Neil Gaiman to Adapt Pratchett’s Good Omens for TV

After insisting he would never adapt the book he co-authored with sir Terry Pratchett Neil Gaiman was finally been convinced to write the screenplay for Good Omens in spring of last year and the person who convinced him? None other than his co-author Sir Terry Pratchett.

Apparently Gaiman only changed his mind about adapting the 1990 novel after reading a letter which Pratchett had sent to him intending for it to be read only after the Discworld creator’s death.

While at a memorial event for Pratchett at the Barbican in London in April of last year Gaiman recalled Pratchett’s longtime friend and assistant Rob Wilkins recalled asking him if he would adapt Good Omens as they were driving back from Pratchett’s house after meeting up with the ailing author for what would be one of the final times. Wilkins said he approached Gaiman because in his words “it required love, it required patience” to adapt such an iconic piece of literature but was rebuffed. Gaiman admits he was horrified at the thought “Absolutely not,” he remembers telling Wilkins “Terry and I had a deal that we would only work on Good Omens things together,” he explained. “Everything that was ever written – bookmarks and tiny little things – we would always collaborate, everything was a collaboration. So, obviously, no.”

But Terry Pratchett in typical Pratchett style had other ideas and requested that the author write an adaptation by himself, with his blessing. “At that point, I think I said, ‘You bastard, yes,’” remembers Gaiman and so began the adaptation of the story of Crowley the demon and Aziraphale the angel teaming up to deal with the (schoolboy) Antichrist into a six-part television series.
All has been quiet for the last few months until Gaiman Tweeted this little teaser:

Never has a thirty-year wait gone by so quickly nor taken so long.