I started following Neil Gaiman’s exploits quite by accident and became intrigued by the rabid Neil-worshipping fanbase that he had built up amongst his readers. “Surely the man must be brilliant!” I thought, and scooped up his tiny book Coraline for a look at what made him so popular. It was labelled as a children’s book, but the rich, dark tone and complex character interactions made for an entertaining read even for this big kid. He often blurs the lines between dreams and reality, leading his characters on a journey of truth seeking and self discovery.

About the time I finished Coraline, Gaiman had spilled the beans on a movie deal with Sony Pictures for one of his other works, Mirrormask. His mailing list and forums were plastered with updates, from conceptual pictures to the gritty details of watching one’s writing be adapted for the big screen and I actually removed myself from them; tired of getting so many related posts every day.

For a while I forgot about the movie, until it exploded onto the scene at the Sundance Film Festival. Now it appears that Mirrormask will be released to select theatres as of the end of this month.

What’s the deal? Fifteen-year old Helena wants a life apart from the circus she has grown up in. She argues about her future plans with her parents, following which her mother falls quite ill and Helena is convinced that it is all her fault. On the eve of her mother’s major surgery, she dreams that she is in a strange world with two opposing queens, bizarre creatures, and masked inhabitants. All is not well in this new world - the white queen has fallen ill and can only be restored by the MirrorMask, and it’s up to Helena to find it. But as her adventures continue, she begins to wonder whether she’s in a dream, or something far more sinister.