"Hansel & Gretel," the upcoming graphic novel from author Neil Gaiman based on the classic Grimm Brothers tale is getting a live-action film adaptation, according to Variety.
Gaiman's latest work hasn't been published yet, but film and television producer Juliet Blake has already acquired the film rights of the book. However, there are no official reports yet as to who will direct the project or pen script.
Gaiman is excited about working with Blake for the upcoming project and is looking forward to see how the story will be depicted in the big screen. For the author, his version of "Hansel & Gretel" focuses on the realistic aspects behind the original tale, Collider reported.
"I'm thrilled to be working with Juliet Blake to bring 'Hansel & Gretel' to the world again, and to show people how much this story has to say to us," he said.
"For me, retelling 'Hansel & Gretel' was a way of telling an old tale in a way that made it immediate and true, and about us, now," Gaiman added. "It reminds us of how paper thin civilization really is. It's about hunger, and about families."
Gaiman's "Hansel & Gretel" will hit shelves on Oct. 28 of this year. For the book, he collaborated with Italian graphic artist Lorenzo Mattotti. Many of Mattotti's illustrations have been published in notable magazines such as The New Yorker, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Vanity Fair.
Like Gaiman's previous works, "Hansel & Gretel" will rely heavily on elements of horror. According to the author, he is deeply fascinated with this genre due to its unique escapist nature, according to Brainpickings.
"Fear is a wonderful thing, in small does," he said. "You ride the ghost train into darkness, knowing that eventually the doors will open and you will step out into the daylight once again. It's always reassuring to know that you're still here, still safe. That nothing strange has happened, not really."
"It's good to be a child again for a little while, and to fear - not governments, not regulations, not infidelities or accountants or distant wars, but ghosts and such things that don't exist, even if they do, can do nothing to hurt us," he added.