Bryan Talbot’s ‘Luther Arkwright’ Graphic Novels are set to be adapted as a live-action series by Three River Studios. The Studio has optioned to develop a live-action, returnable TV series based on the cult graphic novels ‘The Adventures of Luther Arkwright’ and ‘Heart of Empire.’
The Graphic Novels are explicit in nature and make many mythological, historical and political references although it is set in a parallel universe. The first parts of the novel were published as a serial in Near Myths, A British underground magazine. Later, Bryan Talbot completed the graphic novel, and it was published by the Valkyrie Press in 1987.
Bryan Talbot, a British artist, and writer also wrote the sequel to Luke Arkwright, called Heart of Empire, published in 1999 by Dark Horse publishers. Bryan Talbot and the Valkyrie Press edition of the novels were nominated for eight Eagle Awards in the year 1988. They won four out of the eight awards they were nominated for, namely, Favourite Artist, Best New Comic, Favorite Character for Arkwright himself, and Best Comic Cover.
The Adventures of Luther Arkwright has previously been adapted into an audio series. It is a three-CD audio adventure from Big Finish Productions starring David Tennant and released in 2005. The novel was republished as a webcomic using digitally mastered files in 2006. That same year, announcements were made for a potential Live-Action film adaptation. But this project lapsed in June 2010.
Bryan Talbot has since worked on many different projects, moving to the US Market in the 1990s. He has worked with DC Comics on titles such as Hellblazer and Batman: Legend of the Dark Knight.
The live-action series will be produced by Jonathan Drake, CEO of Three River Studios, with Talbot as the executive producer. Talbot is also currently writing a new installment of Arkwright’s saga, “The Legend of Luther Arkwright,” due in 2022.
