Stop-motion giant Henry Selick is developing a film for The Ocean at the End of the Lane. The 2013 Neil Gaiman book tells the story of a middle-aged man returning to his childhood home and the memories that hit of the most remarkable girl he met when he was seven, Lettie Hempstock. Not having thought of her in decades, he remembers a pond that she called an ocean and the tragedy surrounding it. And that’s where the monstrous mother figure Ursula comes in and where our description stops because it’s a book you should truly read.
If you’re not in the mood for a read, that’s where director Henry Selick comes in. He’s confirmed to Variety that this book is his next project. But what makes it even better is that he described the development of the film as “almost a sequel” of the highly beloved Coraline. He told Variety, “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.”
Reactions online from fans of Coraline were mixed. Some were excited for the film, saying that they’ll “be seated” and “we won.” But there were many that were concerned about with The Ocean at the End of the Lane being a sequel to Coraline. Not because they don’t want a sequel but because they don’t want it to be forced saying, “Don’t force a sequel if you don’t need to, I would much prefer this.” Which, they’re right. The book is enough of a success for it to stand out from Coraline.
As for The Ocean at the End of the Lane, many voiced how this was probably Gaiman’s best book and that more people should read it. And honestly, we agree.
And for others, it feels like they willed it into existing saying, “I was just thinking last week of how good The Ocean at the End of the Lane would look animated in stop motion…”
