Ron Howard of Imagine TV and Showtime’s David Nevins have teamed up to develop Conquest, a period drama centering on the conflict between Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes and Moctezuma II, the last ruler of the Aztec empire. Oscar-winner Howard is attached to direct the series, which will be scripted by the Oscar-nominated writer Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries). Howard and Rivera will also executive produce the project alongside Brian Grazer. Hit the jump for more on Howard’s passion project.

Deadline reports that Conquest will tell the story of Spain’s conquest of Mexico and the futile resistance of Moctezuma II and his army. Historical accounts of the conquest suggest complicated games of cat and mouse between the Spanish military man and the emperor of the New World, which should make for rich storytelling. The show is described as “a classic war story about two powerful men and their people ultimately leading to the destruction of the Aztec culture and the men themselves.”

Hans Beimler, a writer on Star Trek serials, will act as a consultant on Conquest owing to his knowledge of the history of Mexico and the Aztek empire. Beimler and Howard had been collaborating on the project initially viewed as a feature, but took it to Nevins when they agreed it would be more suitable as a series. Imagine and Showtime each waited for Rivera to become available to pen the project. Conquest will mark Nevins’ first major cooperative work with Imagine TV, a company he left two years ago to take the position at Showtime.