Deadline is reporting that Poldark star Aidan Turner is set to take on the role of the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci in Leonardo, a new eight-part series from showrunner Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), writer Steve Thompson (Sherlock) and director Daniel Percival (The Man in the High Castle).
“Capturing the character of Leonardo has been one of the most fascinating and exciting challenges of my career,” said Spotnitz. “It’s hard to fathom that a man this extraordinary could even have existed, let alone the human impulses that drove him to achieve such extraordinary things. It’s been enormously rewarding and an absolute joy collaborating with Steve Thompson, Daniel Percival and our partners at Lux Vide and RAI to bring Leonardo to life.”
“Leonardo is a captivating genius and it has been a thrill to explore his work and his character,” added Thompson. “Each of his works has a uniquely fascinating story behind its creation. I am delighted to have collaborated with Frank and our creative team to tell his extraordinary story.”
Leonardo is set to chart da Vinci’s various achievements in the fields of art, science, engineering, anatomy and poetry, and will go into production later this year.