American Gods to be made into a TV show!

[Tennyo]

Six Seasons Planned For HBO's American Gods Adaptation
Neil Gaiman's multi-pantheon epic gets the green light

28 June 2013 | Written by Helen O'Hara | Source: The Hollywood Reporter

A series like Game Of Thrones doesn't come along every day, even if you are HBO, but if there's any justice in the world American Gods will be the channel's next mega-hit, and word has now emerged that HBO is currently planning a six-season arc for the adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel.

The book's focus is a man called Shadow, who's about to be released from prison when word reaches him that his much-loved wife has been killed in a car crash. It's just the first in a series of blows for the strong but silent type, who soon finds himself reluctantly working for a charismatic salesman called Mr Wednesday and drawn into a conflict between America's gods, old and new.

Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions are going to be pulling it all together, with a $40m budget for each series of 10-12 episodes - not a vast amount for that much screen time. While the novel has a sprawling cast of characters and a fantasy-heavy story that will demand a large amount of CG and stretch that budget, there are also lots of human-focused scenes that should only require a decent cast.

For more on American Gods and the rest of Neil Gaiman's work, check out our podcast special with him below. Look out for American Gods on TV either late this year or (more likely, we suspect) sometime in 2014.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=37958

More:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/themed...ficial-american-gods-to-run-6-seasons-on-hbo/

Although apparently Mr. Gaiman is still claiming on Twitter that the show has not been officially green-lit yet.

But man, stretching it into six seasons? I wonder how they'll accomplish that.

WHO IS EXCITED?

Although I don't know why I am. I can't afford HBO and that network never releases their shows onto Netflix. istillhaven'tseengameofthrones

 

[Roger]

Awesome! But yeah six seasons seems like a lot.

 

[Ite]

I have a feeling they'll devote lots of time on the show to myth explanations. Most TV Audiences aren't going to say "Aha! Anansi!"

 

[Tennyo]

Am I the only one who ever had professional storytellers come into their elementary school to tell stories about Anansi and other things like that?

I remember getting particularly excited when he came into play in the book.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Wasn't it announced awhile ago that HBO had optioned the show and that six seasons were planned? I thought I had posted about this before, but I can't find it now.

I think the plan is that Gaiman is going to write new stories, and that there's at least going to be a sequel novel as well.

 

[Tennyo]

I had not heard. And I did a forum search and didn't find a thread about it.

But that's cool that there will be new stories. It will be interesting to see what more Gaiman comes up with.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

There's already been at least one other story set in the "American Gods" setting ("Anansi Boys"), but a direct sequel could be interesting.

Am I the only one who ever had professional storytellers come into their elementary school to tell stories about Anansi and other things like that?

I remember getting particularly excited when he came into play in the book.

Never had anything like that happen in elementary school (Gus the Bus came a couple times ), but I do remember "A Story a Story" by Gail E. Haley being my favorite book in the library. It's about Anansi. Beautiful pictures.

I, too, was excited when he showed up, by the way.

 

[Tennyo]

Never heard of Gus the Bus, but I remember there was this lady that would come and tell us all these folk stories from different cultures. We would all gather in the library to listen to her. I don't remember everything she talked about, or what the plots of all the different stories were, but I do remember there were a lot of ones about Anansi that were usually really funny.

 

[jazzflower92]

When you encounter Afrocentric stuff Anansi will bound to come up a lot.I mean he is the inspiration behind some of the African American folklore like Brair Rabbit.

For some original monster encounters I hope that they do an episode on the Boo Hag.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boo_Hag

 

[Novus]

Not Sandman then?
Tbh I read the book (American Gods) in like a day so getting the visual experience over a six year period doesn't sound especially exciting to me.
I'll check it out though.

 

[Mantichorus]

I think the plan is that Gaiman is going to write new stories, and that there's at least going to be a sequel novel as well.

Yeah, Gaiman said a year or so back he'd be doing some new stories for it. I'm personally wondering/hoping they'll adapt the Monarch of the Glen novella (from Fragile Things).

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Fucking finally.

Starz is moving ahead with this, and there's a very reassuring creative team attached.

 

[Tennyo]

Ricky Whittle cast as Shadow.

 

[Geostigma]

I am excite.

Also Ian Mcshane as Wednesday is soooo perfect imo.