The Portland, Oregon-based stop motion animation boutique, Laika Entertainment, is about to begin production on its first CG-animated feature, which is based on Neil Gaiman's award winning kids' novel, Coraline.  Henry Selick, who directed the cult favorite Nightmare Before Christmas, will helm the Coraline feature with former Fox studio head Bill Mechanic producing.

Nike founder Phil Knight bought the Portland-based Vinton Studios in 2003 and recently re-christened the premier stop motion animation studio 'Laika Entertainment.'  Coraline, which sold more than 130,000 copies in hardcover, also earned Neil Gaiman his second Hugo Award (see 'Neil Gaiman Wins Second Hugo').  Dave McKean's excellent illustrations for Coraline should provide the perfect visual cues for the production of a film that is as haunting, scary, and perhaps as funny Gaiman's original book, which deserves a spot next to Roald Dahl's tales in the pantheon of 'dark' children's literature.