Now Michael Hirst, the British screenwriter, is joining forces with Hollywood director Martin Scorsese, to make a series about a joint obsession: the Romans.
In Hirst, Scorsese has found a film-maker with a track record of turning history into popular drama.
Asked about The Caesars cast, Hirst said: “One of the benefits of working with [Scorsese] is that actors want to work with him.
His epic saga Vikings has become one of the world’s most popular television shows, even boosting tourism in Scandinavia.