Development on the adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Bookhas been put on pause. Published in 2008, the young adult novel tells the story of a misfit named Nobody Owens who, after surviving the brutal murder of his family, is taken in by supernatural beings in a graveyard. The Graveyard Book remains one of Gaiman's most celebrated novels buthas yet to get any screen adaptation, unlike other popular Gaiman books, such as Coraline and The Sandman.
As per IndieWire, the development of The Graveyard Book movie is now on hold at Disney. Insiders have told the source that The Graveyard Book is being paused for multiple reasons, with one involving allegations againstthe author, Gaiman. At the time of the project's pausing, Disney had already set up production offices for the upcoming film.
Earlier this summer, Tortoise Media posted a podcast series in which several women spoke out against Gaiman. Five women in total alleged that the author had sexually assaulted them, four of which were identified in the Tortoise Media podcast, and the fifth of which spoke out in July on the Am I Broken: Survivor Stories podcast. Of these allegations, two women claim that the author forced them into non-consensual sex during relationships that were otherwise consensual. These incidents allegedly occurred several years apart and have been denied by Gaiman himself.
This lack of significant progress is not a great sign that the adaptationwill be picked up again, at least now for a long while.
Before the hold on the project, The Graveyard Book moviehad Marc Foster attached to direct. Foster is known for other cinematic endeavors, including Christopher Robin, White Bird, and the American remake of A Man Called Ove (titled A Man Called Otto and starring Tom Hanks). The developing Gaiman movie, however, did not yet have stars attached. This lack of significant progress is not a great sign that the adaptationwill be picked up again, which has faced development problems for over a decade.
Beyond The Graveyard Book, this decision could impact other upcoming productions. There are multiple Gaiman-based projects in the works, including a Henry Selick adaptation of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. While the Graveyard Book team claims that multiple elements went into the movie's cancelation beyond just the allegations, it is conceivable that other projects may not want to deal with further association with Gaiman. Time will tell as more clarity develops surrounding the alleged sexual assaults and the development of other adaptations.
Source: IndieWire