Tom Hughes (“Victoria”) and Mila Jovovich (“Resident Evil”) are set to lead the cast of the swashbuckling adventure feature “Corto Maltese” based on the acclaimed comic by Hugo Pratt and helmed by French director Christophe Gans (“Silent Hill,” “Brotherhood of the Wolf”).

Set at the dawn of the 20th century, the action sees sailor Corto Maltese hired by a Chinese revolutionary group to hijack the armored train of the Russian Emperor Czar Nicolas II that is transporting his gold from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok with multiple schemes to capture this priceless treasure.

Seen as a potential franchise launcher, William Schneider penned the adaptation while Samuel Hadida is producing for Davis Films and TriPictures. James Thierree and Mark Dacascos also star, while shooting is slated to begin in January in Europe and China.

Source: Variety