Starz is developing an adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s urban fantasy novel “American Gods” with Bryan Fuller and Michael Green for FremantleMedia North America.
The pilot script will be penned by Fuller (“Hannibal”) and Green (“The River”). If the project goes straight to series, the two will exec produce along with Gaiman for FremantleMedia North America.
“Neil Gaiman has created the holiest of holy toy boxes with ‘American Gods’ and filled it with all manner of magical things, born of new gods and old. Michael Green and I are thrilled to crack this toy box wide open and unleash the fantastical titans of heaven and earth and Neil’s vividly prolific imagination,” Fuller said.
‘What I love most about the team who I trust to take it out to the world, is that they are the same kind of fanatics that ‘American Gods’ has attracted since the start. I haven’t actually checked Bryan Fuller or Michael Green for quote tattoos, but I would not be surprised if they have them,” Gaiman said.
“American Gods” presents a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots are steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s love of money, technology, celebrity and drugs. At the forefront is the plot’s protagonist, Shadow Moon, an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, an older god masquerading as a conman who is on a cross-country mission to gather forces in preparation to battle the new deities.
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“We’re confident this combination (of talent) will raise the bar for drama,” said FremantleMedia North America chief Thom Beers.
The 2001 novel has earned numerous accolades including the Hugo, Nebula and Bram Stoker Award.
