Coraline is a stop motion animation fantasy-horror movie that was based on comic book creator Neil Gaiman’s novella, also called Coraline, and directed by Henry Selick — not, as is often assumed, by Tim Burton, though its dark, stylized aesthetic certainly recalls Burton’s, at times. The movie was produced by the studio Laika as its very first feature film, and became a runaway success.
Top actors voiced the movie, including Jennifer Saunders, Dakota Fanning, and Teri Hatcher. It was a massive hit; after its release in February of 2009, Coraline grossed $16.85 million in just its opening weekend.
In the end, the film made $124 million USD worldwide, ranking it as the third-highest grossing stop-motion movie of all time (after Chicken Run (2000) and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005).
Beloved by fans and critics, Coraline was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.
Some fans note that the animation resembles the animated work of dark director Tim Burton.
Did Tim Burton make Coraline?
No, Tim Burton did not have anything to do with the film Coraline, despite its style being reminiscent of his work. Coraline was directed by Henry Selick.
The film’s story follows Caroline, a girl who finds an alternate universe behind a secret door in her new home: a universe that reveals dark and sinister elements, and strange characters like dancing circus mice and ghost children. She also discovers alternate versions of people she’s familiar with, including strange versions of her own parents.
Caroline must be clever and nimble to survive the weird obstacles she faces in the alternate universe and be reunited with her real parents, back in the real world.
While it’s a children’s movie, Coraline contains dark themes and creepy imagery, like buttons being sewn onto characters’ faces in place of eyes, and the stop-motion adds a jerky and surreal quality to the visuals. It’s a beautifully-crafted film that’s still being rewatched by fans worldwide. So, why hasn’t it been made into a series yet?
Is there going to be a Coraline 2?
The answer is maybe… but probably not. There are several factors at play. You see, the president and CEO of the production studio Laika, Travis Knight, stated that he does not like reboots or sequels (via Collider). That is some bad news for Coraline fans.
Also, Neil Gaiman has not written a sequel to his original novella, and has claimed that he will only do so if he can come up with an even better story, to top the original (via Screenrant). So, while it’s possible that Gaiman will write about the further adventures of Coraline in the future, it seems that fans will have to wait for him to be sufficiently inspired to write more about the character.
However, there is some good news: Neil Gaiman has not officially ruled out writing another novella or even full graphic novel as a follow-up to Coraline, so there is hope. Unfortunately for Coraline fans, Neil Gaiman is a very busy man.
Between his many public appearances, radio plays, books and screenplay adaptations, Gaiman is a sought-after creator who may simply not have the time to write a sequel to Coraline.
If he does write a sequel, and a different studio steps up to produce it, then there’s still a chance that fans will be able to see a Coraline 2.
