The entire depth of fictional history of the BattleTech universe is desperately waiting for adaptation, particularly the Warrior trilogy by Michael Stackpole (Warrior: En Garde, Warrior: Riposte, Warrior: Coupé). The universe the multitude of authors that wrote novels and source material for this classic 80s tabletop miniature game is so rich with Machiavellian intrigue that it could put Game of Thrones to shame, and that one trilogy sets the tone brilliantly.
To set the stage for people, the story begins with the exploration and colonization of space allowed by development of FTL travel. Eventually colonies are tied together under feudal house (after the invention of the walking tank known as the BattleMech) that control regions of space and the houses were tied together under another hereditary hierarchy called the Star League...the Star League was rent asunder by a betrayer named Stefan Amaris, referred to usually as Stefan the Usurper, whose name goes down in history with Judas and Benedict Arnold. The Usurper is overthrown by the general of the Star League armies, Alexander Kerensky, but as Amaris killed the family that led the Star League a power vacuum is left for the seat of First Lord, and the five major houses begin to fight for the right to resume the mantle. Kerensky leads an exile of mankind's best and brightest and their families into unknown space, which leads to a decay of scientific knowledge amongst those left behind as they continue to war for dominance, each house dealing with the intrigues of "lesser houses" that populate them each seeking control of their government. And the main series of stories take place 300 years after Kerensky leaves. War, romance, sex, intrigue within intrigue, assassinations, underhanded schemes...it's full of everything you could want in great TV. Meanwhile various stories could likewise make great films.