After its recent rerelease in theaters, many fans of Coraline are curious whether the film is based on true events or inspired by real-life stories.
First released in 2009, Coraline tells the tale of a young girl named Coraline who discovers a hidden door leading to an alternate dimension. This parallel world initially seems perfect, but soon reveals itself to be a sinister trap where a monstrous figure, disguised as her mother, seeks to steal Coraline’s soul.
Is Coraline based on a true story?
Coraline is based on a 2002 novella by Neil Gaiman, a renowned author known for his dark fantasy works, including The Sandman comic series, which has also been adapted into a Netflix show.
Gaiman’s novella served as the blueprint for the film, and while the book itself is not a true story, Gaiman has acknowledged various influences that shaped his writing.
In a 2002 interview with the American Library Association’s Booklist Magazine, Gaiman mentioned that one significant influence on Coraline was an 1882 short story called The New Mother by Lucy Clifford. This story, which Gaiman described as “really disturbing and primal,” features children who misbehave and are subsequently visited by a new mother with glass eyes and a wooden tail. This idea of a sinister mother figure directly inspired elements in Coraline, such as the character of the Other Mother who has button eyes.
Additionally, Gaiman was inspired by stories his daughter, Holly, used to tell him. These tales often involved little girls being kidnapped by evil witches who would disguise themselves as their mothers. Gaiman found that there were no books that matched the dark, imaginative stories his daughter loved, which motivated him to create Coraline.
While Coraline is not directly based on real events, it draws heavily from classic literature and personal experiences to create its unique and eerie narrative. The film and book both explore themes of deception, courage, and the unsettling feeling of something being not quite right, all through the lens of fantastical storytelling.
You can catch Coraline in select theaters or stream it on the Roku Channel.
