Now there’s a combination I’d happily look forward to watching.
Writer Neil Gaiman (Coraline, Stardust and The Sandman graphic novel series), is currently adapting China’s celebrated novel Journey to the West for a 3D feature film series alongside producer Zhang Jizhong. Jizhong is extremely popular in China for his extensive work in television production on series like “The Romance of Three Kingdoms” and “Legend of Eagle Shooting Hero,” but has now turned his sights on one of the country’s most famous tales, which details the misadventures of a monk named the Monkey King. Zhang had previously adapted West television, and impressed Gaiman, who wants this adaptation to be more in the vein of Peter Jackson‘s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy insofar as being “filmic, non-episodic. This story is in the DNA of 1.5 billion people.” [THR]
A Chinese epic fable adapted by the man behind The Sandman comics sounds right as rain by me, but the biggest and best tease from THR’s report comes in the form of who Gaiman wants in the director’s chair: Guillermo Del Toro. With At the Mountains of Madness killed, and Pinocchio in the pipeline, Gaiman, a friend of Del Toro’s has him in the crosshairs to direct. While that is strictly speculative at this point, a girl can dream. I’d love to see him direct something with slightly more Eastern sensibilities, especially with his penchant for exquisite art design.
As the writing continues, no prospective start or release date has been set for Journey to the West, while the budget has been estimated at somewhere around $300 million.
What are your thoughts on Gaiman penning this adaptation of the Chinese epic? Who would you like to see direct?