AIDAN TURNER TO STAR IN "LEONARDO" FOR RAI AND LUX VIDE

“Leonardo” (working title) is the first project to hit the airwaves from The Alliance, the co-production group formed by continental Europe’s top broadcasters: RAI, France Televisions, and Germany’s ZDF.

17 OCT 2019

Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Linkedin
  • Whatsapp

The Irish actor Aidan Turner is set to head up the international cast for Lux Vide and Big Light Productions for working title “Leonardo”, the first project to hit the airwaves from The Alliance, the co-production group formed by continental Europe’s top broadcasters: RAI, France Televisions, and Germany’s ZDF.

The series is vast in every respect – a production huge in scale, bringing together collaborators from across the continent to tell the story of an incomparable hero at the heart of the Renaissance, a symbol of the great heritage and tradition which the Alliance shares.

Luca Bernabei, Producer and CEO Lux Vide, declared: “Who was Leonardo? A painter? Not only that. An inventor? Not quite. A scientist? An engineer? Not only. With the audacity that only people of the television industry have, we tried to englobe all of his many faces, giving life to a young Leonardo and not the old man with a beard we all are used to see. He too had a first job, he too had a master, Verrocchio (and later we meet his disciples), he too had frustrations and failures. He too had to deal with the price of ambition when, at the court of Ludovico Sforza, he finds his consecration…In each episode we focus on a masterpiece, an invention, a project, without having the ambition to cover his infinite genius (it would be impossible) but with the goal to have the viewer deeply involved in the adventure of an incomparable man”.

Frank Spotnitz, Creator of the series added: “Capturing the character of Leonardo has been one of the most fascinating and exciting challenges of my career. 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.”

Steve Thompson, the other creator of the title said: "Leonardo is a captivating genius and it has been a thrill to explore his work and his character. 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."

Born in Vinci, in Tuscany, Leonardo grew into an unparalleled genius whose work inspired and overturned the established order. His restless curiosity flitted between art, science, painting, engineering, anatomy and poetry, all of it informed by a deep and fearless humanity, completely liberated from the conventions of his time and determined to unfold the mysteries of the world around him. Leonardo was driven by a profound need to search and discover, and this series attempts to unlock the mystery of this singular character in a fresh and truly original way.

Creators Frank Spotnitz (“Medici”, “The Man in the High Castle”, “The X-Files”) and Steve Thompson (“Sherlock”, “Vienna Blood”, “Deep State”) have used clues from Leonardo’s life to dramatize his character, exploring his relationship with a mysterious figure – his long-time model and muse – whose importance to his career has remained a mystery over the centuries.

The Confession of Leonardo is directed by Daniel Percival (“The Man in the High Castle”, “Death Comes to Pemberley”) and stars Aidan Turner (“The Hobbit”, “Poldark”) in the title role. The series is produced by Lux Vide and Spotnitz’s Big Light Productions.