Starz television network has announced that 'Spartacus' will start filming its third season in New Zealand early in 2012, said the The Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, the epic saga is set to air its second season, "Spartacus: Vengeance" on January 27, around the same time of filming for the third season.

With the huge success of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," Starz had earlier announced that Spartacus will not slow down anytime soon despite the unfortunate death of its Welsh lead actor, Andy Whitfield. Australian actor, Liam McIntyre, replaces Whitfield in the role for the entire second season, as reported by BeyondHollywood.com.

Whitfield died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in September. He was able to do a brief voice over for a six-part prequel, of the series called, "Gods of the Arena," which was filmed and produced while he was undergoing treatment for cancer. He was declared cancer-free, but a recurrence has ultimately led to his early demise. He was 29.

The third season serves as fourth serving from Starz, which follows 'Blood and Sand,' the prequel 'Gods of the Arena,' and second season, 'Vengeance.'

"There is no denying the impact Spartacus has had in the marketplace with fans across the globe thirsting for the continuation of the epic tale," Starz Media managing director Carmi Zlotnik said.

'Gods of the Arena' got an average of 6.2 million total viewers per episode across all linear channels and on-demand viewing, said BeyondHollywood.com.