News Briefs: Starz and Bryan Fuller are Making Neil Gaiman's American Gods - TV.com
Neil Gaiman's book American Gods, which has been begging for an adaptation for years now, is finally getting a shot on television. Starz (*gulp*) will be adapting the cherished genre book with the help of Bryan Fuller, the man behind Hannibal and Pushing Daisies. For those not in the know, Gaiman's book is all about a world where gods from all walks of mythology live, the people who believe in them, and the new ones that rise as new beliefs come into play. I'm obviously not doing it justice, but needless to say this is a big deal. Starz is desperate for a hit, and with Fuller on board they have the right guy to create one, but the network's track record scares me a little bit. American Gods has the potential to be Game of Thrones huge, and in HBO's hands—where it was in development for many years before the network realized they couldn't adapt it—it could have been. [Starz via press release]
Starz Orders Neil Gaiman's American Gods to Series, With Bryan Fuller as Showrunner
Starz is making a lot of really smart choices lately and now you can add one more to their growing list of accomplishments: The network has finally ordered to series an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's American Gods. We first learned of of Starz's intentions to develop the book last July (after HBO failed to develop it in 2011), so it's about damn time. The series was adapted for TV and written by Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) and Michael Green (Kings). Both men will serve as showrunners and executive producers alongside Gaiman.
I hope Lenny Henry gets a part in it.
I didn't know that!(He's friends with Neil Gaiman and recorded the audio book for Anansi Boys.)
Gaiman addressed the importance of Shadow’s appearance in a statement about Whittle’s casting:
I’m thrilled that Ricky has been cast as Shadow. His auditions were remarkable. The process of taking a world out of the pages of a book, and putting it onto the screen has begun. American Gods is, at its heart, a book about immigrants, and it seems perfectly appropriate that Shadow will, like so much else, be Coming to America. I’m delighted Ricky will get to embody Shadow. Now the fun starts.