'The Borgias' Season 3 picked up by Showtime for 10 episodes

Midway through its second season, Renaissance drama "The Borgias" has gotten an early green light for Season 3 from Showtime. Jeremy Irons and the rest of the cast will return to Budapest, Hungary this summer to begin production on 10 new episodes of the series, set to premiere on Showtime in 2013.

According to Showtime's press release, "As the series continues to unfold, the greatest existential threat to Alexander's Papacy may not come from foreign adversaries or ambitious political operatives, but may linger within his most trusted inner circle - his family.

"The cunning Cesare engages his dark side; the profligate Juan turns murderous and ostracized by his family; and the increasingly independent Lucrezia refuses to be a pawn in her family's continued quest for power."

Academy Award-winner and Emmy nominee Neil Jordan will stay on as creator, executive producer, and occasional writer and director.