..... chocolate Xena", ok that's SO wrong I'm gonna stop now *lol*.

Seriously though that's gotta be one of the most unique costumes I've ever seen.

I don't really see much resemblance to Lucy Lawless facially-wise but the costume is very close.

It does remind me more of the costume from " A Friend in Need" or an Egyptian version of one then the original (obviusly the woman couldn't make an exact replica due to copyright infringement), but awesome looking nonetheless.

I wonder if the whole thing is edible or just the armor.

Happy Birthday to Xena's sidekick

http://xenite.net/index2.html

Wishing a very Happy 37th Birthday to Xena co-star Renee O'Connor. Hope it's one filled with excitement, joy, and laughter.

Happy Birthday RoC!!

http://xenite.net/ROC/agency.htm

Happy Birthday to one of my favourite Xena stars Renee O'Connor who turns 36 today.

Wonder Woman parody

A hilarious look at why being a super hero is not such a glamorous job.




And just another reason why Xena is so much better:)

Saturn, Mars, Venus and....Eris?

Sounds weird doesn't it? well unfortunately people are gonna have to get used to it. It is the official name of the "dwarf" planet 2003UB313 nicknamed "Xena". It's moon nicknamed "Gabrielle" has also been officially named "Dysnomia".

Eris is named after the Greek goddess of chaos and strife. I guess the chaos part is somehow appropriate. Considering it was the planet that kicked Pluto out stripping it of it's planetary status. Thereby forcing everyone to re-write new astronomy books, which we will eventually have to go out and buy lol.

Here is a Yahoo article with more details:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060914/ap_on_sc/dwarf_planet_5

Pluto no longer the 9th planet

I wanted to post about this yesterday, but Blogger was having some problems. The planet Pluto has been demoted to a "dwarf planet" and ripped of it's planetary status. Because it did not meet the new definition of what a planet is.

All I can say is I feel sorry for all those librarians and everyone who will now have to go back and make a note about Pluto no longer being a planet lol.

Planet UB313 nicknamed "Xena" and it's orbiting moon "Gabrielle" by one of the CalTech's planetary scientists Mike Brown, will also join Pluto as one of the "dwarf planets". The word is still out on whether the planet will keep this name. I for one am all for it:D.

Here are some related articles:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Xena_Awarded_Dwarf_Planet_Status_999.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3776636a1860,00.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-pluto25aug25,0,2108884,full.story?coll=la-home-headlines

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060825/NEWS/608250346/1051

First Pic of Renee O'Connor's Bundle of Joy:)

(Photo taken by Sharon Delaney)



The first official picture of Renee O'Connor's bundle of joy has arrived:) Here is a pic of mom with little Iris Sura O'Connor. What a cutie:)

To check out more pics of little Iris visit Renee O'Connor's official site:
http://www.reneeoconnorfanclub.com/iris/iris.html

The link is also provided under the link section on the blog;).

And just as a side note I gotta say Renee looks really good considering she only had the baby on the 19th of March. I hope I look that good few weeks after giving birth lol.

Happy Birthday to the Flawless Lucy Lawless:)

http://www.xandrella.com/


Happy Birthday!! to former Xena star Lucy Lawless who turns 38 today. All the best and nothing but success in all future endeavors.

Also in relation to this there's a Lucy Birthday petition started by the Xena fans. Just thought I would put this in my blog for anyone who is a fan and would like to send Lucy some wishes.

Personally I don't know why this is a petition. Would have been better if it was a guestbook or something nonetheless here is the link:

http://www.petitiononline.com/LucyBday/petition.html

Former Xena Stars Father in the Hospital

Lucy Lawless's dad Frank Ryan is in a critical condition after complications from a cancer surgery. For more information visit this site:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3609152a11,00.html

My thoughts and prayers go out to Lucy and the whole Ryan family. There is also a petition started by the Xena fans to wish Mr. Frank Ryan a speedy and healthy recovery. For anyone who is a Lucy fan and would like to wish her dad well you can visit the petition at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/xenasway/petition.html

A Baby Girl for Renee O'Connor!!

http://xenite.net/ROC/agency.htm

Former Xena star Renee O'Connor welcomed a little girl named Iris Sura O'Connor on Sunday March 19th, who joins her big brother Miles. So a big congrats to RoC and the rest of the family!!

I would not be much of a Xena fan if I didn't post about it's main actresses now would I? :)

For those who have been living under a rock and have absolutely no clue about Xena or Renee you can visit the corresponding links on my blog which provide more information on both;).