Chris Vance is Cinemax's 'Transporter'

Chris Vance

Frank Martin's career as a transporter continues as Cinemax is planning a 12-episode series based on the film franchise created by Luc Besson.

Deadline reported yesterday actor Chris Vance ("Prison Break," "Burn Notice") has been cast as Frank in the upcoming series, taking over for Jason Statham from the "Transporter" films. Additionally, Hungarian actress Andrea Osvart ("Spy Game") will be Carla, a former CIA agent and Frank's handler.

Andrea Osvart

As the title would suggest, Frank is a professional transporter. If you need something sent quickly and discreetly, he is your man. He just has three rules: Never change the deal, no names and never open the package.

"The Transporter" raced into theaters in 2002, followed by "Transporter 2" in 2005 and "Transporter 3" in 2008. Besson and Robert Mark Kamen wrote all three films. Besson will executive produce the television series.

The film franchise was solid popcorn fun, even though the writers ignored the laws of physics more often than they observed them. With the right scripts, this could be translate well into an action series, providing they have a large enough budget for the car chases and explosions that make a Luc Besson production a Luc Besson production.