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Neil Gaiman Says 'Graveyard Book' Movie is Dead, For Now

by Ethan Anderton
January 23, 2010
Source: Hero Complex

After the adaptation of author Neil Gaiman's quirky fantasy adventure Stardust failed to receive proper and respectful marketing attention from Paramount, the author is no stranger to disappointment when it comes to adaptations of his award-winning books. Unfortunately the director has to feel that pain yet again as he revealed to LA Times' Hero Complex that Neil Jordan's adaptation of his Newbery Medal winning children's story The Graveyard Book can be placed in the cemetery itself as a dead project, for the time being. This bad news comes one year after the Coraline writer announced the project on The Today Show.

This development, or lack thereof, is another in a bit of depressing hits in Gaiman's life as the very revealing article chronicles Gaiman's struggles over the last couple years, the author recounted, "I was leading up to the writing of an Anansi Boys screenplay [based on my first novel], which begins with an incredibly funny sequence where the protagonist's father keels over from a surprise heart attack. And as I was doing that my father keeled over and died of a surprise heart attack. It's not terribly funny though, is it?"

Not in the least, sir. But this tragedy was last March, so Gaiman has had some time to reflect and mourn, and slowly but surely seems to be getting back to the grind. However, that doesn't mean other parties were as eager or prepared to continue his adaptation work:

"[Graveyard Book] was all put together over at Miramax Films. The people there had a long, great relationship with Neil Jordan and it was all set up and ready to go, and then Miramax was more or less erased from existence. It became a filing cabinet in somebody's desk, more or less... But it looks like almost all the pieces are on the table again. They have a studio, they have a distributor and they are putting stuff together and I'm not allowed to say anything else.

These days we're in this strange and fascinating world where it seems that even movie studios don't have the money to make movies anymore. That's been the story of most of the films I've been involved in. The long, strange journey is the financing part; the journey of the filmmaking is always incredibly easy and straightforward.”

I'm not sure that a filmmaker like Henry Selick would agree that filmmaking is easy and straightforward having spent quite a long time making the award-winning stop-motion animated adaptation of Coraline. However, he's definitely right about the more unpleasant parts of production like financing, and marketing and whatnot. Though Gaiman still seems a bit jaded, it sounds like The Graveyard Book could get off the ground sooner or later, but for now we'll just have to have some patience. Although this is one adaptation I am looking forward to one day seeing. We'll keep you posted on further developments about this project.

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

Kerina

Aww. I really enjoyed that book. Shame...
Trent

Neil Gaiman is a self aggrandizing Scientologist, and Scientologists create an enormous amount of misery in the world, so it really isn't cute or funny. Scientologists are either in good standing or disconnected from their family members so Gaiman is clearly in good standing as is Amanda Palmer. Why does Gaiman support this dangerous cult? I suspect in order to gain monetary and career benefit. Scientologists call outsiders WOGS and it is okay for them to lie to us, in this case about their status so they can continue to take our money and fund a dangerous cult that destroys lives. The money trail to Gaiman is a fact and Gaiman also sent his children to Scientology schools. The Gaiman Family USA are Patrons with Honors of Scientology, meaning they’ve donated at least $100,000.00. The Gaiman Family USA is Neil Gaiman because both of his sisters are married and go by their married names, Claire Edwards and Lizzie Calcione. ( These two sisters are bigwig Scienos, being the respective heads of recruiting in LA and the Wealden Center in East Grinstead). In 2006, the same year Neil Gaiman donated $100,00.00, his father David Gaiman (now deceased, donated almost 400,000 pounds or $750,000.00. Gaiman's entire family are high ranking Scientologists and Neil Gaiman is a member in VERY good standing. They also donate through G & G Foods, their family company. Go to http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/ to see the big picture. 2003: THE GAIMAN FAMILY USA Impact magazine #105 Patrons ($100,000.00) You will find them listed in CAPS because they are Patrons with Honors ($100,000.00) 2004: Impact #109 G & G Foods Patrons ($40,000.00) 2004: THE GAIMAN FAMILY USA Impact Magazine #109 Founding Patrons ($100,000.00)[circa September 2004 ]:Founding Patrons are those who became Patrons by the IAS 20th Anniversary (October/November 2004). The following list appears in Impact 114 [ circa September 2006 ]: 2006: Impact #114 G & G Food Supplies Patrons ($40,000.00) 2006: THE GAIMAN FAMILY USA Impact magazine #114 Patrons ($100,000.00) You will find them listed in CAPS because they are Patrons with Honors ($100,000.00) 2006: Impact magazine #114 DAVID & SHEILA GAIMAN UK Silver Meritorious ($750,000.00) allegiance
Mest

Gaiman funds Scientology. Neil Gaiman's 2009 contributions to the CULT of Scientology are listed in the cult's Cornerstone Newsletter (circa November 2009) http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?t=16197 Under CORNERSTONE CLUB MEMBERS [1315] [$35,000.00] You'll find: Mary & Neil Gaiman And as the ex Scientologists state: "Also, this list does not include donations made by people who have since left the Church and been declared SP’s or “ethics bait”. The Church deletes those people’s names from the lists." This probably reflects the $30,000.00 Neil Gaiman gave to the cult, and an additional $5000.00 to bring him up to Cornerstone Club member. Neil Gaiman is a Scientologist in good standing. Gaiman is a Scientologist.
Me

Oh well. If he is, he is. At least he is an extraordinarily good writer. One of the fascinating things about this country is the freedom to practice one's religion. Yea, Scientology believes that aliens made us or something like that, which I do believe is more than a bit odd, but I'm not going to stop reading his books because he gives money to them. I'm not too fond of Christian organizations, but I will still read things by their authors.
Michael

Gaiman is a mediocre writer who spends all of his time patrolling the internet.