Disney has bought the film rights to Tony Cliff’s New York Times bestseller, Delilah Dirk And The Turkish Lieutenant, a children’s graphic novel and comic series. The books tell the story of a 19th-century adventurer who escapes prison, busting out a Turkish officer with her who becomes her sidekick in her many pursuits of justice. Something of an Indiana Jones-type character, Delilah’s adventures take her around the world in her flying boat.
The studio is working toward a live-action film, with producers Roy Lee, Mark Mower and Justin Giritkian signed on for the project. Lee will be working through his Vertigo Entertainment banner, a middle-man company of sorts that sells remake rights for Asian films, with previous remakes including The Ring, The Grudge and Oscar-winner The Departed. Disney is currently looking for writers, and there are no directors or actors attached to the title yet, either.
Disney has seen varied results in the action-adventure genre, with Pirates of the Caribbean taking off into a franchise, but Prince of Persia: Sands of Time falling through the cracks (no pun intended). A female protagonist—who is a vicious sword fighter—and a diverse cast certainly won’t hurt in Delilah Dirk.