Starz has the option to pick either a Brit, a Canadian or another Australian to replace Andy Whitfield on "Spartacus: Blood and Sand". Deadline said in its report that casting has been narrowed down to three candidates who are all relatively-unknown actors just like Whitfield when he started filming the show last year.

The named ones are Stephen Amell, Aiden Turner and Liam McIntyre. Amell enjoyed several recurring roles in a number of TV series such as "Queer as Folk", "Beautiful People" and "Heartland". Meanwhile, Turner is known as Aidan Devane on soap drama "All My Children". McIntyre is perhaps the least known of three, but he did appear for a small role in HBO's miniseries "The Pacific".

Selected among lots, the finalists are being flown to New Zealand for a screen test and a meeting with the show's cast and crew. The winner is expected to be unveiled as early as this week for the production is supposed to be started as soon as the one of its prequel "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" is wrapped up. "Gods of the Arena" will bow in January 2011 while the second season of "Blood and Sand" is expected to debut midyear.

Whitfield withdrew from the second season completely when he found out that his Non-Hodgkin lymphoma has returned following the first treatment. The actor chose to go through an aggressive treatment against the cancer, prompting the producers to do a recast. It was rumored for a while that "Prison Break" actor Wentworth Miller was due to take the role.