Coraline the Movie

[Nesacat]

From Sci-Fi.Com Neil Gaiman is clearly happy with the movie version of Coraline.

Gaiman Praises Coraline's Selick

Neil Gaiman told SCI FI Wire that Henry Selick, who is directing the upcoming film version of Gaiman's children's novella Coraline, is perfect for the job. Selick, who has directed such stop-motion animation classics as The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, is helming the movie, about Coraline, a young girl ( voiced by Dakota Fanning), who stumbles upon a better version of her life in a parallel universe just beyond a wall in her building.

"That's beautiful," Gaiman said of Coraline while promoting the Aug. 10 release of Stardust. "It's that amazing thing where it's Henry Selick doing stop-motion. Henry is a great director."

Oddly enough, Gaiman cites Selick's little-seen Monkeybone as one of the reasons why he consented to Selick. The mostly live-action Monkeybone, about a cartoonist (Brendan Fraser) stuck in the world he created, was both a critical and financial bust upon its release in 2001, but it's gained a cult following over the years.

"I'm one of the few people who loved Monkeybone," Gaiman said. "I think it's a mess, but I think it's a mess with more ideas in it than [most]. … Most movies only have one idea, and this one was a mess because it's got 100 ideas. But Henry is a genius when it's stop-motion. Nobody else can do that."

Gaiman added: "The lovely thing about Coraline is that it's got life. The bits that I have seen that are animated are so expressive. Dakota Fanning is great. Teri Hatcher [as the voice of both Coraline's mother and the alternate-reality mother] is great, which came as a bit of a surprise to me, because I sort of was very cynical when they said, 'Oh, we have got Teri Hatcher.' But she's great. John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders, they're great. It's so cool. And the songs are by They Might Be Giants." Coraline will be released in 2008. —Ian Spelling

[GOLLUM]

Excellent news Nesa, I can't wait to see how this one turns out...

[Briareus Delta]

Probably my own fault for going around with my head in the clouds, but I've never heard of Coraline and I didn't know that Neil Gaiman had written any children's fiction. I haven't read a lot of his work but what I have read, I've enjoyed.

Anyone know what age range it's aimed at? Would it be suitable for my 11-year old daughter? She's a complete bookworm and I'm always on the lookout for new stuff for her to read.