Disney has halted pre-production of ‘The Graveyard Book’ after Neil Gaiman assault allegations
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Following the news that various women have accused popular writer Neil Gaiman of sexual assault, Disney has paused the pre-production of The Graveyard Book, a movie based on his novel of the same name.
Published in 2008, the young adult novel was initially acquired by Disney in 2012, but it has taken years for the project to move forward. In 2022, director Marc Forster was employed, but now the movie is being put aside. Gaiman had no direct involvement in the creation of the film, which was in the very early stages of development.
Over recent months, five different women have come forward with stories about Gaiman’s inappropriate conduct, two of whom were considerably younger than the author.
According to Tortoise, in 2003, when Gaiman was in his mid-40s, he met an 18-year-old fan, known only as K, at a book signing. Within two years, they’d started dating, but she notes that many non-consensual acts occurred during the span of their relationship. For instance, he often forced her into rough sex, which she was not comfortable with. She claimed “she neither wanted nor enjoyed” these acts.
Gaiman denies the allegations, suggesting that K is fabricating the abuse accusations out of “regret over their relationship,” according to Tortoise.
The media outlet also shared the story of a 23-year-old woman named Scarlett, who claims that Gaiman assaulted her in 2022. She was working as his nanny at the time, but he soon began a relationship with her that contained many “degrading” sexual acts. While Gaiman claims that they only consensually “cuddled” and “made out” in a bath before engaging in digital sex acts, she alleges they had rough sex.
Gaiman has allegedly stated, via Tortoise, that the reason for Scarlett’s allegations is a memory condition, something her medical records reportedly show no trace of.
The outlet has made several podcast episodes to deep dive into the allegations levelled at Gaiman. The police are currently investigating the claims made in New Zealand, with the authorities releasing a statement which reads, “a number of attempts to speak to key people as part of this investigation and those efforts remain ongoing.”
Gaiman is known for writing comics and novels, many of which have been adapted for the big screen, such as Good Omens, The Sandman, and Coraline. It seems as though the status of The Graveyard Book’s adaptation – a story revolving around a young boy who is raised by ghosts – will remain up in the air for now.
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