Summary
One newly-announced movie isn’t theCoralinesequel I expected, but I’ll take it, especially if Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman are involved.Coraline(2009) is a film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s YA horror novella of the same title. The dark fantasy tale tells the story of a young girl who moves to a new home and, neglected by her parents, finds a door in the wall that leads to a fantastical alternate reality. Inside,Coraline finds her"Other Mother"and"Other Father,“who give her everything her busy parents cannot, but it all too soon comes with a dark twist.
Hidden details in theCoralineadaptationadded to the stop-motion-animated movie’s brilliance. TheCoralinemovie successfully adapted Gaiman’s story, and the author teaming up with Henry Selick again is the best-case scenario for aCoralinesequel. The director worked with Gaiman onCoralineand has other noteworthy titles in his repertoire, including James and the Giant Peach(1996) andTim Burton’sThe Nightmare Before Christmas(1993). I can’t wait to see what they come up with, becauseif Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick are making a comeback after 15 years, I’m sure they have something unique to offer.
Coraline Is Getting A Companion Movie With The Ocean At The End Of The Lane
Gaiman Is Opting For A Coraline Companion Movie Over A Coraline 2 Sequel
Rather than delivering aCoraline 2sequel, Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick are teaming up to produce a companion film to the fantasy horror story withthe production ofThe Ocean at the End of the Lane.The film will be another adaptation of one of Gaiman’s novels, a coming-of-age novel about an artist who returns to his home in Sussex, England, and is suddenly consumed with memories of a magical entanglement from his past. In an interview withVariety, Selick described the project as a contrast to what he and Gaiman accomplished withCoraline: “Instead of a child going to this other world with a monstrous mother, it’s a monstrous mother who comes into our world to wreak havoc on a kid’s life.”
Why Henry Selick & Neil Gaiman’s Reunion Is Just As Exciting As Coraline 2
Gaiman Was Right Not To Force Coraline 2
Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman’s reunion forThe Ocean at the End of the Laneis just as exciting as aCoralinesequel. In fact,I’m more excited to see them go in this direction thanCoraline 2.Previously,Gaiman has said thatCoraline 2wouldn’t happenuntil he had a better idea for a sequel, so I’m glad the author didn’t force the continuation of a story where he didn’t feel inspired to tell one. It could have compromised all that madeCoralinegreat, and it already stands alone as a cult classic in its own right.
Not wanting to hinderCoraline’s success with a sequel was echoed by Travis Knight, the president and CEO of LAIKA, the animation studio behind the 2009 adaptation.Knight explained in an interview with Collider that he was firmly against producing sequels, includingCoraline 2, believing that too many reboots and remakes were produced and wanting to focus on fresh ideas. The sentiment reinforces what Gaiman has said about protectingCoraline’s creative integrity. Selick suggested that the studio ShadowMachine may be interested in the new project. The studio has a record of producing fantastical horror greats, likeGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
I’m excited that Gaiman is adapting one of his other stories rather than forcing a sequel forCoraline.It’s just as exciting asCoraline 2becausethe author is at his best when he’s energized by what he’s working on.Gaiman has witnessed many of his works become big- and small-screen adaptations, with the author typically having a firm hand in production. While adaptations have sometimes contrasted Gaiman’s vision, it’s clear fromCoraline’ssuccess that the author and director will work in unison to hone Gaiman’s vision to produceThe Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Neil Gaiman’sThe Ocean at the End of the Lanewas originally published on August 10, 2025. The novel tells a coming-of-age story within a mixture of the dark fantasy, horror, and magical realism literature genres.
