EXCLUSIVE: Studiocanal will support a live action series adaptation of the Hugo Pratt Corto Maltese graphic novel series, with Sin City‘s Frank Miller to be its creator, writer and executive producer. Together with Canal+, Studiocanal will develop six hour-long episodes.

The EP series is Jemma Rodgers (The Return of the Railway Children), along with Silenn Thomas, the latter of whom is CEO of Frank Miller Ink. Overseeing VFX is Phil Tippett, whose work includes the Star Wars and Jurassic Park franchises and Willow. Studiocanal EVP Global Production Ron Halpern and Executive Managing Director TV Francoise Guyonnet will oversee for the studio.

Pratt launched the series in 1967. The Maltese is a brave sea captain whose adventures took place at the beginning of the 20th century. The lavishly drawn adventure tale mixed fantasy with reality as the Maltese came into contact with some of the most influential characters from literature – Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, Butch Cassidy – as he crossed the seas and oceans.

Miller, who co-directed the first two Sin City films with Robert Rodriguez and whose comics and graphic novels include 300, The Dark Knight Returns Batman: Year One and Daredevil: Reborn, this year launched a new publishing banner, Frank Miller Presents. He is president/EIC of the newly published imprint Ronan: The Second Book and Ancient Enemies.

“First I discovered Corto Maltese reading the books at Forbidden Planet in New York as a teenager,” Miller said. “Then in my travels, I studied and discovered an edition in a news stand in Rome. The artwork was so expressive and so bold that it jumped off the newsprint. Clean me up. It was full of magic and romantic adventure. The Maltese is a rascal who can talk to the gods. For me it showed the power of comics where language is not much of an obstacle. I was a Corto Maltese a fan ever since. This is the hero’s journey at its most classic, and I couldn’t be more honored to help bring to this series the romanticism, heroism, and underlying mystique of the creation of ‘ Pratt.”

Patrizia Zanotti, a close collaborator of Pratt, said there was a high level of respect for Miller and his works from the Corto Maltese creator, who died in 1996.

“Hugo Pratt appreciated the[idmata’FrankMillermill-bidunetttantlippubblikahfil-Corto Maltese rivista fl-1988″ qal Zanotti. “Pratt bħal Miller huma studenti tal-kartuns klassiċi Amerikani bħal Milton Caniff bl-użu tagħhom ta’ dellijiet, linka drammatika u xogħol ta’ pinzell kuraġġuż. Min aħjar jinterpreta d-dinja ta’ Hugo Pratt minn Frank Miller wara l-karattri u d-dinjiet kollha li ġabilna l-kreatur leġġendarju? Pratt ikun ferħan li jara lill-karattru tiegħu Corto Maltese jerġa’ jitqajjem permezz ta’ awtur li għandu l-abbiltà straordinarja li jwettaq miti eterni li jintroduċi karattri ikoniċi għal ġenerazzjonijiet ġodda. Pratt qal permezz ta’ wieħed mill-karattri tiegħu li ‘m’hemm xejn miktub li ma jistax jerġa’ jinkiteb.’ Nemmen li ħadd ieħor ħlief Frank Miller ma jista’ jinterpreta l-impuls kreattiv inerenti f’din il-frażi.”

UTA reps Miller.