It'sa good day for dudes called Neil, with reports emerging that Neil Gaiman and Neil Jordan are teaming up on The Graveyard Book, Jordan directing Gaiman's latest Newberry Medal winning book. This, if indeed signed, sealed and delivered, is a Good Thing.
Gaiman, arguably Britain's finest fantasy/horror writer, has written a story that's a bit like The Jungle Book but with ghosts instead of panthers. It's about a little boy who clambers out of his crib one night and out of the house - the same night that his entire family is killed by a terrifying man called Jack. The baby wanders into a graveyard, where he is hidden from the killer by friendly ghosts, and then adopted by them. Nobody, as he is then called, is raised by the Owens, a deceased couple, Silas, who's neither dead nor alive, and a whole graveyard full of spooks.
The story's a gorgeous one, with lots of potential for visual trickery and beautiful imagery onscreen, and Jordan - who is reportedly set to write and direct - is a good fit: think Interview with the Vampire but, y'know, for kids! The film will be live-action, with effects apparently set to be done by Framestore right here in London.
Fingers crossed that this all comes together.