Neil Gaiman spilled the beans about an upcoming 6-part TV series adaptation of Good Omens at a Terry Pratchett memorial event.
Neil Gaiman, the author and longtime friend of Sir Terry Pratchett, has announced he will be writing the adaptation of their co-authored novel Good Omens for the screen.
Gaiman had previously said he would not adapt their 1990 fantasy novel about the end of the world without Pratchett, who died in March 2015 from a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease.
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But Wilkins revealed to the audience that Pratchett had left a letter posthumously for Gaiman. In the letter, Pratchett requested that the author write an adaptation by himself, with his blessing. “At that point, I think I said, ‘You bastard, yes,’” Gaiman recalled, to cheers.
Awesome, if it actually happens. They’ve tried before.
Multiple attempts to adapt Good Omens have fizzled out in the past: in 2002, the director Terry Gilliam was lined up to helm an adaptation starring Johnny Depp and Robin Williams in the two lead roles.
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In 2011, Gaiman announced on his website that a TV adaptation was in the works, with the Monty Python comedian Terry Jones and the Emmy-winning screenwriter Gavin Scott set to write the script. In 2012 Pratchett’s daughter, Rhianna, announced the formation of Narrativia, a production company that would hold the exclusive rights to all her father’s works, and said Good Omens would be adapted into a “13-part TV series”. No further plans were announced.
So hopefully this one will take.
Also, there may be some other stuff coming:
Another adaptation of Pratchett’s work was confirmed at the memorial event on Thursday evening: a feature film of his 1987 novel Mort. The second-highest-grossing screenwriter of all time, Terry Rossio – who has written hits including Shrek, Aladdin and Pirate of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – will be writing the adaptation, while Narrativia will co-produce it. Rhianna Pratchett is also confirmed to be adapting her father’s 2003 novel Wee Free Men into a feature film.
In addition, it was confirmed that the fan-funded film of Pratchett’s short story Troll Bridge is still in the works, as well as a long-rumoured TV show set in Pratchett’s Discworld universe: a fantasy police procedural called The Watch, which has previously had Jones, Scott and Rhianna Pratchett all attached as writers.
I approve of any and all attempts to bring Pratchett and/or Gaiman works to additional media formats. They may not all be good, but I love to see people trying.