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Originally posted by Circus Freak:
*Sigh*...waiting for MirrorMask...is there a thread for it somewhere?

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Try the Gaiman's Other Works forum.

I think it is an atrocity. Coraline is a brilliant book that cannot be made into a film, it is simply not structured right for film, nor is it written in a way that will make it very easy to adapt. Most of its charm takes place inside Coraline's head, that is very difficult to adapt into a film. However, I will say this, Henry Selick is the only one who might be able to do an okay job on it. Of any film I have ever seen the only one which has a tone even slightly resembling that of Coraline was The Nightmare Before Christmas.

You think so?

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Originally posted by The_Raven:
Coraline is a brilliant book that cannot be made into a film...

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Actually, the first time I read it, I thought the book would lend itself quite well to film; much more so in my mind than, say, Good Omens which was so close to being filmed. It's short, so not too much would have to be trimmed (like AG would have to be *shudder*), it's almost entirely the point of view of one person so the film wouldn't have to juggle three or more stories at once (like, say, Good Omens the book did), and the visuals would lend themselves well to film

Now, a lot of that was comparing how well Coraline would lend itself to film compared to Neil's other books as oppossed to why any should be filmed. But, yeah, I could see it my head as a movie all along. I'm not one to wish all my favorite books were movies (and Coraline is not one of my favorites, though I am fond of it), but I think it has the earmarks for a good film. It'd take me awhile to think about precisely why.
As for Selick... Nightmare was a great film. Monkeybone on the other hand...

Coraline is a lovely book and I don't think anything would benefit if it was made into a movie. I am consistantly disapointed when movies of my favorite books come out. Even when the movie is well done, it just can't capture the beauty of words. If it was going to be a movie, I would definetely want Tim Burton, Danny Elfman and stop motion.

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Originally posted by mouse:
I would definetely want Tim Burton, Danny Elfman and stop motion.

What about Henry Selick, director of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, and They Might Be Giants?

hmmmm... I would be happier with Burton, seeing as I am comfortable with him, but Nightmare was wonderful (especially with Elfman singing Jack and doing the music). I can settle for that, but I would only be truly happy if Elfman did it..

I don't know if this has been suggested yet, but maybe the movie could be something like MirrorMask, with someone the likes of Dave McKean directing. This sort of film needs an artistic eye, and someone who knows what Neil is all about and won't twist it into a cheap Hollywood kid movie.

Ahh, finally read it. I must say, I think that it does have movie potential, but only if its done right. Stop animation would be a good choice, but I don't know about Michelle Pfiffer playing M/OM...

Information below is probably repeated in other sources, but thought it was interesting. From http://www.bwibooks.com monthly newsletter :

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Coraline to Grace the Silver Screen
Fans of Neil Gaiman, David McKean, and their book Coraline will be interested to know that work has begun on a stop-motion animated version of the book. Laika Entertainment, based in Portland, Oregon, is set to begin work on their first animated feature based on the award-winning novel. Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) will direct with Bill Mechanic, former Fox studio head, producing. Look for Coraline on TitleTales, BWI's online database, at http://www.bwibooks.com.
Coraline sold more than 130,000 copies in hardcover and won numerous awards, including the Hugo as well as those listed below:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults: 2003
ALA Notable Children's Books: 2003
ALA Popular Paperbacks: 2005
Georgia: Children's Book Award Nominees: 2005
Louisiana: Young Readers' Choice Award Winners: 2005
New Jersey: Garden State Children's Book Award Nominees: 2005
Oklahoma: Sequoyah Award Nominees: 2005
Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Award Nominees: 2005
Tennessee: Volunteer State Book Award Nominees: 2005
Vermont: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book A: 2004

One of my favorite ebay artists just put the following (verbatum-- mistakes discrepancies and all) in one of his listings:

"YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT I'M LISTING A LOT LESS THESE DAYS. THE REASON IS THAT I AM GETTING READY TO START WORK ON AN EXCITING NEW PROJECT FOR LIAKA/ENTERTAINMENT. I ONLY HAVE A FEW DAYS BEFORE I START WORKING ON THIS NEW MOVIE PROJECT. I CAN'T SAY A WHOLE LOT ABOUT IT BUT THE MOVIE IS CALLED CORALINE AND IT'S BASED ON A GRAPHIC NOVEL BY NIEL GAIMAN AND DIRECTED BY HENRY SELICK. I'LL BE WORKING IN VISUAL DEVELOPMENT AS A MODEL MAKER IN THE ART DEPT. FOR THE FIRST 8 TO 12 WEEKS. I AM GOING TO TRY TO KEEP LISTING AS MUCH AS I CAN DURING THIS PERIOD IN THE HOPE THAT YOU WILL NOT FORGET ABOUT ME DURING MY ABSENCE.
CHARLES DANIELS"

I agree with Punkyfins. It's more interesting for you to make up the setting, imagine it your own way. I imagined it sort of the way it has it at mousecircus.com.

I think that Coraline can be made into a movie, I'm not a big fan of Henry Selick (or his work) but I do think that if it's going to be a movie-I think the screenplay should be espcially well written or like mentioned eariler: Henry's going to REALLY make Coraline into a crappy cheap kid's movie.
God I hope it's not distrubtuted by Disney, they always ruin everything!

Oh, and another thing, Coraline is a brilliant book but it can be made into a movie; we just need the right people...

I wouldn'y mind seeing a Coraline film. I loved the book and I think a film would be interesting - but it would very much depend on who was behind it. It wouldn't be a big Hollywood type film I don't think, seeing as hpw the whole story pretty much takes place in one setting.

Still it would be interesting.

I am glad though that it is not going to be a live action film (THANK GOD) or I would have laughed my bum off by seeing Ms. Spink and Ms. Forcible in those tight outfits, performing around chapter four in the book

I hope my screenplay works...

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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.

I agree with you completely here. Ghibli is such a brilliant animation house. I've been a fan of theirs for a while now and I don't think anyone could pull Coraline off as well. Spirited Away has a similar feel (I think) to Coraline. It's a little lighter, but I think it goes wil with it.

I remember hearing on this message board eariler that Neil Gaiman had made a film (which I have heard of) "A short film about John Bolton" and although I have not seen it I think its' a great film (from what I have heard) I agree that Gaiman should do a lot more in this film then Selick and I think Burton should collaberate (Elfman, if there are songs)

I really hope my screenplay works...

...I fail things....

"I'm here to chew bugglegum and kick ass-and I'm all out of bubblegum"

I know his name was mentioned before, but I think someone like Jean Pierre Jeunet would be perfect for an adaption of Coraline, he's always so good at potraying worlds that have one foot in reality and other WAAAAY WAY AWAY!
Though I'm not a big fan of Henry Selick, I also think he could handle an adaption fairly well, I think adapting Coraline is more about getting a screenwriter who respects the material and doesn't feel the need to trim parts off to make it fit a Hollywood "type".
And the point about studio Ghibli adapting it instead? That would, quite simply, be a dream come true. Hayao Miyazaki is a brilliant craftsman and understands how to bring fantasy to both adult audiences and children without diluting the original material.
I won't say that Coraline shouldn't be adapted to a film, in fact; I think it should. But I also believe that it's going to take an extremely skilled writer to adapt it and a director who can approach the material with enough sensitivity and intelligence to make it accessible yet still true to its origins.

Dave

P.S.: Were it ever to be a CG movie, I'd want to see Brad Bird directing. However, I'd want the story kept in England with English voices

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Originally posted by DXM:
Hayao Miyazaki is a brilliant craftsman and understands how to bring fantasy to both adult audiences and children without diluting the original material.

Though I love his movies, he doesn't do straight adaptations of books at all. Coraline would work fine as a straight adaptation. Have you read the books Howl's or Kiki are based on?