Disney Halts Neil Gaiman Adaptation After Sexual Assault Accusations

Disney has been working on a film adaptation of “The Graveyard Book” for some time, with initial news about the project emerging in 2022. Unfortunately, the much-anticipated adaptation has encountered significant setbacks, primarily due to sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman, the author of the original 2008 novel.

According to IndieWire, Disney has halted active development of “The Graveyard Book.” While the accusations against Gaiman are a substantial factor, there are reportedly multiple reasons behind the pause. Marc Forster, known for directing films such as “A Man Called Otto,” “Christopher Robin,” and “World War Z,” was set to direct. The screenplay was being written by David Magee, who is famous for “Finding Neverland.”

IndieWire’s report emphasizes that insiders have suggested “The Graveyard Book” has not been completely shelved. The plan is to revisit development at a future date, but for now, the project remains on hold.

“The Graveyard Book” tells the tale of a young boy who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is murdered. Despite being in active development, the project had not yet reached the pre-production stage. Thus, no actors had been officially attached to the film.

Neil Gaiman himself was not directly involved in the film adaptation, other than as the original author of the book. In 2022, Gaiman clarified on Tumblr that he had no control or say in the movie’s development, stating, “You know everything I know. And no, no control or say. Fingers crossed that if they make it, it’s good.”

On July 3rd, a report by UK-based Tortoise Media unveiled a four-part podcast series that included claims of sexual assault from two different women. One woman alleged that Gaiman assaulted her when she was 18 years old in 2003, while the other said she was 25 during her incidents with the author in 2022. Both women mentioned they were in consensual relationships with Gaiman but were subjected to non-consensual acts.

Gaiman has denied these allegations.

In addition to “The Graveyard Book,” Neil Gaiman has written numerous beloved works of fiction, which have been adapted into various forms over the years. Some of his well-known projects include “Good Omens,” “American Gods,” “Coraline,” and “The Sandman.”

Source: IndieWire, Tortoise Media