Skip to main content

Elle Fanning to star in adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s How To Talk To Girls At Parties

elle fanning star adaptation neil gaimans talk girls parties
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It seems like every other day brings news of another story by award-winning author Neil Gaiman being turned into a film or television series. This time, it’s an upcoming big-screen adaptation of his short story How To Talk To Girls At Parties, with Maleficent actress Elle Fanning set to star in the film.

The 2006 story was originally published in Gaiman’s Fragile Things anthology, and follows a pair of schoolboys who attend a party where they discover that the girls there are something very different than what they initially seem. The story received multiple nominations for literary awards, and won the Locus Award for the year’s best short story.

Recommended Videos

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the story will be adapted by Philippa Goslett (Little Ashes) and John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry InchShortbus), with Mitchell directing the film. Mitchell previously directed the 2010 film Rabbit Hole, and has appeared on several episodes of HBO’s Girls, as well as starring in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The film version of How To Talk To Girls At Parties will reportedly expand on the original story, with the boys embarking on a tour of London’s neighborhoods with at least one of the strange girls — likely played by Fanning.

Gaiman’s work has been in the news quite a bit lately, with his novel American Gods headed to television and a long-awaited adaptation of his celebrated comic book series Sandman headed to theaters.

You can read How To Talk To Girls At Parties in its entirety at Gaiman’s website, NeilGaiman.com.

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
3 underrated (HBO) Max movies you should watch this weekend (November 22-24)
A man holds a gun in Out of the Furnace.

Are you ready for Glicked? Yes, that's the actual nickname for the simultaneous release of Gladiator 2 and Wicked this weekend. Hollywood is hoping for another bountiful Barbenheimer box office bonanza (say that three times fast), and if the tracking is correct, they are going to get it. Expect tons of crowds at movie theaters this weekend.

If you're like me and hate people, er, crowds, then don't worry, I've got you covered. You can stay in and enjoy some films that have been overlooked. I've assembled a list of three underrated movies that are streaming on Max right now. None of them have the spectacle of Ariana Grande singing in a floating pink bubble or Paul Mescal in a blood-stained toga, but maybe that's a good thing.

Read more
3 great Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (November 22-24)
Cailee Spaeny aims a gun as David Jonsson stands behind her in a still from the movie Alien: Romulus.

Hulu is never going to have all of the flashy original movies that Netflix has, but it's going to have its share of box office hits now and then. This week, one of last summer's sleeper hits, Alien: Romulus, is making its streaming debut on Hulu. And that film more than earned its place on our weekly list of the three great Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend.

Our other picks include a period drama that has a great cast, as well a sports comedy from an actress-turned-talk show host.

Read more
‘Give our film a chance:’ Kraven the Hunter director addresses Sony’s Spider-Man Universe failures
Aarron Taylor-Johnson in the official poster for "Kraven the Hunter."

Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) has not gone according to plan. Several SSU entries, including Morbius and Madame Web, have been either critically reviled or box office failures. The three Venom films have all been profitable but garnered a negative reception. J.C. Chandor is hoping his film, Kraven the Hunter, will turn the SSU in a positive direction.

While speaking with Comicbook.com, Chandor acknowledged the criticisms of Sony's previous Spider-Man films. Chandor is hoping that fans will watch Kraven with an open mind and not let the SSU's negative reception cloud their judgment.

Read more