The eight-part series will begin filming early next year and is described as a historical fantasy, “following the untold story of the world’s greatest genius during his raucous youth in Renaissance Florence.”

Written by David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, Man Of Steel), the project is the first to enter production under the deal between Starz and BBC Worldwide Productions signed this summer.

Goyer commented: “Da Vinci was the original Renaissance man – a near-mythic figure that has worldwide appeal. After working with characters like Batman and Superman, it made a strange kind of sense for me to dive into the facts and legends swirling around his origins. This will be a show about secret histories, genius, madness, and all things profane.”

The series is expected to premiere on Starz in 2013.

> Buy the Torchwood: Miracle Day DVD on Amazon.

Watch a clip from the final episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day…