Spactacus Vengeances’ Lawless Joins Mad Men’s Moss at the Lake

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Lucy Lawless is leaving Capua! At least temporarily. The co-star of the awesomely bloody and often savage Starz series Spartacus: Vengeance (see also Blood and Sand and Gods of the Arena) is moving on to the Top of the Lake. The seven-part television miniseries will not only include Lawless but also Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss, and Oscar winner Holly Hunter.

According to TVLine the miniseries which is co-directed and co-written by Jane Campion (The Piano), follows Detective Robin Griffin (Moss) as she searches for a missing twelve year old pregnant girl who happens to be the daughter of a local drug lord played by Peter Mullan. The series comes from the Sundance Channel in partnership with BBC Worldwide and will be set in the mountains of New Zealand. Lawless happens to already be in New Zealand as she films the third season of Spartacus: Vengeance which is why she may have agreed to participate in Top of the Lake. Lawless also hails from New Zealand so it is not exactly unfamiliar territory for her.

Campion, who is also originally from New Zealand, added: “I am in love with the intense beauty of southern most New Zealand and am excited to be setting a story in this end of the world paradise. To be able to tell the story …gives myself and my brilliant team a chance to make something truly absorbing and memorable.”

Sundance which is most notably known for films, has been slowly branching out into scripted television. Network executives recently announced its first original scripted series, Rectify which is about the struggles of a death row inmate who is released after nineteen years in prison when DNA exonerates him of the rape and murder of a young girl. As Sundance branches out from their normal programming they have also dipped their toes into the miniseries format which has earned them a Golden Globe for the series Carlos. Sundance also partnered with ITV Studios on the scripted drama Appropriate Adult which starred Dominic West (300) as the real-life British serial killer Fred West – and no folks, there is no relation.

Although they have not specified what part Lawless will be playing in the miniseries audiences may have to wait until Top of the Lake is released State side before they know. However, Holly Hunter will be playing G.J., a guru from a local women’s camp. One other name readers may recognize when they watch this series is David Wenham who played Faramir in Lord of the Rings. Wenham’s role also has not been revealed but it seems he is to play a villain in this series which will be a nice change for the actor.

Top of the Lake is already in pre-production and has begun filming this month. There is no release date for the US yet but the miniseries is expected to debut some time this year. Until Top of the Lake is released, we can all get our Warrior Princess fix from Spartacus: Vengeance.