Why doesn’t Gaiman arrange a little trade here? Didn’t he script the English version of Princess Mononoke? Well why not hand the right’s to this book over to Ghibli and the Hayao Miyazaki team? I think an animated film in the style of ‘Spirited Away’ would be rather nice.

I think a Coraline movie would be pretty neat, but I also think it would take away the....essence of the book. I think the best thing about Neil Gaiman's books is that even though there are a few pictures, it is mainly up to you to create what everything would look like and the expressions and such. He tells such interesting and enchanting tales; I hope that, if a movie is made, it is how I imagined it, or else it will take away from the book.

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Originally posted by jello:
I'm keeping my fingers crossed as well. I disagree about LoTR though.. I hadn't read the books when I saw the film and followed everything just fine. Granted there was a lot _more_ to the characters and the plot that was shown, but that's to be expected. The only thing I saw that I didn't like was the lack of a reason for Merry and Pippin to be so devoted to Frodo. There didn't seem to be any basis for that level of loyalty. But given how wrong it could have gone, Peter Jackson did a bang-up job, imho.

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jello.
aka aron.

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i'm sorry but i have to say i was pretty offended by how much they changed the end story in the film of lotr. i read the books, loved them, and have decided to boycott the last movie because i thought the 2nd movie was changed from the book story in fundamental ways. maybe i'm just an extremest.

V.T. -

It's all a matter of taste, of course, but if Jackson had kept everything that was in the book, the movies would likely never have been made. I can enjoy the movies just for themselves, and when I want the whole thing, why then I go back and re-read the trilogy.

Of course I can understand feeling the way you do - I would have been much happier if no one had ever tried to film Dune. My imaginary version was much, much better.

- Cho

I know there was a lot left out of the LotR movies, but considering the first place that PJ went to get funding for it wanted all 3 movies done in one, I think the end result is pretty damn good.

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Originally posted by Chomiji:
V.T. -

It's all a matter of taste, of course, but if Jackson had kept everything that was in the book, the movies would likely never have been made. I can enjoy the movies just for themselves, and when I want the whole thing, why then I go back and re-read the trilogy.

Of course I can understand feeling the way you do - I would have been much happier if no one had ever tried to film _Dune_. My imaginary version was much, much better.

- Cho

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true, dune was terrible. although i have heard there's another much better version of it.
also, i really liked both harry potter movies, and i expect to like the third (even though they changed some things). i hated the movie versions of rould dauhl (sp?) books though, willy wonka wasn't bad (except for the stupid title change), but matilda was aweful!
and more than anything i hated the movie version of wizard of oz!
ok, now ending my rant. you're right, some movies should be enjoyed for their own sake, not based on whether they're just like the image you had in your head from the book.

to get back on topic, i think coraline has the potential to be a good movie... as long as the feel is there it should be good. i also think that having it be a british movie with all british actors is a good idea. it seems like they're usually much better (i guess that's probably out of the question though)

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Originally posted by Caligari:
Why doesn’t Gaiman arrange a little trade here? Didn’t he script the English version of Princess Mononoke? Well why not hand the right’s to this book over to Ghibli and the Hayao Miyazaki team? I think an animated film in the style of ‘Spirited Away’ would be rather nice.

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I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you on this, Caligari. As much as I loved "Spirited Away", I just don't see "Coraline" as japanese animation. Stop-action would fit the tone of the book a lot better.

I'm waiting to see Ghibli's next movie, Howl's Moving Castle, based on a DWJones book, to decide how well they do adaptations. I read the english translation of Kiki's Delivery Service and the movie was rather different. Now, the book wasn't movie shaped - it was a bunch of little stories instead of a major story arc, so making changes makes perfect sense, but I want to see how they adapt a novel.
btw, have you seen the images from the Japanese version of Coraline? They didn't use McKean's art. Neil posted a link in the blog once...

Actually, I'm so stuck on the idea of Selick doing Coraline as stop-motion, that if he backed out, the guy I'd want next in line to pick it up would be Barry Purves.

I honestly would not want to have a movie version of Coraline made. Hollywood's going to twist it into some pathetic kiddie flick. I can just imagine the hoards of so-called 'fans' claiming that they love the book just because it happens to be the 'in thing' at the moment. Look what happened to Harry Potter.

