Evan Spiliotopoulos, who most recently wrote the screenplay The Box for Fox, is adapting the series for the screen.

“The Last Call” was first published in 2007 and is written and illustrated by Vasilis Lolos. The horror-adventure graphic novel series is basically about two teens who are out on a joy ride and get hit by a train. The train isn’t a normal train, however, it’s a “ghost train” which is carrying souls from this dimension to another. The two teens wake up on the train with no tickets and a conductor who is coming for them. The teens must solve the mystery of the train so they can return to their regular lives.

“The Last Call” is the fourth Oni Press work that Universal is developing. “Scott Pilgrim” is being prepped for production later this year with Edgar Wright directing and Michael Cera starring. Universal is also developing “Leading Man” and “Resurrection.”

A 38 page preview of “The Last Call” is available for preview at the Oni Press website.

Below is a couple of pages from graphic novel.

According to Variety, David Franzoni, who wrote Amistad and Gladiator for the studio, will pen Blackbeard, which delves into the life of British buccaneer Edward Teach.

The genesis of the project is a tale in itself. The idea for the project was first hatched when producer Barry Josephson (Enchanted) enlisted motivational speaker and former Philadelphia 76ers president/co-owner Pat Croce to make a cameo in his 2002 basketball film, Like Mike. Croce is apparently a bit of a pirate fan as he wrote “Pirate Soul,” a book that chronicled the golden era of piracy (which spanned 1690-1730) as well as the upcoming kids book “My Pop-Pop Is A Pirate.” Croce wrote a treatment for the film which he sent to Josephson in December of 2006. The pair later brought aboard Franzoni who began working on the pitch right after the writer’s strike ended.

Croce, who, interestingly enough, also owns a pirate museum in Key West, Florida, is collaborating closely with Franzoni on the screenplay.

Franzoni also recently completed a draft of Childhood’s End, based on the Arthur C. Clarke novel.

I don’t want to ruin this for anyone, but Blackbeard eventually dies a pirate’s death.