Mark Hamill... (insert obligatory STAR WARS joke). Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get to it. Mark Hamill has been resurfacing in the public discussion for the first time in years and this time it has nothing to do with his weight or previous roles. Instead, Hamill is getting talked about for his very own pet project: THE BLACK PEARL. No, not that BLACK PEARL, this one is a non-Johnny Depp-helmed vessel.

Want to know more about the story and its various manifestations? Check out more after the break!

Originally, THE BLACK PEARL was a screenplay written by Hamill that he marketed to various studios in hopes of it getting made. But studios denied Hamill the chance to bring his movie to life. So what would any logical middle-aged man do? That's right, make a comic book series out of it. The five issue comic book explored the world of tabloid sensationalism by way of a vigilante fueled by media hype. Everyone considered a film adaptation to be a dead possibility.

However, Variety is reporting that after a lot of back-and-forth, Hamill has achieved his original vision for the material and will be receiving seven million dollars to fund the film adaptation (which Hamill will direct himself). So it looks like we will be seeing THE BLACK PEARL (a.k.a. TMZ-MAN) hit the big screen sometime in the near future. Congrats to Hamill for getting his passion project the green light...saber (damn!).