The story of Alexander the Great and his thrilling, relentless quest for dominance just got more heated. 

Jacob Tierney, the creator and showrunner of Heated Rivalry, is set to write, direct, and executive produce the upcoming series Alexander, a period piece that explores the little-known story of Alexander the Great and his tutor, Aristotle. 

Michael Costigan and Jason Bateman of Aggregate Films will executive produce the series, alongside Brendan Brady (Heated Rivalry) of Accent Aigu Entertainment. 

Based on Annabel Lyon’s novel The Golden Mean, the drama begins as the Athenian empire is crumbling and the world’s greatest mind, Aristotle, arrives in Macedonia to tutor a volatile young prince, Alexander. Amid palace intrigue, forbidden love, brutal war and ruthless ambitions, their unlikely friendship shapes an empire and alters the course of history.

“I fell in love with Annabel Lyon’s book The Golden Mean years ago and have been dreaming of telling this story ever since,” says Tierney. “Brendan and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Aggregate and Netflix to bring this insanely compelling world to life.”

Adds Jinny Howe, head of US and Canada scripted series at Netflix, “Jacob Tierney is one of the most exciting, in-demand creative voices working today, and we are thrilled to work with him on Alexander. We were immediately captivated by his vision for adapting Annabel Lyon’s acclaimed novel. This series reimagines the classic power struggle between mentor and protégé with a raw, modern energy that feels both epic and incredibly intimate. This high-stakes drama is poised to deeply resonate with our global audience, and we look forward to bringing it to life with the deftly talented Jason Bateman and the Aggregate Films team.”

A quick history lesson: Alexander the Great, son of King Philip II of Macedon and Queen Olympias, used his charisma and ruthless military tactics to conquer the largest empire the world had ever seen. He managed to overtake Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt without any defeats and, as ruler of Macedonia, founded over 70 cities while spanning his influence across three continents. 

The Golden Mean, an international bestseller that landed in bookstores in 2010, was Lyon’s debut work of fiction. Hailed as a “marvelously reimagined” look at 4th century BC and Alexander the Great’s youth by The Guardian’s Catherine Taylor, the book was lauded for its “measured, burnished prose, which combines thrilling immediacy with a stately timelessness.” 

Keep checking back here for all the latest on Alexander, from casting news to the release date.