Summary
A film adaptation ofThe Ocean at the End of the Laneis now in the works by Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick. Selick and Gaiman previously worked together on the 2009Coraline, which is astop-motion animated moviebased on the 2002 Gaiman fantasy novel.Coralinereceived widely positive reviews and earned Selick an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. The film featured a leading voice cast of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders, Ian McShane, Dawn French, and Keith David.
PerVariety, Gaiman and Selick will nowcollaborate again on aCoralinecompanion film. This film will be an adaptation of Gaiman’s novelThe Ocean at the End of the Lane. Selick described the film as “almost a sequel” toCoraline, and offered high praise of the original book’s vision. The director hinted at interest from the studio ShadowMachine, who were behind the spectacle filmGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. Check out Selick’s full quote aboutThe Ocean At the End of the Lanebelow:
Instead of a child going to this other world with a monstrous mother, it’s a monstrous mother who comes into our world to wreak havoc on a kid’s life.
Why The Ocean At the End of the Lane Is a Great Next Project for Gaiman & Selick
The Ocean at the End of the Lanewas published in 2013, and it is a coming-of-age story by Gaiman. It sees an unnamed man returning to his hometown for a funeral, where he gradually starts to recall memories from thirty years earlier. One of said memories focuses on Lettie Hempstock, a young girl who used to be his neighbor growing up, and with whom the man had adventures searching for spirits and more.
LikeCoraline,The Ocean at the End of the Lanefollows themes of childhoodand the turmoil caused by coming-of-age and adolescence. TheCoralinefilmdid an excellent job adapting the dark fantasy horror book into a children’s film that was equal parts vibrant and macabre, alternating between the allure of the Other Mother and Other Father and its horrors.The Ocean at the End of the Lane, if adapted successfully, can reach a similar subversive territory given the existing strength of the book.
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Selick is the perfect director to take on the world ofThe Ocean at the End of the Laneand do so in a way that is both faithful and inventive.Selick is unafraid to take on literary greats, as he has before withCoralineandJames and the Giant Peach, and his track record with Gaiman is already positive. According to the project announcement, Selick already has a 35-page treatment — with concept art included — for hisOcean at the End of the Laneadaptation, which will hopefully gain further traction and strong studio backing soon.
