Summary
- Neil Gaiman's novels, stories, and comic books have been successfully adapted to screen, but there are still more waiting to be told or told well.
- "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" would make a fantastic and spooky adventure movie for kids and an emotional rollercoaster for parents.
- "Snow, Glass, Apples" would be the perfect antidote to Disney's live-action machine, offering a chilling and faithful portrayal of the disturbing original fairytales.
Although Neil Gaiman's Good Omens is going from strength to strength, there has much discussion on the internet as to what other adaptations of his work could be made into a TV show. Released on Amazon Prime video, Good Omens is a TV series based on Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's novel of the same name. While it was initially promoted to be a limited series, the amazing chemistry between the Good Omens cast (particularly between David Tennant and Michael Sheen) and the engaging storylines saw the show be renewed another season.
Neil Gaiman has more novels on his roster, too – Screen Rant). An impressive amount of Gaiman's novels, stories and comic books earlier made it to screen – as The Sandman, Lucifer, American Gods, Coraline, and Stardust – but there are more still waiting to be told, or told well, on screens.
6 The Ocean At The End Of The Lane
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a nostalgic, haunting, and pathos-filled novel that works on two levels, for children and adults. On the surface, Neil Gaiman's story follows the unnamed protagonist's life in the English countryside, as he meets a mysterious girl named Lettie and fights dark powers that have been creeping into his life. However, it's also about ing the magical and scary parts of childhood, how being a child feels, and what is lost in adulthood. On-screen, it would make a fantastically original and spooky adventure movie for kids – and an emotional rollercoaster for their parents.
Neil Gaiman's novel has been adapted for the stage already, and its emotional impact would get through even better on screen, where the countryside setting could be explored as at times idyllic and at times sinister. Following the main character both as a child and an adult, there is plenty to fill a feature-length movie, and a chance for eye-catching visual effects as the protagonist's world gets more fantastical. In the stage version, the protagonist as an adult and his father are played by the same actor – an intriguing choice that could be repeated.
5 Norse Mythology
Neil Gaiman's more authentic take on Norse legends is also more complex and weird than the Marvel version of the Viking gods. Norse Mythology's strangeness is grounded in the original Viking mythology: a worldview that reflected the harsh realities of living in lands often exposed to biting cold and in darkness for much of the time, with the unknown lurking across the sea. The different take on the Gods would provide something interesting to MCU fans and detractors alike, and provide stories grittier than lots of Viking screen adaptations.
The episodic nature of Neil Gaiman's book means it would work best as a TV show, and each could bring a focus to a particular character, with the relationships between the gods also building through the series. Neil Gaiman's retellings are also comedic, with Thor and Loki written in lively, fresh ways (bickering and besting each other, which would fit a TV format). Yet Gaiman takes the Gods seriously, and veteran actors with an imposing presence would be best in their roles. For instance, Sean Harris, after a fantastic performance as an elderly The Green Knight, would be a good fit for Odin.
4 Snow, Glass, Apples
This short story is disturbing take on Snow White, turning the fairytale into a horror simply by changing whose eyes the reader sees it through (in this case, her Stepmother). Reversing their roles in the story, "Snow, Glass, Apples" sees Snow White become a villain as it is revealed that she is a vampiric creature, causing much destruction in the kingdom, with her Stepmother only knowing the truth. With Disney's live-action Snow White coming up, a chilling fairytale horror film would be the perfect antidote to the studio's seemingly never-ending live-action machine. Plus, a movie based on Neil Gaiman's version would more faithfully show how disturbing the original fairytales were.
As a chilling tale in a historical setting, "Snow, Glass, Apples" would need to have quite a low-key tone, with the impact of the movie coming from the dialogue and sparse sets rather than any grand CGI visuals. The mysterious and disturbing aspects of Neil Gaiman's story would need to be grounded in a remote, recognizably Medieval but also unreal and eerie setting. Anya Taylor-Joy would be a good pick as Snow White, after she showed her ability to unnerve in folk horror The VVitch.
3 The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains
This beguiling short story, published in Neil Gaiman's anthology Stories: All-New Tales, seems like a mythology-inspired quest but, in classic Gaiman form, becomes something more disturbing. Set in the ancient Scottish wilderness, "The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains" follows two men's journey to find treasure in a cave despite being warned that it comes at a price. As a compact story, it would work very well as a short film, which is also often more adept than full-length features at focusing on themes and symbols rather than just plot.
Neil Gaiman's story is also crying out to be adapted for the screen as it is very visual, with the action taking place amid the backdrop of a remote, harsh, rocky landscape (which would be visually breathtaking and suitably spooky for audiences). The plot matches the tale's physical setting; it starts as a straightforward journey, but then twists and turns just like the maze of caves do. As the men go deeper into the landscape, more is revealed about them to each other and to the reader. This kind of visual storytelling, with its twisty reveals, would hold a film audience on the edge of their seats.
2 Neverwhere
Neil Gaiman's novel about a Scottish businessman whose life is turned upside-down when he ends up in an alternate London is a love letter to the British capital. It's unabashedly playful; the protagonist, Richard, comes across an angel in the London district of Angel, and, of course, meets an earl at the Earl's Court Tube station. His series of adventures, which have wit and heart to them, would make great fantasy TV fare. In fact, Neverwhere actually started out as a British TV series in 1996 – starring Doctor Who's Peter Capaldi in a surprising role as the angel.
However, this was a botched opportunity for Neverwhere. Neil Gaiman was more niche, if still very successful, in the 1990s, and TV was less international and less high-budget, taking second fiddle to movies. Now that TV is in a golden age and Gaiman is a name that has international reach, Neverwhere deserves another shot on screen. Justice Smith would be a great pick as Richard after his heroic turn in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – and the show could certainly do worse than seeing Capaldi reprising his role.
1 MirrorMask
MirrorMask is another work that deserves another go at a screen version. The movie is the original in this case too, with a script co-written by Neil Gaiman. Despite becoming a cult favorite, the fantasy film, which followed a girl called Helena entering another world after her mother gets ill, received mixed reviews. Common complaints were that too much was going on visually, and the story dragged on. However, Neil Gaiman then adapted his script into an illustrated children's novella, which was largely hailed as an original and quirkier take on a children's adventure tale.
This time, it could be adapted as a short rather than a full-length film, which would keep the story tight and interesting. As the fantasy elements in MirrorMask are often dreamlike, animation would be the best medium to faithfully convey the story and tone Neil Gaiman created. Stop-motion was already used in Gaiman's Coraline to show the same kind of unreal landscape. Stop-motion animation would also mitigate the dangers of repeating the film's accusations of going overboard with visual effects. After already being reworked in book form, MirrorMask might now be more fully formed, and finally ready for a second screen outing.
