If you thought Corto Maltese was just a fictional country invented by Frank Miller for The Dark Knight Returns, Miller himself may soon teach us otherwise. The name was a reference to a popular Italian series of graphic novels from the ’60s created by Hugo Pratt. Miller and Pratt always had a mutual admiration, with Pratt actually publishing some of Miller’s work in 1988. Now Deadline brings word that the Sin City creator will write and executive produce a six-part TV adaptation. No network or streaming service is set yet, but Studiocanal will fund it.
Corto Maltese is the name of a sea captain whose adventures frequently bring him into contact with major historical figures of the early twentieth century, as well as fantasy characters like Merlin. Pratt wrote 12 graphic novels, with one of them, Corto Maltese in Siberia, adapted into a French animated film in 2002. Christophe Gans previously attempted a live-action feature, which got cancelled due to apparent “obscure legal reasons,” though some concept art leaked:
.@F_Baranger dévoile ses concept-arts pour l’adaptation ciné de Corto en Sibérie de Christophe Gans. Le projet a été annulé “pour d’obscures raisons juridiques” https://t.co/T2GBkkTAqh pic.twitter.com/PrChgUJtKT
— Jérôme Lachasse (@J_Lachasse) June 22, 2019
According to Miller, “This is the hero’s journey in its most classic form, and I couldn’t be more honored to help bring into this series the romanticism, heroism, and underlying mysticism of Pratt’s creation.”
RELATED: Frank Miller is Launching a New Comic Book Publishing Company
Are you familiar with Corto Maltese? Can Frank Miller make a good fit? Let us know your thoughts in comments.
Recommended Reading: Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn
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