This Friday on Starz, after the brawny Spartacus wages a final battle, a brainy real-life figure, Leonard da Vinci, takes center stage at 10/9c in the cabler’s new historical fantasy series.
Created by David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, Man of Steel) and set in 1477 Florence, the eight-episode Da Vinci’s Demons stars British thesp Tom Riley as the infamous artist, inventor and swordsman and visionary, a 25-year-old determined to make his mark and suffer no fools, oft at his own peril — such as when he tests the patience of the House of Medici. In the first hour alone, Leonardo outfits his apprentice in a flying apparatus, fashions a giant mechanical bird and, yes, sketches the occasional pretty (and pretty naked) lady.
Does it all seem like a bit much? You may be surprised. Goyer shared with TVLine the facts, more facts and hint of fiction behind his take on the definitive Renaissance Man.
LEO WAS ALMOST CLEO | Recalling the genesis of the series, Goyer says that when Starz reached out to him to bring his filmmaker sensibilities to a historical figure, “We talked about a variety of different people, ranging from Genghis Khan to Cleopatra — who they are developing a show about right now. But when da Vinci’s name came up, I just said, ‘Wow. For somebody who’s as famous as he was and who’s so well-known, it’s kind of crazy that no one’s every made a movie about him or have him be the lead of a TV show.’” After diving deep into research that, he says, oft cited Leonardo as “the most recognizable historical figure in the world, other than Christ,’” Goyer’s takeaway was: “Who better to do a show about?”
Read more at TVLine
Created by David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, Man of Steel) and set in 1477 Florence, the eight-episode Da Vinci’s Demons stars British thesp Tom Riley as the infamous artist, inventor and swordsman and visionary, a 25-year-old determined to make his mark and suffer no fools, oft at his own peril — such as when he tests the patience of the House of Medici. In the first hour alone, Leonardo outfits his apprentice in a flying apparatus, fashions a giant mechanical bird and, yes, sketches the occasional pretty (and pretty naked) lady.
Does it all seem like a bit much? You may be surprised. Goyer shared with TVLine the facts, more facts and hint of fiction behind his take on the definitive Renaissance Man.
LEO WAS ALMOST CLEO | Recalling the genesis of the series, Goyer says that when Starz reached out to him to bring his filmmaker sensibilities to a historical figure, “We talked about a variety of different people, ranging from Genghis Khan to Cleopatra — who they are developing a show about right now. But when da Vinci’s name came up, I just said, ‘Wow. For somebody who’s as famous as he was and who’s so well-known, it’s kind of crazy that no one’s every made a movie about him or have him be the lead of a TV show.’” After diving deep into research that, he says, oft cited Leonardo as “the most recognizable historical figure in the world, other than Christ,’” Goyer’s takeaway was: “Who better to do a show about?”
Read more at TVLine
Streaming Options
