With Comic-Con just around the corner, now is the time to get anything that is comic related out into the open. That in mind, the latest in a flurry of news is that Mandeville Films wants to adapt Top Cow's The Darkness into a live-action film. The popular comic has had many false starts in Hollywood, but Mandeville thinks the time is finally right. 24 Frames confirmed the deal and reports that the Walt Disney-affiliated production house is ready to diversify and build on the success of last year's The Fighter and their upcoming release of The Muppets. With over 115 books and 25 million copies sold, The Darkness has a dedicated following that has already led to a successful video game and upcoming sequel in October. For more on the property and an introduction to what The Darkness is all about, hit the jump.

The Darkness is a violent supernatural crime-centered series that follows Jackie Estacado, a Mafia hit man who has been imbued with the ancient power of “The Darkness.” The mysterious power allows him to call upon demons from another realm to do his bidding, but have a set of drawbacks all their own. Haunted by what he has become, Estecado has a strict moral compass that he follows while trying to do what he feels is right. The series was created in 1996 by Top Cow founder Mark Silvestri, along with Garth Ennis and David Wohl.

The collaboration between Top Cow and Mandeville doesn't stop there, however. They are also teaming up to bring Top Cow's Alibi and Crosshair titles to the silver screen. As mentioned, the property has had its fair share of attempts in the past. Dimension Films were developing a film in 2004 and paid six-figures before it fell apart. Then Scott Stuber Productions (The Kingdom, The Break-Up) took a shot at bringing the film to life in 2009. However, now might be the time to jump on a dark property, with Watchmen pushing the boundaries of mature adaptations with a large budget and The Dark Knight proving gritty can be successful.

Also on the horizon for Mandeville is a potential sequel to The Fighter that would showcase Mickey Ward's fights with Arturo Gatti and an untitled comedy project with the scribes of The Hangover.  Mandeville is headed by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. With any luck, Comic-Con will shed more light on The Darkness soon.