The Confessions of William Henry Ireland
From Daily Variety (November 2, 2000)
Gaiman adds helming to list of ‘Confessions’
by Claude Brodesser
Novelist and comic book scribe Neil Gaiman is expanding his foray onto the bigscreen, inking a deal with Miramax Films to pen and helm the true story “The Confessions of William Henry Ireland.”
Gaiman, author of the macabre DC Comics franchise “Sandman,” which is being turned into a pic at Warner Bros., is also adapting his bestselling novel “Stardust” for Miramax/Dimension, and penned the English-lingo script of “Princess Mononoke” for Miramax.
“Confessions” is a “Ferris Bueller”-like romp set in the 18th century, and follows the exploits of an ill-regarded teenager-turned-literary-forger of “lost” Shakespeare works. The lad undertakes the elaborate hoax to please his unloving dad, but things snowball and he unwittingly ruins his father’s reputation when his “discovered” Shakespeare play is staged by dad — and is a flop.
Modern resonance
Gaiman says that despite being set 300 years ago, the “themes of this story are so utterly contemporary that it’s going to be a delight to write.”
Pic will be produced by Kevin Messick, who is also producing the Dimension pic “Closers” with Penelope Spheeris at the helm. “Confessions” will be co-produced by Ethan Gross. Miramax veepee Amy Slotnick will oversee its development.
Gaiman is repped by CAA and by attorney Melanie Cook at Bloom, Hergott, Cook, Diemer & Klein.
University of Delaware maintains a collection of works about and including Shakespeare forgeries; they also maintain a webpage that goes on at great length about William Henry Ireland’s attempt.