Neil Gaiman Gives an Update on THE GRAVEYARD BOOK Movie
Have you ever heard someone say that a movie script based on a book is too faithful to the book? You'ld think that would be a good thing, right? Most films based on books that get made aren't faithful to the source material. But in a recently interview writer Neil Gaiman said just that about the film adaptation of his novel, The Graveyard Book.
Back in January of last year it was announced that Gaiman's The Graveyard Book would be adapted into a feature film. It was revealed at the time that Neil Jordan would write and direct the film. If you're not familiar with his work he directed films such as; The Brave One, The Good thief, The Butcher Boy, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire, and The Crying Game. The guy is a solid director, and it should be great to see what he does when adapting The Graveyard Book.
We haven't heard much since the film was announced, but here is a little updated from Gaiman on the project.
We are waiting for Neil's next draft of the script. There was some stuff that was good, and in some cases, too faithful. It reminded a little bit of the first draft we got of 'Coraline,' where it was just so faithful because the person doing it loved the book so much.
What's wrong with making a movie faithful to the book? And is there really such a thing as being too faithful? Gaiman explains.
You actually have to let it breathe and make it a movie. It will be interesting to see what happens in Neil's next draft.
It will be interesting to see what happens. I guess what he's saying makes sense, but personally I'd like to see the film turned into faithful adaptation to the book. I read the book earlier this year and I loved it, it should make for a fantastic film.
Here is a description for the book in case you don't know what it is about:
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.
He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.
There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.
But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . .