We learned about the upcoming Marco Polo series from Netflix last summer, but Netflix formally announced the project earlier this year. The first season will consist of ten episodes.

Today, the Weinstein Company announced that production is now underway with shooting locations in Italy, Kazakhstan and the new Pinewood Studios in Malaysia.

It also revealed some cast and crew details.

Lorenzo Richelmy (Il Terzo Tempo; pictured) will play Marco Polo. The cast also includes Benedict Wong (Prometheus), Zhu Zhu (Cloud Atlas), Tom Wu (Skyfall), Remy Hii (Treading Water) and Rick Yune (Olympus Has Fallen, The Fast and the Furious).

Creator John Fusco (Forbidden Kingdom, Young Guns, Hidalgo) and Harvey Weinstein will serve as executive producers. Dan Minahan (Game of Thrones, True Blood) will serve as executive producer and will direct two episodes. Joachim Roenning and Espen Sandberg (Kon-Tiki, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) will direct the season’s first two episodes. Patrick MacManus will serve as co-executive producer. Collin Creighton will produce.

“Television audiences today are more discerning than ever before both in terms of character and the scope of the worlds those characters live in. We are proud to present a series that rivals some of the most successful films we’ve ever made. Marco Polo is a figure all have heard of, but few truly know, and we are excited to introduce him to the world. And we are shooting all over the world. From the sweeping vistas of Kazakhstan which act as backdrop for the wars and conquests of Kublai Khan to the intimate moments within the alleys and canals of Marco’s hometown of Venice, Italy, this is spectacle in the truest sense of the word,” said Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company.

“John, Dan, Joachim, Espen and our partners at The Weinstein Company are elevating the art of storytelling and delivering cinematic quality that we’re certain our members will enjoy,” said Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos. “In this commanding, epic story of Marco Polo, through the magnetic cast they’ve assembled, the spectacular martial arts work they are showcasing and the exotic locations that serve as a backdrop, they have really outdone themselves.”

The story is described as “a kinetic tale of high politics, masterful manipulation and deadly warfare among clashing empires. ”The new announcement adds:

The famed explorer’s journey takes him to the center of a brutal war in 13th century China, a world replete with exotic martial arts, political skullduggery, spectacular battles and sexual intrigue.

On that martial arts note, the production tragically lost stuntman Ju Kun to Flight 370.

The show is expected to debut on Netflix later this year.

Image via PR Newswire