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Disney has halted development on a forthcoming film adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s The Graveyard Book in the midst of accusations of sexual assault against the writer. The film, from director Marc Forster, hasn’t been stopped completely, according to IndieWire, however “multiple factors, including the allegations, contributed to putting it on hold.”
No cast has been announced for The Graveyard Book, about a young boy raised by the supernatural inhabitants of a graveyard after his family is murdered.Forster came on board in 2022 along with his producing partner Renée Wolfe and producer Ben Browning. David Magee was tapped to adapt the book, which was published in 2008. The novel was a bestseller that won several awards, including the American Newberry Medal.
In July, Gaiman denied sexual assault allegations made against him by two women with whom he had relationships with at the time, according toTortoise Media. The allegations were made during Tortoise’s four-part podcastMaster: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman. In it, the women allege “rough and degrading sex” with the author, which the women claim was not always consensual.
Last month, three more women came forward with allegations of sexual assault and abuse against Gaiman. Tortoise Media released a fifth episode of their podcast that detailed two more women’s accusations, one of whom allegedly signed a nondisclosure agreement following her experience with Gaiman. A third woman, using the pseudonym Claire, spoke out about her experience with Gaiman on a separate podcast titled Am I Broken: Survivor Stories, accusing the author of sexual misconduct.
Following Tortoise Media’s initial four-episode podcast, Gaimandeniedall the allegations against him and added he was “disturbed” by the accusations. Gaiman did not immediately respond toRolling Stone‘s request for comment regarding Claire’s allegations.
Gaiman’s writing has been regularly adapted in Hollywood for both film and TV, including The Sandman,American Gods,Coraline,andGood Omens. Netflix’s adaptation of Dead Boy Detectives, which ran for one season, was recently canceled, although the studio didn’t cite a specific reason for ending the series.
