In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor Delroy Lindo, who was also involved in a planned adaptation of Marvel’s Blade some time ago, says he doubts the adaptation of disgraced Neil Gaiman‘s novel Anansi Boys will be released:
Lindo doesn’t comment on the Gaiman accusations, but says of the series in general, “I don’t think that’ll ever see the light of day. It’s too bad on many levels, but I was really excited to do it.” When EW asked Lindo earlier in the conversation what he’s learned from derailed projects like this, he responded, “Don’t count your chickens, man. It’s a shame. I could be wrong about Anansi Boys. Maybe it’ll be released. This is another reason to knock on wood.” He performs the gesture again. “Because there are banana peels all over the landscape. No matter how experienced the level of talent that’s involved, one can always slip up, which brings me back to the knocking on wood thing. S— can happen, man. At any point.”
Blade, a reimagining of the comic-book Daywalker vampire hunter, was another experience. A parade of filmmakers and writers filtered on and off that movie for Disney’s Marvel Studios, trying to make it work. In November 2023, Variety published a report about alleged creative disagreements contributing to the hangup. Marvel has since pulled the film entirely from its release calendar, and Lindo isn’t at present involved.
“When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input,” Lindo recalls. “And in the various conversations I had with producers, the writer, the director at the time, it was all leading into being very inclusive. It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails.”
Sounds like political correctness may have affected that adaptation too. Seeing where Marvel adaptations have been going lately, it’s no big deal if no new Blade movie comes out. The original comics where he appeared, like Tomb of Dracula, will benefit a lot better without all these overblown live action films being made.
Report New Allegations About Neil Gaiman More Alarming than Previous Reports
As for the TV program based on Gaiman’s novel, at this point Mr. Lindo may be correct it’ll never be released. One of the most likely reasons why is because, unlike Good Omens and the Sandman, Anansi Boys may be more fully Gaiman’s property, and he could make more residuals off of something based on a product entirely his creation and property, so the studio and channel don’t want to benefit his wallet. And neither should the audience.
And now that Gaiman’s in the news again, NY Vulture reports he’s demonstrating yet again what a scoundrel he is, suing one of his victims, Caroline Wallner, for allegedly breaching an NDA:
Gaiman denied that he’d abused Wallner and told New York that it was she who had initiated their sexual encounters, but in 2021, Gaiman paid Wallner $275,000 in exchange for signing an extensive nondisclosure agreement that prevents her from suing Gaiman or telling anyone about her alleged experiences with him. Now, Gaiman has filed a demand for arbitration, accusing Wallner of breaching their NDA by sharing her story with the media, including with New York Magazine. In his claim, Gaiman argued that Wallner violated the confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions of their agreement and is requesting a full repayment of their settlement amount, plus attorneys’ fees and $50,000 for each interview she’s given to the media. (Wallner’s ex-husband, who signed the NDA as well, is also named in the claim, shared with New York.)
Vincent White, Wallner’s lawyer, was surprised Gaiman had filed the claim against his client. White, an employment lawyer in New York who specializes in sexual harassment in the workplace, said that in his experience, allegedly abusive men only rarely sued women for violating NDAs because the optics were so poor. When you’re trying to silence someone who’s alleging “really heinous acts,” White said, “everyone thinks, Oh, the allegation must be true. I would think he may have come to the conclusion he has nothing left to lose.”
It’s shameful he’s doing this, but no longer shocking. What’s clear is that he’s bound to be facing quite a few lawsuits, and will probably have to sell off additional properties to cover his legal debts. A writer at Boing Boing says:
For a man who made millions writing about supernatural horrors, Neil Gaiman sure seems terrified of mortal women speaking their truth. […]
Wallner signed Gaiman’s hush-money agreement back in 2021, accepting $275,000 to keep quiet about their “encounters.” Now fantasy’s favorite feminist ally wants that money back, plus $50,000 for each time she’s dared to speak publicly about her experience.
If something’s clear now, it’s that the mask has slipped, and he’s made clear just how truly an ally of women he really is. “Feminist ally”, my foot. He’ll definitely no longer be a favorite after this disturbing news. Wallner’s attorney gave a slightly different statement to Rolling Stone:
Vincent White, an attorney for Wallner, shared a statement with Rolling Stone: “Mr. Gaiman must feel he has nothing left to lose, I suspect he can feel us closing in on him. The idea that he would try to silence a woman he has already done so much to is disgusting. If we read a similar plot point in one of his stories we would think he was being too heavy handed in fleshing out his villain. Yet here he is, showing us that he was the real monster all along.”
[…] While Wallner has been looking for legal remedies to void the NDA, she also filed an arbitration claim of her own against Gaiman last winter. She alleged that Gaiman’s lawyers held onto videos, photos, and text messages she’d sent Gaiman during the time of the alleged abuse in violation of a clause in the NDA requiring all parties to destroy such material.
Suing a victim for blowing the whistle is a very telling way in which a bad man can signal he’s unrepentant. What’s really sad about this whole scandal is that we can’t be sure if Gaiman will ever be indicted for criminal offenses, so it’s up to the court of public opinion to judge.
See Also Lawsuit Against Neil Gaiman Alleges Rape & Human Trafficking; Ex-Wife Also Named
Here’s what Film Stories says about where Gaiman’s going:
Just as an aside, a personal opinion unrelated to any case in particular. Silencing people using NDAs is an absolute shitshow, a plaything for rich people, and the sooner they’re outlawed as a mechanism for gagging people, the better. It’s one thing when they’re used to protect business-critical information. It should be a whole other thing when they’re used to cover up matters that should be explored in a court of law, not a court of chequebook. But that’s my personal opinion, unrelated to any case.
Absolutely correct. What Gaiman’s doing now will definitely not salvage his tattered reputation. Pajiba says he’s really stooped low:
Wallner later signed an NDA, reportedly in exchange for $300,000, and was asked to leave.
Now, Gaiman is suing her. Not for defamation (likely a losing battle), but for $500,000 for allegedly violating the NDA. It’s a classic tactic: using legal threats to silence accusers. Gaiman claims Wallner breached confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses by speaking to Vulture and other outlets. He’s seeking arbitration—even though Wallner actually sued him first, last winter, alleging that he breached the same NDA by failing to delete text messages, photos, and videos as required.
After all I’ve read about how Gaiman treated certain people over time, it doesn’t sound surprising he’d breach the NDA clauses himself. This is getting really repellent already, and I do hope Wallner can win her case against Gaiman. It should also be noted that, as the Leader-Telegram reports, Scarlet Pavlovich is trying to prevent her lawsuit from being rejected:
Attorneys for the woman suing author Neil Gaiman over her sexual abuse allegations are pushing back against Gaiman’s attempt to have the suit dismissed.
And I hope she’ll have luck too, but what’s really needed now is to have an indictment filed against him by a district attorney. Gaiman has really done it this time, and if that’s how he’s going to behave, it’s exactly why it’d be best if the Anansi Boys TV show is never released. He doesn’t deserve any residuals he could make if it does see broadcast. This is also why Netflix should just stop broadcasting the second Sandman season, even if it’s the last to be filmed.
Originally published here.
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