Here’s a first look at Irish “Poldark” star Aidan Turner as legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci in upcoming international co-production “Leonardo,” set to be released next year.
The first glimpse of Turner as da Vinci shows him learning his craft as a young apprentice and then reaching for greatness with his commission to paint The Last Supper.
The first look was compiled from original footage directed by Dan Percival and Alexis Sweet and is accompanied by a score from series composer John Paesano.
The high-end drama is produced by Lux Vide with RAI Fiction and Big Light Productions in association with France Télévisions and RTVE, and co-produced and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television.
The series was created by Frank Spotnitz (“The X-Files,” “The Man in the High Castle”) and Steve Thompson (“Sherlock,” “Doctor Who”), and is directed by Daniel Percival (“The Man in the High Castle) and Alexis Sweet (“Don Matteo”)
Giancarlo Giannini (“Family Novel,” “Catch 22”) plays Leonardo’s master Andrea del Verrocchio, while Matilda De Angelis (“The Undoing”) is Caterina da Cremona, his dearest friend and mysterious muse.
Freddie Highmore (“The Good Doctor”) will play Stefano Giraldi, a young detective of the Podestà in charge of solving the mystery at the center of the story.
Highmore will also act as an executive producer on “Leonardo” with his Sony Pictures Television-aligned production company Alfresco Pictures joining Lux Vide, RAI Fiction and Big Light Productions to produce the show.
Eleonora Andreatta, head of drama at Rai, said: “We’re proud to see so many talented people from different countries working together on a project that explores the life, the mystery and the genius of Leonardo da Vinci.”
Luca Bernabei, producer and CEO of Lux Vide, added: “Leonardo’s story invites us to believe in humanity, in its extraordinary abilities and the possibility of looking to the future beyond those horizons that today appear as overwhelming obstacles; as a very modern genius like Leonardo Da Vinci would do. From Italy to the world, (it is) a message of hope and a model of rebirth that, we feel in this moment, (is) even more relevant.”