Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas stop-motion supremo Henry Selick has revealed he is developing an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Variety report that Selick is currently working alongside the Sandman author with the intention of making the adaptation his next animated feature.
The duo collaborated on 2009 stop-motion classic Coraline, which grossed $131 million and continues to be cherished by audiences worldwide. A 2023 re-release generated $7 million at the North-American box-office.
Selick revealed that he was envisioning The Ocean at the End of the Lane as “almost a sequel” to Coraline, saying “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.”
Published in 2013, The Ocean at the End of the Lane tells the story of a 47 year old man who, in his escape from a funeral, finds himself exploring the old farm grounds where he grew up. As he travels down towards the house at the end of the lane, he starts reminiscing about his seven year old self, remembering what this journey down the lane used to feel like, when the memories suddenly start flooding back, and he is pulled into a world of fantastical creatures and hidden worlds.
The novel has already been translated onto the stage, with a couple of stints in the London West End receiving rave reviews. Selick is reportedly pitching the movie to studios with a 35-page treatment and an imaginations worth of concept art.
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