Showtime having a Renaissance festival with 'The Borgias'

By Rick Porter

January 9, 2010 1:36 PM ET

Follow @Zap2itRick on

Twitter

"The Tudors" is ending this year, but Showtime is firing up another historical drama for 2011.

The cable channel will re-team with "Tudors" creator Michael Hirst and filmmaker Neil Jordan for "The Borgias," a series about the notorious Renaissance-era family. Jeremy Irons ("Reversal of Fortune," "Georgia O'Keeffe") will star as Rodrigo Borgia, the family's patriarch, in his first series-regular role.

Jordan ("The Crying Game," "The Brave One") created the show and will direct at least the first two episodes, Showtime chief Robert Greenblatt said Saturday (Jan. 9) at the TV critics association press tour. Hirst, who wrote every episodes of "The Tudors," will be the head writer on "The Borgias" as well.

Showtime has ordered 10 episodes of the show, which will begin filming in the summer. Greenblatt says the series is expected to premiere in early 2011.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Facebook for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.

Photo credit: Zap2it

Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz