Corto Maltese: Frank Miller to adapt Hugo Pratt’s graphic novel series with Studiocanal

Ahoy! Who’s ready to embark on an adventure with some of literature’s most influential figures? Studiocanal and legendary comic book creator Frank Miller (Sin City, 300, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) will join forces for a live-action adaptation of Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese. Miller created the project, which he will write and executive produce. Studiocanal and Canal+ are developing the series, which is comprised of six hour-long episodes.

Launched in 1967, Corto Maltese revolves around an intrepid sea captain whose thirst for adventure landed him in plenty of trouble in the early 20th century. Corto Maltese combines fantasy with reality as the captain partners with world-famous literary characters, including Ernest Hemingway, Rasputin, Joseph Conrad, the voodoo priestess Gold Mouth, and more.

“I first discovered Corto Maltese reading the books at Forbidden Planet in New York as a young man,” Miller explained to Deadline. “Then on my travels, I studied and discovered an edition at a newsstand in Rome. The artwork was so expressive and so bold that it leapt off the newsprint. It swept me away. It was full of magic and romantic adventure. Maltese is a rascal who could talk to the gods. To me it showed off the power of the comic where language is not much of a barrier. I have been a Corto Maltese fan ever since. 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.”

The tales of Corto Maltese are cherished worldwide by literary hounds. The rotating cast of famous literary figures offers a unique variety to the story’s formula, and it’s fascinating to experience the Captain’s chemistry with each personality. Getting a new coat of paint sounds like a great idea for Pratt’s Corto Maltese novels, especially with audiences adoring tales of derring-do in mass quantities. Let’s go!