‘Poldark’ star’s next TV project will see him play Leonardo da Vinci

Aidan Turner will return to our television screens next year in a new period drama.

The Irish actor wrapped filming earlier this year on the BBC’s hit Poldark after five seasons.

He’ll next be seen playing Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci in a new historical series from Sherlock writer Steve Thompson and The X-Files writer Frank Spotnitz.

Titled Leonardo, it “aims to provide an original take on the Renaissance genius,” covering “his masterful achievements in various fields, not only including art.”

Spotnitz previously told Variety the show’s intention was “not just [to] say that Leonardo was a genius, but really show why he was a genius and have the audience understand what it was that made him so brilliant and radical and centuries ahead of this time….To do that, you need to get really close to his work.”

Directed by Dan Percival (The Man in the High Castle), the eight episodes will begin filming next month.

Leonardo is expected to premiere in 2020, marking the 500th anniversary of da Vinci’s death.

The final season of Poldark is available on DVD on Amazon.