Neil Gaiman Announces Graveyard Book Film By Neil Jordan
Neil Gaimanappeared on this morning’s Today Show to discussCoraline, as well as his newly Newberry winningThe Graveyard Book. Shortly before he went on air, Gaimantwitteredthat he had been given the go ahead to reveal who was set to write and direct a big screen adaptation ofThe Graveyard Bookand once he was in the hot seat, he was good to his word.
Rather fantastically, the name hegavewas none other thanNeil Jordan.
Gaiman apparently confirmed on the show that Framestore, from here in good old Blighty, would be handling the FX. We already knew they were producing the film with the author, since anMTVinterview of last year.
Much of Jordan’s work in, or at the cusp of, the fantasy genre shows a very distinct sensibility that still seems compatible with Gaiman’s, fromThe Company of WolvestoIn DreamsandAngel(which definitely has a fantasy component, if you ask me – or at least a magical one) toThe Butcher Boy. Actually, whileWolvesauthor Angela Carter was alive, she was my favourite publishing novelist; today, I’d select Gaiman – and if you didn’t know, Jordan is also a novelist, and a darn good one too.
Some of Jordan’s films are more popular than others, but I don’t think he’s ever made an entirely bad one, and the least of them all – probablyHigh Spirits, I’d say – was extremely compromised by others. Studio others. Purse-string pulling others.
The cinematography ofIn Dreamsis alone well worth the price of a good copy, so I’m hoping for a really well mastered Blu-Ray edition soon.
Jordan is currently finishing upOndine, a Mermaid fable with Colin Farrell as a Fisherman, Alicja Bachleda-Curus as the scaled lady and Stephen Rea as proof that we’re watching a Neil Jordan film. Hopefully we’ll be seeing it soon.
I think thatThe Graveyard Bookis a very deserving Newberry winner. A few years spattered with talking-about in the making, this take on the basic narrative and spirit of Kipling’sJungle Bookdoesn’t put an orphaned man-child in the care of animals, but instead, the boy hero Nobody Owens is raised by the various ooky and spooky (and not so much of either) inhabitants of a graveyard. After a solid yet (forgivably) steady beginning, I felt that the book really kicked it up a notch from chapter four then dragged me by the nose, if one is ever dragged so happily, to a very satisfying, and sequel happy, conclusion.
I assume the film will still come asThe Graveyard Book, just like Disney’s take on Kipling’sJungle– not to mention Stephen Sommers version, or the upcoming John Downer take. I would definitely prefer this, though I definitely wouldn’t lose sleep over seeingThe Graveyard Filmon the posters.
Regular readers of Gaiman’s blog will know he’s a friend of Joe Hill, whose bookHeart Shaped Boxhas also been linked to a Jordan adaptation. No news on that one lately, I’m afraid, so I can only suppose it has been stalled.
Next on my Gaiman wish list is a big-screen version ofAnansi Boys, perhaps adapted by David Renwick and starring Lenny Henry.
