FremantleMedia pitching Al Pacino Napoleon drama

FremantleMedia is pitching a new drama series about Napoleon Bonaparte with Al Pacino slated to play the French emperor, TBI understands.

The Man on the Rock is a miniseries project about the life of the French military leader and A-lister Pacino is being lined up to play the title role

There is also a late 1930s MGM film of the same name about Napoleon that examines whether he really died on the island of St. Helena as is widely believed and the TV series would also look at his time on the southern Atlantic island.

Producer and distributor FremantleMedia has been actively pushing the project with potential partners and has pitched it to UK broadcasters.

The project comes from Sennet Entertainment, Mark Sennet’s US drama indie with which FremantleMedia has a first-look deal. The pair are already working together on The Drivers, a 1950/60s period drama about the Le Mans 24 hour motor race alongside Ridley Scott’s Scott Free and Headline Pictures.

Sennet also has access to finance after teaming with Virginia-based Washington Global Investors to launch the US$100 million Allied Film and Television Partners TV and film fund.

Craig Cegielski recently joined FremantleMedia to push its drama projects forward although FremantleMedia’s involvement in this project is on the distribution side. The company’s drive into scripted TV was originally spearheaded by David Ellender who left the company earlier this year. Another one of its scripted execs Jeff Tahler also left this year to join start-up indie Madica.