Mark Hamill (Star Wars) will direct a big screen adaptation of his comic book miniseries The Black Pearl. The project was originally penned as a screenplay 14 years ago and turned into a comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1996. The $7 million live-action film will be adapted by Hamill, writing partner Eric Johnson (The Fighter) and Paul Tamasy of Berkeley Square Films. Michael Uslan (The Dark Knight) will serve as producer.

Hamill said,

“We started getting interest from some pretty big producers a while ago,” said Hamill of the “Pearl” material. “But then it started to take on a life of its own where it became this huge mega-budget comic book movie. This was the exact opposite of what we wanted to do.”

The comic centers on Luther Drake, a loner who is brought up on a diet of violent films, tabloid TV and comics. When a young neighbor is kidnapped, he takes justice into his own hands and becomes a vigilante.

Hamill says,

“It’s a dark and raw suspense thriller, a prowling de-glamorization of the usual mega-budget Hollywood revenge fantasy with an edgy, real world documentary style that deconstructs the familiar comic book conventions, stands them on their head and leaves the audience with a Sixth Sense or The Usual Suspects-type twist ending.”

No production or release date has been set.

[Source] Variety