Hollywood Reporter Announces Gaiman to Script Mononoke

NEW YORK — Miramax Films has signed cult comic book creator Neil Gaiman to write an English-language script for “Princess Mononoke,” which last year became Japan’s all-time top-grossing film.

The animated feature, the only film to gross $150 million at the Japanese boxoffice, follows the story of a girl in ancient Japan raised by a wolf goddess. Directed by leading Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli, the film in its dubbed version is due for U.S. release next year.

“My goal is to remain faithful to the story while providing a translation that a non-Japanese audience will be able to follow,” said Gaiman, who conceived and wrote the award-winning DC Comic series “Sandman,” collections of which have sold more than 750,000 copies.

Warner Bros. has optioned the rights for a “Sandman” feature as well as Gaiman’s three-part 1993 series “Death: The High Cost of Living.” He has been contracted to write a script for the latter, as well as for “Neverwhere” for Jim Henson Prods., based on his 1997 novel of the same name.