American Gods is getting a TV adaptation from Starz, and fans cannot be more excited.
Looking to catch up? Here's what we know so far:
It Will Be Faithful To The Original Story
At least as much as it can. Bryan Fuller said that they are definitely adhering to the book's character and plot points, but certain liberties have to be taken when adapting a novel into a TV series. Not that Fuller and the rest of production team have to worry about making a misstep because they have Neil Gaiman on their side.
"Neil Gaiman is totally involved. He's giving his blessing to everything that's happening," said Fuller.
Still, nothing says more that you have a say in what's happening than writing the episodes yourself. Yes, episodes. In the plural. The adaptation will reportedly have 10 episodes, but it is not clear how many Gaiman will be penning exactly.
Additionally, the adaptation will reflect the many locations that the book spotlighted, such as Rock City, House on the Rock, Cairo in Illinois and Lebanon in Kansas. Yes, these places are real. Production will be held in Toronto, but it has been confirmed that on-location shoots will be carried out in Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
It Has A Stellar Cast
From the moment it was announced that an American Gods adaptation is in the works, fans have put forth suggestions on who they thought would be perfect for the roles, and the gods listened. When Ricky Whittle auditioned for the role of Shadow Moon, he was "remarkable," said Starz. And Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday? Gaiman himself approves of the casting choice, saying that few of the names suggested made him grin like McShane did.
Alongside Whittle and McShane will be Emily Browning as Laura Moon, Gillian Anderson as Media, Pablo Schreiber as Mad Sweeney, Jonathan Tucker as Low Key Lyesmith, Cloris Leachman as Zorya Vechernyaya, Peter Stormare as Czernobog, Crispin Glover as Mr. World, Bruce Langley as Technical Boy, Yetide Badaki as Bilquis, Chris Obi as Mr. Jacquel, Omid Abtahi as Salim and Mousa Kraish as the Jinn. They were recently joined by Orlando Jones and Demore Barnes, who will be playing Mr. Nancy (dad to the Anansi Boys) and Mr. Ibis, respectively.
American Gods will follow the story of Shadow Moon as he works as a traveling partner and bodyguard for Mr. Wednesday, who turns out to be one of the old gods. A war is brewing between the gods of the old and new as the older gods lose believers to modern "gods" such as drugs, money and technology.
Production for the adaptation began on April 22.
