Gormenghast: Neil Gaiman and others to adapt into television series

Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast is heading to the small screen thanks to Neil Gaiman, Akiva Goldsman, and Toby Whithouse!

Gormenghast, a fantasy epic by British author, Mervyn Peake, is being adapted for television by American Gods’ Neil Gaiman, Doctor Who writer Toby Whithouse, and The Dark Tower’s Akiva Goldsman. After years of trying to make this a reality, it is now possible to accomplish the impossible according to the show’s creators.

In an interview with Deadline, Gaiman, Whithouse, and Goldsman spoke about bringing this epic to life and how much it means to them to finally be able to bring it to the small screen (after it failed to make the big screen).

Peake’s books were first published in 1946 and an attempt by Warner Brothers was made to bring it to the big screen, but it did not work out. Now, the creative trio talks about how they’re going to transform it into a successful television series.

For those who aren’t familiar with the story, Gormenghast is about the individuals that live in Castle Gormenghast in gothic structure filled with a variety of characters including an heir to the throne, a kitchen boy, and two sisters.

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Deadline asked the trio when they first came across these books, Gaiman responded around the age of 13 while in school and fell in love with the story from the get-go.

On the other hand, Whithouse discovered Gormenghast during his time in art college and connected with Peake’s illustrations that reflected some of his own.

Due to contract issues, the initial plan to create the epic into a movie with Warner Brothers didn’t pan out but Gaiman developed a relationship with Peake’s family who asked him to be a part of the project when it was pitched as a television series.

The project is still in its very early stages according to Whithouse and there is quite a lot of work still ahead especially considering the tedious details that have to go into making an episodic series out of it.

A home for the series has not yet been confirmed and pitches are yet to be made, which they hope will happen in the near future.

Where the series ends up, Peake fans will be eagerly anticipating more news regarding Gormenghast, and we’ll be sure to update you as we learn more!