The 52-year-old director of Dances with Wolves will finance and lend his voice to the series, The Explorers Club.

The series will originate on the Internet in 12 four-minute segments, Daily Variety reports.

The actor-director hopes to build a substantial following from the online series before beginning work on a big-screen movie version.

Costner is currently starring in the serial killer thriller Mr Brooks and will appear next year in Swing Vote, about a man whose vote decides a presidential election. © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation