Neil Gaiman’s take on ‘Gormenghast‘ is officially moving forward as Showtime has just picked up the series! Unlike Gaiman’s previous couple of outings on television, this show won’t be based on his own work but on the fantasy novels by Mergyn Peake. Helping put the series together will be Toby Whithouse (‘Doctor Who’) who is serving as the showrunner for the series as well as Akiva Goldsmith (‘Star Trek: Picard.’)
For those unfamiliar with the source material, it follows everyone who lives in Castle Gormenghast. The location is a sprawling structure which has fallen into disrepair, and the main characters include Titus who is the next in line for the House of Groan’s throne, Steerpike who works in the kitchen but has secretive plans, and the twin sisters Cora and Clarice. The inhabitants of the castle and those directly around it, live in a very insular and cutoff world that has advanced beyond the medieval settings which we’re introduced to. In the first installment, we see Titus as a baby and is a background character, only growing into his own in the sequels.
Gaiman is thrilled to be able to finally bring ‘Gormenghast’ into a live-action setting:
“The joy of trying to describe Gormenghast to people is one where words will fail you, and that’s why there have been people who wanted to film Gormenghast ever since Peake wrote the first book. The BBC once tried, but they were all making it in times when depicting the impossible on the screen was too difficult. The great thing now is that we can make it and actually show it and take you there. We are now in a world where you can put the impossible on screen and with Gormenghast, you’re not just dealing with a castle the size of a city but dealing with these incredibly glorious and memorable people.”
The novels consist of ‘Titus Groan,’ ‘Gormenghast,’ and ‘Titus Alone’ which were completed before the author’s death. A fourth novel, ‘Titus Awakes’ was finished off by Peake’s widow Maeve Gilmore.
Are you looking forward to checking out ‘Gormenghast’ on Showtime? If you’ve read the novels, who would you like to have play any of the main characters? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Entertainment Weekly
