Although Star Wars has ensured he’ll always be remembered, it also overwhelmed Mark Hamill’s career to such an extent that it was virtually impossible for him find sustained acting success elsewhere. As a result he’s been finding a new niche in recent years in the comic books world, first voicing animated characters such as The Joker and Hobgoblin, as well as creating his own comic mini-series, The Black Pearl, and directing the documentary, Comic Book: The Movie.
Last month he hinted the The Black Pearl might be coming to the big screen, but he couldn’t say much. Now Variety has a bit more info and says that ol’ Luke Skywalker won’t just be the creator but will also direct the film version. The Black Pearl is actually just going back to where it started, as it was originally created for the screen 14-years-ago, but when they couldn’t get funding Dark Horse turned it into a comic.
Now Hamill, Paul Tamsay and Eric Johnson have turned it back into a script and are gearing up to shoot it. It’ll have a surprisingly cheap $7 million budget, with the backers pitching it an an edgy thriller they expect to get an R rating.
The comics are about Luther Drake, who becomes a media sensation after saving a woman from being adbucted, and is spurred on to don a costume, become a vigilante and take on the guise of The Black Pearl.