Parker is a fictional character created by American novelist Donald E. Westlake. Parker is the main protagonist of 24 of the 28 novels Westlake wrote under the pseudonym Richard Stark. A professional robber, he specializes in large-scale, high-profit crimes. Parker has been portrayed numerous times in films. Westlake refused to allow productions to use the name unless a whole series of films were planned based on the novels. Substitute characters were created—starting with Lee Marvin starring as Walker in Point Blank (based on The Hunter), Michel Constantin as Georges in Pillaged (based on The Score), Anna Karina as Paula Nelson in Made in U.S.A. (partly based on The Jugger), Jim Brown as McClain in The Split, Robert Duvall as Earl Macklin in The Outfit, Peter Coyote as Stone in Slayground, and Mel Gibson as Porter in Payback (the second screen adaptation based on The Hunter).\ Darwyn Cooke wrote and illustrated a graphic novel based on The Hunter published by IDW in July 2009.[23] The story is a faithful adaptation of the novel, retaining its 1962 setting. Cooke produced the work in consultation with Westlake (who died before he could see the final product). Westlake was reportedly impressed enough that he gave his blessing for Cooke to use the name Parker for the central character—something he had not allowed with any film adaptation of the Parker novels. After Westlake's death, his widow, Abby, sold the screen rights to the novel Flashfire to producer Les Alexander and allowed for the name Parker to be used in the adaptation, with the option of further novels being adapted should the first one prove successful. Jason Statham was cast as the titular character in Parker. Over a decade later, Amazon Studios optioned the entire Parker property with the intent to launch a shared universe consisting of films and television shows. Filmmaker Shane Black wrote and directed Play Dirty, an original story that doesn't adapt any of the novels but takes elements from the series. Mark Wahlberg was cast as Parker.