National Geographic has never been known to do scripted television shows and the first one it is planning on is titled ‘Genius’ and is a planned anthology series. The first season will center around Albert Einstein and has Geoffrey Rush (‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides‘,’The Book Thief’) as the older version of the famed scientist with Johnny Flynn (‘Clouds of Sils Maria’,’Brotherhood’) playing him in his younger years. Even more interesting is that they’ve tapped Imagine’s Ron Howard to direct the pilot. This will be the first time that Howard has directed a prime time drama.
The first season itself will be based off the biography ‘Einstein: His Life and Universe’ which was penned by Walter Isaacson. The plan for the series is to “chart how an imaginative, rebellious patent clerk, who couldn’t get a teaching job or a doctorate, unlocked the mysteries of the atom and the universe. Each episode will explore Einstein’s extraordinary scientific achievements, along with his volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships.”
When talking about what drew him to the series, Howard says that:
“National Geographic’s unwavering commitment to excellence and their support and passion for this project has helped us attract talent such as Geoffrey and Johnny. My excitement for this project grows every day, and I cannot wait to get started.”
The show will ramp up production in September in Prague and plans to debut in 2017. This 10-episode season has a lot riding on it for National Geographic as it targets a new demographic of viewership and it shows that they are taking it seriously with the amount of talent that they have acquired for both in front of and behind the camera.
Are you looking forward to checking out ‘Genius’ when it premieres? What are your thoughts on Rush playing an elderly Albert Einstein? Share your thoughts below!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Stuart Conover is an author, blogger, and all around geek. When not busy being a father and husband he tries to spend as much time as possible immersed in comic books, science fiction, and horror! Would you like to know more? Follow him on Twitter!
