The television adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s best-selling fantasy novel American Gods finally has a release date. We’ve been eagerly waiting for news on the show, which will air April 30th on Starz.
The show is written by Bryan Fuller (of Hannibal and Pushing Daisies fame) and Michael Green (who co-wrote the dark new Wolverine movie Logan). It stars Deadwood’s Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday, and The 100’s Ricky Whittle as protagonist Shadow Moon. The show will run for eight episodes, and will first screen during this year’s SXSW festival on March 11th.
The show will take some liberties with Gaiman’s novel, with his blessing — back in December, we learned that the author helped invent a new character, Vulcan, as a way to address “America’s obsession with guns and gun control,” according to Green.
First published in 2001, American Gods followed the idea that the world’s mythological creatures and gods existed based on the belief of worshippers, and that many of these gods ended up in the United States as people immigrated to the country. The novel follows Shadow, a former convict recruited by Mr. Wednesday to reclaim the former glory of the older gods, as they face off against newer, more modern gods. Like Gaiman’s signature comics series, Sandman — which is also theoretically heading for the screen, in spite of many, many setbacks — it’s a story about how myths change over time, in spite of or because of the world around them. On April 30th, we’ll finally get to see how this particular myth has changed since it was first published as a book.
Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’ Series Debuting April 30
American Gods is debuting April 30. Which would be intensely exciting, if I I had Starz. If…If only there was some other way to watch it. *Steve Brule Wink*