News: Starz Takes On American Gods

Fans can do a happy dance now because it’s official! Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods is finally making its way to the small screen. Published in 2001, it’s been a long time coming for the Hugo award-winning novel to find a home on a cable network. Recently, Starz showed interest by giving the fantasy novel a script to series treatment; however, that’s never a sure guarantee a story will make it to the screen. In an announcement released today by the network:

“Starz has given a greenlight to FremantleMedia North America’s (FMNA) adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed contemporary fantasy novel American Gods. Bryan Fuller (‘Hannibal,’ ‘Pushing Daisies,’ ‘Heroes’) and Michael Green (‘The River,’ ‘Kings,’ ‘Heroes’), will pen and showrun the series. Gaiman will also executive produce the series. FremantleMedia North America will produce. Start of production is dependent on casting the lead role of ‘Shadow Moon.’ ”

That said, the choice to bring yet another literary adaptation to television has been Starz’s boon with the noteworthy Outlander series and the “Treasure Island” prequel Black Sails. If the current programming on Starz is any indication of the attention to detail and quality of material, then American Gods is going to be one hell of a series.

American Gods is an expansive hero’s journey across a surreal American landscape—a story told through the eyes of gods old and new, making you question what is truly good and evil. In addition to the news about the greenlit series, Gaiman expressed his enthusiasm as well stating, “I am thrilled, ‎scared, delighted, nervous and a ball of glorious anticipation.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…”

While the casting of the primary character of Shadow Moon is critical, there are other important characters like the mysterious Mr. Wednesday. Starz is already campaigning for reactions to possible casting choices by fans. Who would you like to see playing the leading roles?

What do you think of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods becoming a TV series? Post your comments below or on Twitter @conallen.

Follow American Gods on its official twitter: @AmericanGodsSTZ and @STARZ_Channel, and use the hashtag #CastingShadow to share who you think should play the role of “Shadow Moon.”