Corona | Coming Attractions

There's been nothing new to report on the Neverwhere movie until today when author Neil Gaiman updated his blog with this brief entry:

"I just borrowed an office while waiting for a meeting on the Neverwhere movie, which has come back to life-- they want me to do a polish on the script I did in 1999..."

Worth noting, this bit of a Neil sighting report..."[Neil] said something about having just turned in a new draft of Neverwhere...or perhaps that someone else had turned in a new draft. It was a week ago and late and we were very tired."

"I saw Neil Gaiman in Dayton, Ohio. He was on tour promoting his new book, American Gods. He went thru the list of his properties in some sort of movie production. For Neverwhere, he said Brian Henson and the Henson Creature shop had his script, was working pre-production. They had a director a lined up and ready to go, and [another] project [the director] had been working on for 5 years came together, so now Henson is looking for a new director."

Ah, yes, the anonymous con-goer. We know him well. And he sends us stuff. Like...this:

"Neil Gaiman was in Minneapolis this weekend at a convention, and he was (once again) asked about the status of Neverwhere. He said that Andrew Birkin (of the Lost Boys miniseries and the movie The Messenger) is currently working on the script, and once it has reached a point that The Powers That Be are happy with, it will be sent to him (Neil) for his opinion. Apparently, it had gotten to the point where Neil felt like he would never stop working on Neverwhere, what with the BBC series, the novel, the American version of the novel, and then multiple scripts."

Richard Loncraine has been tapped to direct the project.

Neil Gaiman was busy toastmastering the World Horror Convention this past weekend in Atlanta, Georgia and we were able to get some goods from him regarding the project. First of all, the project is now at Dimension Films. It will be indeed set in London, not New York City as some have been saying. They are down to the final contract details between Henson, Dimension and company. Once this gets finalized, Gaiman will polish the script and off to the races. They are currently looking for a director as well -- Dylan is serving in a producer's capacity and will no longer sit in the big chair.

It looks like some fashion of ball is rolling at some speed somewhere. According to the author notes inside Gaiman's recently novelized Stardust, The Neil's next project is indeed this film. If the writer in question does decide to drop by this page please send us a quick note letting us know the script's present day status.

Neil Gaiman sets the record straight for us. Denise Di Novi is producing this film and not the Death project. Neverwhere is indeed being developed by Jim Henson Films for Sony Pictures.

Various entertainment agencies reports that Jim Henson acquired the film rights from Gaiman, and Jesse Dylan, son of singer Bob Dylan, has been announced as director.

"I was at a reading and book signing of Neil Gaiman's last night. Gaiman is the literary genius behind the original stories that the movies Sandman and Death: The High Cost of Living are to be based on. Gaiman wrote and directed a 6 part mini-series for the BBC on a Dr. Who-esque budget called Neverwhere. Gaiman has also just published a book by the same name which is a novelization of the mini-series. A young woman asked him at the reading last night whether American audiences would ever be able to see the miniseries. Gaiman said that eventually PBS could probably get ahold of it, but what was more exciting was that he had just been contacted by, in his words, 'one of the greatest directors Hollywood has to offer' who told Gaiman that he had a producer who was just 'dying' to do Neverwhere as a movie. Gaiman told them, and us, that he liked the idea because, while the movie would have to be shorter than the miniseries, at least it would have the budget to do things right. This director then asked Gaiman if he would write it; Gaiman agreed to when he realized that not writing the screenplay would mean letting someone else do, and probably mangle, it."