NBC Digs Up A ‘Cleopatra’ Pilot With Lorenzo Di Bonaventura

Well, let it never be said that NBC doesn't at least try.  For a network that's struggled to compete both commercially and critically, the peacock has been casting a wider net between high-concept dramas and three-camera sitcoms, but their latest pickup might be the most epic yet.  'Cleoptra' will soon grace our screens courtesy of Michael Seitzman and filmmaker Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, but what story will the famed beauty tell?

NBC has ordered a put pilot of 'Cleopatra,' a historical epic chronicling the famed beauty and the ultimate end of her reign in Egypt alongside Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.  The NBC project is described as an "epic romance set in a world of sorcery, gods and monsters that centers on Cleopatra, Mark Antony and Julius Caesar. The young queen makes a sacred pact with a goddess to win back her throne, igniting a curse and an infamous love triangle that changes the course of history, forever ending the 4,000 year dominion of the Pharaoh."

As historians well know, the story of Cleopatra ends with the legendary woman's suicide, initiating the fall of Egypt an its new dominion as a Roman Province.  We're guessing they save that one for sweeps.

Seitzman was previously responsible for the pilot 'Americana,' which fell through over at ABC, while Bonaventura successfully sold the series 'Zero Hour,' set to bow on ABC in mid-season.  Meanwhile over in Hollywood, David Fincher's adaption of 'Cleopatra' still sits in development.

Casting announcements are sure to follow, but in the meantime what do we think?  Could 'Cleopatra' be just the epic drama NBC needs to get back on top?  Tell us what you think in the comment below!