There’s No Good Way To Adapt Any More Neil Gaiman Stories
Allegations against the fantasy author make it impossible to separate art from the artist.
“Works belong to the fans, not the artists” has been the rallying cry when creators get “canceled.” There is an argument for that, as stories can grow and morph through fan works even after a project is released. However, there are exceptions to that rule. For example, even though the Harry Potter fandom has outgrown J.K. Rowling and her transphobic views, HBO is still planning to adapt her books into a series, and in doing so, they put more money into her pocket and indirectly condone her behavior.
Vulture recently published a harrowing exposé of the sexual abuse allegations against fantasy author Neil Gaiman, author of The Sandman, co-author of Good Omens, and creator behind multiple other projects across books, comics, and TV. The accusations are horrific and detailed and involve multiple women. With that in mind, why does Gaiman still have several high-profile adaptations still in the works?
Neil Gaiman originally served as showrunner for Good Omens, but the third and final series has been truncated and he has stepped back from production after the allegations.
It’s not the first time Gaiman has had allegations levied against him. A podcast by Tortoise Media included allegations by four women, with a fifth coming forward later. Soon after, production for Good Omens Season 3 was put on pause and eventually was reduced from a full season to a single 90-minute special to wrap up the story, with Gaiman stepping back from the production as a whole. Disney also canceled a planned adaptation of The Graveyard Book, citing multiple reasons including the allegations.
But despite those consequences, Gaiman still has multiple projects in the works. Season 2 of The Sandman is expected to premiere on Netflix sometime this year, and Prime Video is adapting his 2005 novel Anansi Boys into a miniseries. Both of these projects have wrapped filming, but at this point, it may be best to cut the losses — and ties with Gaiman — and shelve the shows entirely.
Gaiman responded to the allegations with a blog post, saying, “I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.”
Neil Gaiman was involved with Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman, and Season 2 of the series has already wrapped filming.
If these allegations are to be believed, however, then any money spent on further adaptations on his work is supporting him despite these horrific actions. Gaiman has always been accessible to his fans, even answering questions on his Tumblr page. He is inextricably tied to his work, and to support his work in any capacity is to support him.
These are still just allegations, but it’s difficult to see how someone could enjoy a Neil Gaiman story after reading the victims’ accounts of what happened. Perhaps we’ll see that reflected in the upcoming adaptations — and any possible adaptations in the future.
