In Greek mythology, Icarus is given wings by his father Daedalus, who warns his son to not fly too close to the sun. In the second season of Starz’s original series Da Vinci’s Demons that imagines Leonardo as a young man, the Renaissance legend touches boundaries that imperil him and those he cares most about.
The premium programmer is integrating the Icarus myth as the key art element -- unveiled here exclusively -- for the sophomore season of Da Vinci’s Demons, which makes its linear debut on March 22 at 9 p.m. The symbolic image showcases Da Vinci, as portrayed by series star Tom Riley (I Want Candy), falling but looking skyward, his wings torn and frayed.
“During the second season, Leonardoi is in a dangerous place, he is pushing very hard,” said Alison Hoffman, senior vice president of original programming, marketing communication at Starz, “He’s going too far, and putting his friends and family in jeopardy. We think this is the perfect embodiment for the new season.”
Hoffman also noted the art plays off the image Starz deployed to introduce the series, which averaged 4 million viewers per episode across various platfoms for its rookie run. “This builds on the first season with Leonardo’s gliding wings. Here, his wings, like Icarus, take him dangerously close.”
She said the concept began to take hold last October, when Starz was in the Big Apple for New York ComiCon. Riley, suspended on a wire, was photographed against a green screen. “Tom is very strong and flexible, but it’s tough to be attached to a wire. The shoot was done really quickly.”
Consumers this week will get a close-up of key art concept that Hoffman said will serve as “the centerpiece of a national campaign brought to life across an array of media vehicles, including print, outdoor, digital and television.”
Created by David S. Goyer, who most recently penned the screenplay for Man of Steel and its untitled sequel and is the co-writer of The Dark Knight trilogy, Da Vinci’s Demons follows the ‘untold’ story of the world's greatest genius, during his turbulent youth during the Renaissance.
The second season finds Florence in chaos in the wake of the Pazzi conspiracy and Leonardo must push the limits of his mind and body to defend the city against the forces of Rome. When the dust settles, friends are buried and rivalries enflamed. While the Medicis go to unthinkable lengths to deal with new threats, Da Vinci continues on his quest to find the fabled Book of Leaves and uncover the secret history of his mother. He'll come to realize that he has lethal competition in his quest -- new enemies who may be even worse than the forces of Pope Sixtus. His search will take him to faraway lands and force him to reevaluate everything he knew about the world and his own history.
Hoffman said the key art concept for the show -- produced by Adjacent Productions, a label launched in 2012 that sits alongside BBC Worldwide Productions, and distributed internationally by BBC Worldwide in partnership with Fox International Channels, which broadcasts the senies into 125 nations -- is expected to be deployed in global marketing efforts.
Check out a live-action tease video here.
