Sky Arts retells Gaiman’s Likely Stories

UK satellite channel Sky Arts has commissioned a four-part scripted series from cult writer Neil Gaiman.

Likely Stories will be adapted from Gaiman’s collection of short stories by British indie Sid Gentle Films. Ian Forsyth and Jane Pollard (20,000 Days on Earth) will direct, with Jarvis Cocker creating a score.

Sky Vision, which is part of Sky Arts parent Sky, has taken international sales rights.

Set in London, the four 30-minutes episodes will be “characteristically dark and strange whilst also drawing on the deftly crafted characters’ human warmth and wit”.

“Under the British directorial powerhouse of Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, Likely Stories is, in true Gaiman style, brilliantly bizarre and unexpected,” said Sky Arts director Phil Edgar-Jones.

Sid Gentle Films’ executive producer and CEO, Sally Woodward Gentle, said Likely Stories was “like nothing else on TV”.

“Each film, although self-contained, explores common themes of human consumption, destructive obsession and psychological cannibalism – all told with great humour, humanity and a completely astounding musical score,” she added.

US premium channel Starz recently took an adaptation of Gaiman novel American Gods to series, with FremantleMedia picking up international rights.