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Originally posted by Lisa B.:
That's true, but I think those changes from the novel to the adaptation can give the screenwriter a chance for some originality. That's what makes the movie version worth seeing sometimes.

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You're the first person I've ever seen to voice that sort of opinion. Truth be told, most fans of books are very bitter about any change that the film has.

Look at Lord of the Rings, for example. Despite the fact that they're remarkably long books, and by an extraordinary miracle were translated to the screen exceptionally well, you still have (in this thread, even) people who feel utterly and totally betrayed.

When I was reading Coraline, I actually did imagine it in a Nightmare Before Christmas-esque fashion. I think I'd enjoy it. If not, well...that's why you keep the books and reread them.

the grandeur and brilliance of Neil Gaiman exists in its most pure and raw form.. when left untouched. for all Gaimanites-i'm not sure if this label has been used or if i'm coining anything..but basically those loyal and true devouts to his literary spledor- by and large.. any adaptation of his exalted triumphs would lack the existing veiled presence of the master himself in each showpiece he renders. if such importance is devoid of the enterprise.. i fear that it will all tragically result in a "harry potter adaptation- like" faux pas..

but whatever he decides..i forever remain loyal and indebted

What I like most with the book is the sense of "not revealing everything" that goes through it. More specifically, I mean the doubt whether or not Coraline's experiences are real or whether it's just pretending and dreaming.

You might remember me saying that I was writing a college essay on Coraline. Well, I did, and it dealt with just how the book hints that Coraline is making things up, and why that would be.

So I'll be really interested in seeing the movie. I'll probably be a very harsh critic too

Ya know I read coraline loved the book although it is a kids book and i am 16 ( iguess thats still a kid) I'm very excited that it is becoming a movie it will be great! the only problem is that i hope it wasn't as low budget as neverwhere cause i read the book for neverwhere then saw the dvd the story was good but the quality was bad besides the images that i thought up in my head were much better. sorry got off subject there but anyways all and all i am excited about this movie!

When I heard that a movie version of "Coraline" would be done I was a bit afraid because almost every book to screen translation I have seen was not as good as the book itself. I noticed that only average or not very good books get good screen adaptations - like Big Fish for example. The novel was ok but the movie was excellent - every change in the story was beautiful, imaginative and welcome.
The fact that Henry Selick is going to direct "Coraline" really boosted up my expectations. The only director who could do it better is (in my opinion) Tim Burton. Since he and Selick already worked together on the wonderful and creepy "Nightmare before Christmass" I hope that some of Burtons magic got rubbed on Selick. Coraline should be dark and scary, and Selick would be foolish not to do it like that. I wish McKean could be the art director of the film.
Someone mentioned studio Ghibli doing "Coraline". The idea sounds interesting, since Miyazaki is a fantastic filmmaker, but I'm not sure that I would like seeing Coraline as anime.

About Jackson's LotR - I am a great fan of Tolkien's books and it took a lot of pills to digest this trilogy, but in the end I learned to like and respect it, with all the changes that were made.

Forgive me if my English is a bit confusing.

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Originally posted by james jazzlee:
the grandeur and brilliance of Neil Gaiman exists in its most pure and raw form.. when left untouched.
/snip/
..but basically those loyal and true devouts to his literary spledor- by and large.. any adaptation of his exalted triumphs would lack the existing veiled presence of the master himself in each showpiece he renders.

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I disagree. Gaiman has done some of his best work in cross-medium colaborations with other artists. If he was writing the script, and was allowed to play a significant roll in how the final project was put together (and especially if Dave McKean is the art director) I think that a Coraline movie has the potential not only to be a good picture, but also to be an original and beautiful work of art in its own right.

Yeah, I'm sure you guys all know of MirrorMask, which should be coming out soon. Neil wrote the script, and Dave McKean was art director. I haven't been able to find out much about it except for watching the trailer on Mirrormask.com, but the visuals and the music are eerie and perfect. That style of movie is what I would like for Coraline--not much dialogue, maybe just dialogue from the book, but with lots of silent blocks or creepy-music playing.

--T.C.

http://thecavebelow.blogspot.com

*Sigh*...waiting for MirrorMask...is there a thread for it somewhere?