“American Gods” Headed to HBO?

“American Gods” Headed to HBO?

Television News

By our guest blogger, Joe Oliveto

As unoriginal as it is to say, just about everything HBO does is fantastic. Whether it is giving us “Goodfellas: The TV Show” in the form of “The Sopranos” or simply giving us the greatest television series ever with “The Wire,” they’ve got an uncanny ability to take already promising material and turn it into some of the most memorable entertainment in years.

So, while some fans of Neil Gaiman’s novel “American Gods” may have hoped that it would be adapted for the big screen, it shouldn’t come as too great of a disappointment to learn that, according to Deadline, the project will be developed as an HBO miniseries instead. While they aren’t exactly as well known for fantasy series as they are for their realistic dramas, we think it is reasonable to assume that they’ll create something worthwhile out of it.

Gaiman, the beloved author of the book who has done much to give the fantasy genre a much needed makeover these past few years, will most likely co-write the first episode with Robert Richardson, who has primarily worked as a cinematographer prior to now.

“American Gods”—written, ironically, by a Brit—tells the story of a war between the old mythological gods and the new gods of technology. It is a novel that is simultaneously remarkably original and somehow timeless. As is the case with most of Gaiman’s work, it would lend itself wonderfully to a cinematic adaptation. As long as the creative team involved puts real energy into this project, it could, like the “Lord of the Rings” films, become another fantasy milestone.