Neil Gaiman fans are enthusiastically waiting for the television debut of "American Gods," based on the contemporary fantasy novel of the same name. While the first season of the show doesn't even debut on Starz until April 30, 2017, Omega Underground reports that the show has already been renewed for a second season, with filming starting in September.
"American Gods" synopsis
The Neil Gaiman storyline for "American Gods" follows a man named Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) who gets out of prison to learn that his wife Laura (Emily Browning) died in a car accident.
While trying to figure out his next move, he meets a man in a bar named Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane), who offers him a job. It turns out Mr. Wednesday knows a lot more about Shadow Moon than he should and might not be who he appears to be. The two men then set out with Mr. Wednesday setting up a giant war between the Gods of old mythology and the gods of the new era of technology. That is the basis of the novel, as Gods that people are forgetting are fighting for survival where gods of media, Internet, and more are battling to capture the spirits of all America.
Starz and geek television
While it seems strange that Starz would renew a genre television show that hasn't even debuted yet, the cable network has built up a reputation for shepherding geek-friendly television.
"American Gods" is just the latest property that Starz has brought back to life on their network. Before they greenlit the creation of this Neil Gaiman story, they also brought the classic horror franchise "Evil Dead" to the small screen and even signed Bruce Cambell to star in "Ash vs. Evil Dead" with the movie's director Sam Raimi producing the show.
That was a huge success, bringing in the film's hardcore fans and making a TV show that was very loyal to the spirit of the original. For "American Gods," Neil Gaiman was signed as the executive producer and is very excited about the work of showrunner Bryan Fuller ("Hannibal"). It seems, like "Evil Dead," that Starz is making an "American Gods" TV show that the book's fans will be proud of.
