The Mayans are getting all the press lately, what with their calendar predicting our impending extinction as a species in 2012. But let’s not forget the Aztecs, m’kay? The Aztecs were awesome. Human sacrifice, the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan, Quetzalcoatl the Feathered Serpent. Sure, they didn’t predict the end of the world many centuries hence, but that’s probably because they figured they’d still be around to kill us all themselves. That’s how the Aztecs rolled.
Maybe the Aztecs will finally get their due, because The Hollywood Reporter brings word that John Milius – the writer behind such manly epics as Apocalypse Now and Conan the Barbarian, and the co-creator of HBO’s outstanding Rome – is in talks to adapt Gary Jennings’ 1980 historical novel, Aztec, for the small screen. The extensively researched novel tells the story of an Aztec peasant who rises through the ranks to become a warrior, scribe, and merchant. Producer Grant Turck picked up the rights to the book and aims to turn it into a miniseries.
It’s too early to say where the miniseries might eventually air, but with Milius’ name attached, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.
