AceShowbiz - John Hannah and Lucy Lawless have been brought back from the dead for a prequel to hit U.S. cable series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand". The TV couple were slaughtered in the bloody finale to the ancient Roman drama, which aired last month, but they'll revive their scheming characters Batiatus and Lucretia in a six-episode prequel.

The project comes as the show's slave star Andy Whitfield battles cancer - the actor, who played the title character, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma earlier this year.

The action drama fantasy was initially scheduled to kick off production in March in New Zealand. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Andy," Starz president Chris Albrecht said back then. "His health, of course, is our primary concern. He has our complete support during this difficult time."