Season one of the eight-episode drama Leonardo, based on the life of Leonardo da Vinci, will have its U.S. network debut on The CW on August 16, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT. Aidan Turner (Poldark, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) stars as the titular character, with series producer Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor) playing Stefano Giraldi, Matilda De Angelis as Caterina Da Cremona, and Giancarlo Giannini as Andrea Del Verrocchio.
The series also features James D’Arcy as Ludovico Sforza, Carlos Cuevas as Salai, Alessandro Sperduti as Tommaso Masini, Robin Renucci as Piero Da Vinci, Flavio Parenti as Bernardo Bembo, Miriam Dalmazio as Beatrice D’Este, and Antonio de Matteo as Sanseverino.
Leonardo was created by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, The Man in the High Castle) and Steve Thompson (Sherlock, Doctor Who) and has already aired in multiple countries.
In a September 2021 interview with MTV Australia, Highmore described why he was attracted to the project.
“I feel it’s an incredibly timely and modern version of Leonardo and that’s what attracted me to the project too. When we think of Leonardo da Vinci, I don’t think an image of him immediately comes to mind. It’s The Mona Lisa or it’s The Last Supper or [another] work of his, but not of him,” offered Highmore. “The show strips back that enigmatic personality to reveal the truth that is, I think, relevant to us nowadays.”
In that same interview, Spotnitz explained how he balanced telling a good story about the iconic artist’s life with the truth. “Well, it’s funny because I think Steve Thompson, my co-creator and I, both imagined when we started this project, we were going to be completely true to the facts. But then as we began doing the research, we realised there’s just so many facts we don’t know,” stated Spotnitz. “There’s so many holes in his historical record. And at first it was sort of frustrating, and then we realised, well, these are questions that are demanding answers from us as storytellers. And so then we became quite excited about the prospect of filling in the blanks, if you will.”
Dan Percival (The Man in the High Castle, Death Comes To Pemberley) and Alexis Sweet (Don Matteo, Back to the Island) direct the first season. Leonardo 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 SPT.
The CW offered this description of the series:
“Exploring the secrets and drama behind the genius of Leonardo da Vinci — his life, his work and his personal struggles set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy. Leonardo follows da Vinci as he grows into an unparalleled genius and renowned polymath whose work overturns the established order. His restless curiosity about art, science and technology is driven by a profound quest for knowledge and he’s determined to unfold the mysteries of the world around him.
The series unlocks the enigma of this extraordinary man, through an untold story of mystery and passion.”
Episode one was directed by Daniel Percival from a script by Frank Spotnitz, Steve Thompson, and Gabbie Asher.
Episode one’s plot: In Milan 1506, Leonardo da Vinci (Turner) is arrested for poisoning Caterina da Cremona (De Angelis). After protesting his innocence to Stefano Giraldi (Highmore), a talented young officer of the Podesta, Leonardo remembers back to his days as an apprentice in Andrea del Verrocchio’s (Giannini) studio, where he first meets the model Caterina.
As their relationship becomes one of some complication, Leonardo struggles to pour truth into his art and faces major hurdles in achieving success with his work, until Verrocchio asks him to help him with the commission of the Baptism of Christ. Present: confused by his words, Stefano vows to obtain justice for Leonardo’s crime.
