Mark Hamill will reportedly be directing a feature version of his comic book The Black Pearl, which is a five-issue comic book series published by Dark Horse in 1996, written by Mark Hamill and Eric Johnson. The story focuses on Luther Drake, a troubled man who becomes a costumed vigilante “hero” by accident and media pressure.

According to The Wrap – Hamill said,

“it’s set in the real world, and “at first glance it’s a drama, but it has dark humor.”

“My two co-writers wrote a David O. Russell film for Paramount,” he said, “and now they’ve very hot. So now there are people who are willing to give us $30 million to make the movie. But if we took that deal, I wouldn’t get to direct.

“If you go over about $8 million, you have to start getting foreign sales before you start shooting. But if you stay in the $5-to-$7 million range, you don’t have to do presales and you can maintain much more creative control.”

An official announcement is expected at the Cannes Film Festival.