The success of History’s Vikings was bound to lead to other historical dramas, though we never imagined Martin Scorsese getting involved. And yet, the revered (and expensive) filmmaker is taking The Caesars to TV with a new series backed by Vikings creator Michael Hirst.

Hirst explained as much in a new interview with The Guardian, though no network is yet attached to the series. The Vikings showrunner has already completed an outline and a pilot script, with casting soon expected for production in Italy next year. The new series aims to chronicle “the early rulers of ancient Rome, beginning with the rise to power of Julius Caesar,” capitalizing on Scorsese’s “passionate” research into the topic. It isn’t known if Scorsese would direct any episodes, but Hirst offered of the title character:

In the movies he’s usually a middle-aged guy, struggling with political complexities. But he was fantastically interesting and ambitious when he was younger. A lot of the Caesars came to power when they were young, and we’ve never really seen that on screen. It’s the energy, the vitality, the excess of a young culture that’s being driven by young people. There is something astonishing about the rise of a relatively small kingdom to world power within a very short space of time. It couldn’t have been done by tired old politicos and faded warriors.

Hirst remains attached to Vikings itself, which is expected to debut a sixth season later this year. If indeed casting on The Caesars is expected for the near future, a network or streaming outlet is likely to come with it.