After an age trapped in development hell, the small screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel American Gods has finally been granted the greenlight. The supernatural fantasy is now officially locked in for a full first season, orchestrated by Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller and Kings’ Michael Green. The pair developed the series when it was picked up by the Starz network last year, and will write, executive produce and serve as showrunners.
The story revolves around the long-running battle between the traditional deities of old and the new, contemporary gods spawned from modern society’s obsession with materialistic gain. Leading the charge is Shadow Moon, an ex-con who upon his release is met by the mysterious Mr. Wednesday - one of the old gods. Shadow becomes his bodyguard, and the pair roam across America to rally the ancient gods for an inevitable war.
“I am thrilled, scared, delighted, nervous and a ball of glorious anticipation,” Gaiman said of the news. “The team that is going to bring the world of American Gods to the screen has been assembled like the master criminals in a caper movie: I’m relieved and confident that my baby is in good hands. Now we finally move to the exciting business that fans have been doing for the last dozen years: casting our Shadow, our Wednesday, our Laura…”
According to Fuller, the first two scripts are complete as is a raft of concept artwork. If Fuller’s recent visual wizardry on Hannibal is any indication, we’re in for another show of dazzling aesthetics. And with Gaiman on board to executive produce American Gods couldn’t be in better hands.
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