Author Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast novels have been adapted for the screen before, with the Beeb tackling the first two books for a series in 2000. But now American Gods production company Freemantle Media is looking to go further, hatching a deal with Neil Gaiman and Akiva Goldsman to shepherd the adaptation.
Set in the decaying, gothic Castle Gormenghast, the story follows various characters, including scheming kitchen boy Steerpike; Titus, heir to the House of Groan; plus twin sisters Cora and Clarice. There is much backstabbing, greed and jealousy.
"There is nothing in literature like Mervyn Peake’s remarkable Gormenghast novels," says 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 Sixties: 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."
Gaiman and Goldman won't actually be doing the writing work on this one, and they'll be more involved with setting up a group to hit the keyboards. There's no word on where the show might land yet, but given Freemantle and Gaiman's connection to Starz in the US via Gods, we wouldn't be surprised if it heads there.
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