Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy’s Rainbow Group – the company led by Iginio Straffi, creator of the hit “Winx Club” animation franchise – is set to launch into the high seas with a live-action series adaptation of Hugo Pratt’s “Corto Maltese” graphic novels.
The comics follow the title character, a swashbuckling sea captain whose adventures take him around the world. On Wednesday, Rainbow announced a partnership with Cong SA, the company which owns all of Pratt’s IP.
In addition to producing the new live-action TV series, which is currently in development, Rainbow will manage the “Corto Maltese” licensing rights worldwide, the companies said in a joint statement.
Pratt, whose real name was Ugo Eugenio Prat, is legendary figure in the international comic book community, best known for his work on “Corto Maltese,” the long-running historical adventure strip that ran in a number of European publications from 1967-1989.