'Barbarella' TV series in the works

[Brian Damage]

"Barbarella" is coming to the small screen.

"Drive" director Nicolas Refn is working with Gaumont International Television on a TV series based on the Jean-Claude Forest comic-book character made famous by the 1968 Jane Fonda film of the same name.

Refn will direct the series and executive-produce with Martha De Laurentiis. Julien Forest and Jean-Marc Lofficier will co-executive produce.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to re-invent 'Barbarella' with my friends at Gaumont and Martha De Laurentiis," said of the project. "And I look forward to bringing this unique character to life for a new generation of fans as I believe she is one of the ultimate counter-cultural characters."

Gaumont International Television CEO Katie O'Connell said that the series will pair "the bold visceral style of Nicolas Refn with the pop culture icon Barbarella."

Gaumont International Television and De Laurentiis are also pairing for the upcoming NBC series "Hannibal," about fictional cannibal/mastermind Hannibal Lecter. Refn, meanwhile, is teaming with Gaumont on his next two feature films, including "Only God Forgives," which reunites him with "Drive" star Ryan Gosling.

Originally appearing in a "V-Magazine" serial in the early 1960s, Barbarella, a young woman who traveled from planet to planet having often-carnal adventures, served as an early symbol for the sexual revolution that would blossom in the ensuing years.

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