U.K. Coraline musical also canceled over Neil Gaiman allegations
The show's producers wrote that they “feel it would be impossible to continue in the context of the allegations against its original author."
Photo: Andrew Toth/WireImage
Another Neil Gaiman-related production is shutting its doors in response to the horrific allegations of sexual assault leveled against the author. A stage production based on Gaiman’s 2002 novel Coraline was supposed to play at the U.K.’s Leeds Playhouse from April 11 to May 11 before traveling to Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Manchester. Now, it won’t be opening at all.
“We have decided our production of Coraline – A Musical will not proceed. After careful consideration, we feel it would be impossible to continue in the context of the allegations against its original author,” co-production partners Leeds Playhouse, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Birmingham Rep, and Home Manchester wrote a joint statement, via Variety.
Over the past few weeks, many other Gaiman-related productions have made similar calls. Dark Horse Comics dropped the author and canceled its ongoing adaptation of his 2005 novel Anansi Boys. Disney is pumping the breaks on its adaptation of his 2008 novel The Graveyard Book and Netflix canceled Dead Boy Detectives outright after a single season. The third (and final) season of Prime Video’s Good Omens will now be a single 90-minute episode, with no involvement from Gaiman at all. As of this writing, only season two of The Sandman is still scheduled for release later this year.
Gaiman, meanwhile, claimed in a lengthy post on his website that he has “never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.”
“I was emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-focused and not as thoughtful as I could or should have been… I was caught up in my own story and I ignored other people’s,” he wrote. “Some of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality. I am prepared to take responsibility for any missteps I made. I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I can’t accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not admit to doing things I didn’t do.”