American Gods (TV series)

American Gods
Genre
Based on American Gods 
by Neil Gaiman
Developed by
Starring
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Bryan Fuller
  • Michael Green
  • Neil Gaiman
  • Craig Cegielski
  • Stefanie Berk
  • Thom Beers
Production company(s)
Release
Original network Starz

American Gods is an upcoming television series created by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green for Starz, based on the novel of the same name by author Neil Gaiman. Fuller and Green will script the first episode and serve as showrunners. Gaiman will executive produce along with Fuller, Green, Craig Cegielski, Stefanie Berk and Thom Beers.[1]

Premise

The series will focus on the mysterious Shadow, a man who is released from prison a few days early after serving a three year sentence for bank robbery when his beloved wife Laura is killed in a car accident. Flying home for the funeral, Shadow is seated next to a man who introduces himself only as Mr. Wednesday, and this man knows more about Shadow's life, both past and present, than is possible. Shadow comes to learn that Wednesday is, in fact, the god Odin of Norse mythology and that all of the gods that mankind has ever believed in are alive in human form and live among regular people. Shadow is soon thrust into a gathering conflict between the Old gods and the so-called "New gods", the gods of money and technology who believe there is no longer room on Earth for the old gods.

Cast

Development

Production

In 2011, American Gods author Neil Gaiman stated at the Edinburgh International Book Festival that HBO had expressed an interest in adapting the novel into a television series.[2][3] In March 2013 Gaiman spoke of the project's progress at the Cambridge International Student Film Festival, and confirmed that the prospective series' opening episode would "contain new elements and details" while still remaining "a lot like the opening chapters of the book".[4] He also commented that the book would only make up the first two seasons of the show and that he was still working on the pilot script, as his first script was not close enough to his book for HBO's satisfaction.[5] However, in November 2013 Gaiman announced on Reddit that the TV series is still in the works but no longer at HBO.[6]

In 2014 HBO's president of programming Michael Lombardo revealed that the project had been abandoned because they could not get the script right: "We tried three different writers, we put a lot of effort into it. Some things just don't happen."[7]

In February 2014, Fremantle Media acquired the rights to adapt the novel as a fantasy drama series.[8] In July 2014, it was announced that Starz would be developing the series with Bryan Fuller and Michael Green.[9]

Speaking of the series, Fuller stated that it would "[follow] the events of the books but expanding those events, and expanding the point of view to go above and beyond Shadow and Wednesday."[10] Permission has been given for the series to incorporate elements from the book's companion, Anansi Boys.[10] Fuller also confirmed that Gaiman is "very involved" with the production and expressed his hope that Gaiman would write an episode himself.[10]

On June 16, 2015, Starz officially announced that it had greenlit the series.[11][12] Showrunner Bryan Fuller estimated in May 2015 that the show would likely air in "late 2016."[13] The shooting was scheduled to begin on March 1, 2016 in Toronto and continue until September.[14]

Casting

On January 28, 2016, Ricky Whittle was cast as the lead character, Shadow Moon.[15] On March 2, 2016, it was announced that Ian McShane had been cast as Mr. Wednesday. [16] It was later announced on March 17, 2016 that Emily Browning will play Laura Moon, Shadow's wife.[17] On March 23, 2016 it was announced that Sean Harris, Yetide Badaki and Bruce Langley would play the respective roles of Mad Sweeney, Bilquis and Technical Boy.[18] On April 14, 2016, Jonathan Tucker and Crispin Glover were cast as Low Key Lyesmith and Mr. World.[19] On April 21, 2016, Cloris Leachman was cast as Zorya Vechernyaya, Peter Stormare as Czernobog, Chris Obi as Mr. Jaquel, and Mousa Kraish as the Jinn.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Shows A–Z – american gods on starz". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ "American Gods for HBO, Gaiman plans sequel". The Bookseller. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  3. ↑ Thompson, Mike (July 30, 2011). "HBO Performs Rumor Control on American Gods". Escapist Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Neil Gaiman Updates Us on HBO's American Gods, Doctor Who, and More". Tor.com. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  5. ↑ Schaefer, Sandy (June 30, 2013). "Neil Gaiman Offers American Gods TV Show Update; Teases New Story Material". screenrant.com. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  6. ↑ Gaiman, Neil. "AN EVENING WITH NEIL GAIMAN AND AMANDA PALMER: ASK US ANYTHING. GO ON. GO ON YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.". Reddit. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  7. ↑ Jenna Marotta (June 11, 2014). "HBO’s Michael Lombardo on More Game of Thrones, the Future of MaddAddam, and Why American Gods Is a No-Go". Vulture.
  8. ↑ Nellie Andreeva (February 3, 2014). "Fantasy Novel ‘American Gods’ Being Developed As Drama Series By FremantleMedia".
  9. ↑ Lesley Goldberg (July 1, 2014). "Starz, Bryan Fuller Board Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 Bibbiani, William (August 29, 2014). "Exclusive: How Involved is Neil Gaiman in the 'American Gods' TV Series?". Crave Online. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  11. ↑ Linda Ge (June 16, 2015). "Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods' Adaptation Gets Greenlight From Starz". TheWrap.
  12. ↑ "American Gods TV adaptation begins casting search for lead character". the Guardian.
  13. ↑ "American Gods producer Bryan Fuller talks casting diversity on the Neil Gaiman TV series - Blastr". Blastr.
  14. ↑ "In Production in Toronto" (PDF). Municipal government of Toronto. 10 February 2016.
  15. ↑ Robinson, Joanna (January 28, 2016). "American Gods Author Neil Gaiman on Why Casting The 100s Ricky Whittle as Shadow Is So Vital". Variety. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  16. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (March 3, 2016). "Ian McShane to Star in 'American Gods' for Starz". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  17. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (March 17, 2016). "Starz's 'American Gods' Casts Its Laura Moon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 16, 2016.>
  18. ↑ Petski, Denise (March 23, 2016). "Starz’s ‘American Gods’ Casts Sean Harris As Mad Sweeney, Yetide Badaki As Bilquis & Bruce Langley As Technical Boy". Deadline. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  19. ↑ Petski, Denise (April 14, 2016). "‘American Gods’: Jonathan Tucker & Crispin Glover Cast In Starz Adaptation". Deadline.
  20. ↑ "CAMERAS ROLL AS STARZ AND FMNA BRING “AMERICAN GODS” TO LIFE". Fremantle Media. April 21, 2016.

External links

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