For the last 20 years, the works of Neil Gaiman have been a fruitful source for movie and TV series adaptations alike — from dark Coraline to lighthearted Stardust and from polarizing American Gods to widely successful Good Omens. The most recent and possibly the most ambitious project is bringing Gaiman's critically-acclaimed graphic novel series, The Sandman, to Netflix.
With a dark and imaginative story, Gaiman as an executive producer, and an excellent cast that includes Charles Dance, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Coleman, and Stephen Fry, The Sandman has all the potential to become a fan favorite. However, there are other yet-to-be-adapted Neil Gaiman's stories that could even overshadow it… if they are ever given a chance.
The Graveyard Book
Think of it as a grim Jungle Book. If The Jungle Book were packed with supernatural beings, magic, alternate dimensions, secret orders, and relentless assassins. It's a heartwarming and action-packed coming-of-age tale of Nobody "Bod" Owens, who was adopted and raised by the graveyard's ghosts after the murder of his parents. The book introduces fantastical creatures, lays out the rules of the Underworld and its inhabitants, has unexpected twists, and so very human non-human characters.
Originally, The Graveyard Book was supposed to be directed by Henry Selick, who has previously turned Gaiman's Coraline into a stop-motion dark fantasy animated film, but the venture was put on hold. Walt Disney Studios later announced that Ron Horward, the director of the Star Wars spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story, was linked to the project. However, the only indication of the promised live-action movie happening was a brief 2018 statement from Sean Bailey, the studios' president of production, saying that The Graveyard Book was something they were excited about.
Anansi Boys
It's a tale of two brothers reunited after their father's death, the brotherly rivalry, women troubles, betrayal, and reconciliation. Seems standard enough, right? But throw into the mix the fact that their father is an arachnid African trickster god Anansi (previously seen in American Gods), one of the brothers possesses supernatural powers and assumes the identity of his sibling (with all the unfortunate consequences), a murder and a subsequent haunting, and ancient homicidal gods — and it's a whole different story.
In 2014, Red Production Company announced that it started working on the mini-series for BBC — the project that never happened. However, now Amazon Prime Video has greenlit a six-episode limited series with plans to start shooting later this year. Neil Gaiman acts as a co-showrunner alongside Douglas Mackinnon, who previously worked on Good Omens. Considering that the second season of Good Omens is in production as well, the release date might be delayed until 2023.
Snow, Glass, Apples
The history is written by the victors — and so are the fairy tales. What if the evil stepmother was not the villain of the story after all? What if Snow White was the one who murdered her father and plotted to kill her stepmother and take over the kingdom — and succeeded. Skin white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair black as ebony. Just picture it for a second. Doesn't that sound like a common depiction of a vampire? This dark, chilling version of Snow White is retold from the viewpoint of her stepmother, and it is NOT a children's tale. But it would make an excellent psychological fantasy horror movie. If Guillermo del Toro joins as a director, it can become a worthy successor to Crimson Peak and Pan's Labyrinth.
Currently, there's only a Dark Horse Comics adaptation and an audio drama produced by the Sci-Fi Channel and the Seeing Ear Theatre.
The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains
Deep in the Scottish Highlands, there's an elusive Misty Isle. On that isle, there's a cave that is said to hold countless riches, seemingly free for the taking — but there's always a price. Each time one returns to the cave, their soul gets corrupted. In the story, a 'wee man' enlists the aid of another, Calum MacInnes, to guide him to the cave. What starts as a hunt for hidden treasure turns into a dark tale of revenge and unkept promises. The haunting setting of old Scotland is already cinematic, the characters are fleshed out, with their stories being gradually and inevitably revealed, and the plot resolves in an ultimate twist. This short novella is practically a script, ready to be turned into a chilling thriller.
Unfortunately, there are no known plans for adapting The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains. In 2014, Neil Gaiman performed this story as part of a multimedia event at Carnegie Hall, accompanied by the FourPlay String Quartet and the illustrations by Eddie Campbell.
Neverwhere
It's an urban fantasy tale that teaches its readers to never, ever help strange girls bleeding on the street… unless they want to be thrown into a world parallel to ours and inhabited by monsters, angels, pale girls in black velvet, and royal courts traveling in the carriage of a London subway train. Unfortunately for him, Richard Mayhew didn't know that. From the moment he helped Lady Door, he ceased to exist on Earth and could only be seen by the denizens of Neverwhere, also known as London Below. Stuck in the middle of the underground power struggle and left with no choice but to help Lady Door find people responsible for the murder of her family, Richard has to undergo many challenges before he can get back home.
Funnily enough, Neverwhere was originally developed in 1996 as a TV series for BBC Two and then adapted by Gaiman into a novel. In 2015, Francis Lawrence, who previously directed Constantine, was said to start working on the TV adaptation of the book, but the project never took off. In 2013, BBC Radio launched an audio dramatization of Neverwhere with a stellar cast that included James McAvoy, Natalie Dormer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, and Anthony Head. In a perfect world, these very actors would bring the characters to the screen. But for now, the prospects of this book adaptation remain slim.