Think Leonardo Da Vinci just sat around drawing cool stuff? "Da Vinci's Demons," an original series created by David S. Goyer, is set to prove otherwise. During a press tour panel for the STARZ show, the co-writer of "The Dark Knight" trilogy promised that, though the eight-part series will give the legendary creator some "almost superhuman" skills, "eighty-five percent of this is based on reality." 

And very little, if any, of that reality-based drama is going to consist of watching the master navel gaze. As Goyer points out, "If we showed Da Vinci painting for two minutes, everyone would be looking at their watches." 

Luckily, Da Vinci was hardly dull -- he was born out of wedlock, had a taste for opium, and was branded as a heretic. Oh, and he was a genius who wasn't able to pursue some academic interest due to his scandalized status. "One of the themes of this show is that history is a lie, and it's constantly being overwritten… by the winners," Goyer said.

The rumor that Da Vinci might have been gay, while not a focus of the show, might not be brushed aside. When asked about the topic, star Tom Riley (who plays Da Vinci) hinted that his character "was not restrained by the society he was in." 

The show, which stars Riley and Laura Haddock ("The Inbetweeners") will premiere on STARZ Fri. April 12 at 10:00 p.m. Get a taste of what's ahead by watching the trailer below.  

Liane Bonin Starr
Sr. Editor

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Liane Bonin Starr is an author, screenwriter and former writer for EW.com. Her byline has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Variety and a lot of other places. Her last book was called "a scandalously catty, guilty pleasure" by Jane magazine. Expect the same from Starr Raving.