His epic saga Vikings has become one of the world’s most popular television shows, even boosting tourism in Scandinavia. The Tudors enjoyed similar success. Now Michael Hirst, the British screenwriter, is joining forces with Hollywood director Martin Scorsese, to make a series about a joint obsession: the Romans.

The Caesars will tell the story of the early rulers of ancient Rome, beginning with the rise to power of Julius Caesar. The pilot has been written, plus the outline for the rest of the season. The plan is to create a television drama, several seasons long. Filming is expected to begin next year in Italy.