HBO Developing Potential Series Based On Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’
By The Movie God
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Friday, April 15th, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Now that Showtime and Starz are really establishing themselves in the original series department, HBO is on a mission to remain the king of that domain. They saw the potential for TV without restriction a long time ago — which is constantly proving to be better than almost all other content you’ll find on the regular channels — and now they just need to keep finding the biggest and best properties to turn into the next big thing.
Top titles HBO produces include True Blood and Boardwalk Empire, and they’re next sure hit, Game of Thrones, begins this Sunday. So where do they go next? Somewhere strange and unique and unlike anything we’ve ever seen…that’s where.
It’s being reported that HBO is now developing a potential new series based on geek god and author Neil Gaiman‘s acclaimed New York Times bestseller, American Gods. Nothing is etched in stone yet, but anyone who’s read the book will surely agree that if this happens it would be a wild ride indeed.
The book tells the story of Shadow, a convict who’s being released from prison after his wife was killed in a car accident while cheating on him with his best friend. Shadow soon finds himself working for a man called Mr. Wednesday, who — though you’d never think it — turns out to be the old Norse god, Odin. Before long, Odin reveals that he needs Shadow’s help in an ongoing battle between the old gods, who are weakened by humanity’s constantly declining faith, and the new thriving gods, born from technology and media and celebrity among other things people worship in modern times.
The tricky thing here is that an American Gods show would only be based on one book unlike True Blood or Game of Thrones, so it’s unclear how many seasons would even be possible if a show is greenlit…though that doesn’t make the thought of a single season any less intriguing. And speaking of Game of Thrones, author George R.R. Martin called American Gods “Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive; a picaresque journey across America where the travelers are even stranger than the roadside attractions.”
What do you think, Gaiman fans? It’s always been known that American Gods likely couldn’t be turned into a movie, but how does a series on HBO sound?
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Awesome news
Comment by Will — April 15, 2011 @ 11:49 pm
Completely agree! Would love to see this adapted as a miniseries, as well as Neverwhere.
Comment by PAUL — April 16, 2011 @ 6:47 am
BBC did a Neverwhere series.
Comment by Trihaeck — April 16, 2011 @ 3:50 am
Here you go Paul! http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000MGB100/ref=asc_df_B000MGB1002594797?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B000MGB100
Comment by Em — April 16, 2011 @ 7:41 am
Sure sounds better and more enticing than a Sandman basic cable show. I sure hope they can pull it off.
Comment by Brian — April 16, 2011 @ 9:08 am
*Their
Comment by Thefoundry — April 17, 2011 @ 1:44 am