Starz has optioned the rights to Alison Weir's 1999 biography Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life and 2010 novel Captive Queen for a drama from writer Susie Conklin (A Discovery of Witches, Cranford) and Playground Entertainment, Deadline reported. The project will be the first in a series inspired by "extraordinary women of history." Conklin will adapt and serve as an executive producer, alongside Scott Huff and David Stern for Playground Entertainment.
"This slate of series will focus on lesser known but undeniably exceptional female historical figures while continuing the exploration of fierce characters in history," said Christina Davis, president of programming for Starz. "Alison Weir's novels are the perfect jumping off point for this collection of series from Playground, who are known for their sophisticated storytelling."
Conklin added: "I'm thrilled at the opportunity to bring Eleanor's story to life--the drama and adventures she experienced are truly epic. I'm also captivated at how a woman who lived over 800 years ago can be so strikingly modern. She's determined to live her life on her own terms, and the way she goes about that are extraordinary."
---
Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand has been optioned for a TV drama series adaptation by 185 Carat Films, Deadline reported.
Producers Koel Purie Rinchet, Raquel Carreras and Kamayani Punia, who are currently interviewing potential show-runners and writers, said: "This famous and cursed diamond wreaked untold devastation as it was viciously ripped from one royal hand to another," the producers said. "It has ended up in its final home, the Tower of London, after being gruesomely wrested from the hands of its last owner, a nine-year-old Maharaja. The international TV and Web space has never witnessed a historical story of this magnitude, where bloodshed, love, sex, intrigue, beauty and cruelty all come together to create a layered narrative. This story, rooted in South Asia and traversing countries like Afghanistan and Iran, has a unique international appeal. It is a timely story of greed, power and appropriation regardless of cost."