In some news that’s sure to put a smile on the face of many a genre fan, a new adaptation of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast is in development. Not only that, but genre icon Neil Gaiman is to be involved with the project.

As per Deadline, Gaiman and Akiva Goldsman are developing the Gormenghast series as a TV show. This isn’t the first time that the property has made its way to the small screen, of course, with the BBC having adapted the first two books in the series back in 2000. As well as that, there have been audio adaptations by BBC Radio 4 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

In total, there are four novels in the series, plus a novella. FreemantleMedia North America have picked up the rights for this new TV effort, with them optioning all five stories in the series.

On this news, Gaiman enthused, “There is nothing in literature like Mervyn Peake’s remarkable Gormenghast novels. They were crafted by a master, who was also an artist, and they take us to an ancient castle as big as a city, with heroes and villains and people larger than life that are impossible to forget. There is a reason why there were two trilogies that lovers of the fantasy genre embraced in the Sixties: Lord of the Rings, and the Gormenghast books. It’s an honor to have been given the opportunity to help shepherd Peake’s brilliant and singular vision to the screen.”

For those unfamiliar with Gormenghast, the series centres on Castle Gormenghast and those who resides within its walls. A fantasy affair overflowing with gothic charm, the literary series is often heralded as one of the very best of its kind.

As ever, expect more on this latest Gormenghast adaptation as we get it.