Neil Gaiman Working on New Gormenghast TV Adaptation

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) has scored the rights to Mervyn Peake’s gothic fantasy book series Gormenghast, with Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Norse Mythology, Coraline) and Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man) attached.

FMNA secured the rights to all five books within the series. Gaiman and Goldsman will serve as non-writing executive producers. Barry Spikings (The Deer Hunter, Lone Survivor) will also serve as an executive producer, along with David A. Stern (Howards End, The Last Tycoon).

“There is nothing in literature like Mervyn Peake’s remarkable novels,” said Gaiman. “They were crafted by a master, who was also an artist, and they take us to an ancient castle as big as a city, with heroes and villains and people larger than life that are impossible to forget. There is a reason why there were two trilogies that lovers of the fantasy genre embraced in the ’60s: Lord of the Rings and the Gormenghast books. It’s an honor to have been given the opportunity to help shepherd Peake’s brilliant and singular vision to the screen.”

“Luminaries like Mervyn Peake and my old friend Neil Gaiman are more than good company to keep,” said Goldsman. “I am grateful to Barry Spikings for the will, and FremantleMedia for the capacity, to help us bring the sprawling glory of Gormenghast to a modern audience.”

“Nothing combines a dark atmosphere with humor and intrigue the way that Gormenghast does,” said Dante Di Loreto, the president of scripted entertainment at FremantleMedia North America. “It’s one of the most eccentric and vividly imagined universes ever created. We’re excited to continue our relationship with Neil and the producing team assembled for this project is ideal to explore the series’ perfect mix of humor, pathos and tragedy.”

“We are tremendously excited by the prospect of seeing the Gormenghast books realized for television,” said Fabian Peake, son of Mervyn and executor of the Peake estate. “This venture presents a unique opportunity to explore the imagination of a multi-faceted artist.”