If you were worried there weren’t enough adaptations of Neil Gaiman’s books in the works, then I’ve got good news for you! Disney officially has plans to adapt Gaiman’s Newbery Medal-winning novel, The Graveyard Book, with Marc Forster (Christopher Robin, World War Z, Quantum of Solace) on board to direct.
According to Deadline, David Magee—who has written screenplays for other adaptions including Life of Pi, The Tiger’s Apprentice, and The Children of Blood and Bone—will pen the script.
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The Graveyard Book follows the story of a young child named Bod (short for Nobody), who ends up being raised by the supernatural denizens of a graveyard after his parents are murdered. While the book is ostensibly for children, it is a story that resonates with readers of all ages.
This isn’t the first time The Graveyard Book has been picked up for adaptation. Back in 2012, Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline) was working on his own adaptation. That project appears to have fizzled out, and Disney and Forster have picked up the rights.
Given Selick’s background, the earlier project was most likely stop-motion animation. Deadline doesn’t specify what the new Disney project will be, but given the creatives involved, it seems likely that it will be live-action. It will also be interesting to see what take Forster and Magee have on Gaiman’s story given their previous work. While Forster has directed blockbuster action films like World War Z, for example, he’s recently turned to more family-friendly fare such as the yet-to-be-released Thomas & Friends.
The deal is still in its early days, so no news yet on casting or when the feature will premiere.
