Canal+: a Corto Maltese series by Frank Miller in the making

It is the meeting of two monuments of the 9th art: Frank Miller, author of the comic strips The Dark Knight, 300 and SinCityis currently developing a series Corto Maltese for StudioCanal. In addition to his role as creator and screenwriter, Miller will also produce this adaptation of Hugo Pratt’s cult work.

An adventure mini-series

Frank Miller is writing a six-part action-adventure mini-series that will see the adventurous sailor travel the world. Produced by StudioCanal, a subsidiary of the Canal+ group, the series should be available on the encrypted channel as well as on its myCanal streaming platform.

“I first discovered Corto Maltese on the shelves of Forbidden Planet in New York when I was young. Then during my travels I studied and discovered an edition in a newsstand in Rome. The aesthetics was so expressive and so bold that she literally jumped pages. And it blew me away”Miller said in a statement.

Although the project is still in its infancy, we do know that director and special effects specialist Phil Tippett (Star Wars, Jurassic Park) will sign the visual effects of the future program.

Launched in 1967 by Italian author Hugo Pratt, Corto Maltese is one of the most famous comic book series of the 20th century. The stories of the adventurous sailor across the globe developed through 12 albums until 1992, before being taken up in 2015 by Juan Diaz Canales and Ruben Pellejero, then by Martin Quenehen and Bastien Vivès in 2021.

French director Christophe Gans (The Pact of the Wolves, silent Hill) had embarked on an adaptation of Corto Maltese with Milla Jovovich in the cast, but the project was ultimately unsuccessful.