It seems as if we have a couple of Leonardo da Vinci stories headed our way in yet another case of dual inspiration.
The first is Da Vinci’s Demons, a television show being developed for Starz and BBC Worldwide with writer David S. Goyer.
The title might be terrible, but the concept is certainly interesting. The show will take the form of a historical fantasy depicting renaissance Florence.
As expected, young Leonardo is shown as headstrong and super smart, with supernatural mental and artistic talents.
The conflict centers around Leonardo’s struggle to fit in a society which, while more advanced than any before, is woefully beneath his extraordinary talents.
Goyer is used to penning stories for super heroes – he’s written for the most recent Batman and Superman films – and will be approaching Da Vinci’s Demons with the same style. So it will probably be somewhat like Smallville, except with smarts instead of strength.
“David has reimagined some of the most iconic superheroes of all time, and is again building an extraordinary prism through which to rediscover the world’s greatest genius and most mysterious man,” said Starz Media Managing Director, Carmi Zlotnik.
“If modern day has Tony Stark, the Renaissance had da Vinci. This is a story we believe will captivate the imaginations of audiences around the world and is the first of what we expect to be many productions with our talented partners at BBC Worldwide Productions.”
The other project is over at Universal Studios, which just acquired the screenplay for Leonardo.
Unsurprisingly, the film is also about a young, brash, supernaturally talented Leonardo da Vinci. In this script, the original renaissance man must use his many talents to save Europe from slipping back into another dark age, just years after emerging from the last.
Da Vinci’s Demons will start filming early next year, and will likely premier during the 2013 spring pilot season. Leonardo is still in the planning stages, and has no announced dates for production or release.
