The Dark Knight Producer To Take on "Film Noir Superhero" Webseries

Michael Uslan, a producer on Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy as well as a number of other comics projects like Constantine and The Spirit, will bring the film noir sensibilties of gritty, street-level superhero comics to a new webseries, according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter. Uslan, who recently wrote the momoir The Boy Who Loved Batman, will team up with Blip for The Great S. Cape!, a 12-episode, live-action series created by Uslan and described as a "film noir adventure." The story follows Stephen Cape, a magician and illusionist who applies his skills -- and refusal to use a gun -- to becoming a private detective and superhero. The image at left is a screen capture of a panel Uslan held at The Great Escape in Nashville earlier this year. As far as we know, there is no connection between the two titles. South African actor Ian Duncan will star as Cape, with the rest of the cast yet to be announced. Uslan will write and executive produce. Production will begin at the end of April with an eye toward broadcasting the series via Blip's streaming video site later this year. The company will offer a sneak preview May 1 at its NewFront presentation. "The Great S. Cape! marks the triumphant return of the chapter-by-chapter Saturday matinee movie serial of old that was dominated by superheroes like Batman, Superman and Captain America," said Uslan. "Original web series are at the cutting edge of the entertainment industry, and working with Blip I can reach audiences in new ways with more immersive characters and stories." "Working with such an esteemed producer as Michael Uslan to bring his new superhero vision to life is an incredible collaboration for us, and his plans to tap top comic book writers and devotees from the fan film world make this something truly groundbreaking," said Blip CEO Kelly Day. "The Blip audience is going to love the action, adventure and the return of the nail-biter."