Fans of Neil Gaiman's bestselling novel American Gods have been looking forward to its adaptation for some time. Finally, with the assistance of Gaiman himself, co-showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green will be the shepherds of this beloved story as it comes to the small screen on Starz next year. Director David Slade also has a hand in American Gods' debut since he directed the premiere episode. All of the above-mentioned creative folks were in attendance at San Diego Comic-Con along with the cast to talk about the upcoming, highly anticipated series.
Our own Perri Nemiroff also got to sit down with Ricky Whittle, who stars as the protagonist Shadow Moon; Yetide Badaki, who plays the goddess Bilquis; Bruce Langley a.k.a. Technical Boy; and Pablo Schreiber, who plays Mad Sweeney. Also starring Emily Browning as Shadow’s wife Laura, with Ian McShane, Gillian Anderson, Peter Stormare, Dane Cook, Bruce Langley, Cloris Leachman, Jonathan Tucker, Crispin Glover, Orlando Jones, and Kristin Chenoweth, American Gods will debut on Starz in 2017.
Check out the video interview with the cast and creative team of American Gods below, along with a handy time index to help you jump to the juiciest parts:
-
- 0:40 - Fuller reveals that Badaki, Langley, and Schreiber are attending their first-ever Comic-Con, so they share their experiences so far.
- 1:20 - Fuller and Green explain why Starz was the perfect network for the show.
- 2:15 - Badaki teases her character's shocking introduction and her reaction to it. Fuller confirms it will be "as written."
- 3:10 - Gaiman reveals the stipulations he had in allowing the adaptation of his story, including maintaining the racial makeup of his characters, ie no whitewashing.
- 5:00 - Gaiman talks about his role in the casting process and watching Whittle's numerous audition videos.
- 5:35 - Whittle reveals that it was a hairstyle change that ultimately got him the part. He also talks about relating to his character and how they've changed his journey for the TV adaptation.
- 7:10 - Whittle shows off his smolder and sizzle looks; they're not to be missed.
- 7:35 - Langley reveals the influences for Technical Boy's various looks throughout the series.
- 8:40 - The cast and creative team reveal that they're still shooting the series and are about halfway done.
-
9:05 -
- 9:28 - Schreiber reveals whether or not he's learned any coin tricks for the show.
- 9:50 - Schreiber talks about stepping into the role of Mad Sweeney after Sean Harris had to exit due to a family emergency.
- 11:25 - Green puts viewers on spoiler alert and talks about the show's reveals and necessary secrecy. He teases that they'll fill in some of the character's stories from the book with the "rich, full lives between those moments."
- 12:05 - Slade says the production isn't straight-forward, so it takes a lot of thought and discussion to keep it as grounded as possible and "trying to make the fantastical real."
- 13:40 - The cast and creative team talk about the moments and scenes they're most excited to see on screen, including scenes from Gillian Anderson and Orlando Jones.
- 15:20 - The cast reveals what makes American Gods a stand-out experience in their TV careers.
- 16:30 - They close the interview out the only way possible: with a dance party!
For more on American Gods, be sure to check out our most recent coverage below:
- ‘American Gods': 10 Things to Know About Bryan Fuller’s Wild Neil Gaiman Adaptation
- ‘American Gods’: First Trailer Reveals Neil Gaiman’s Cast of Characters Come to Life
- ‘American Gods’: First Image of Emily Browning’s Laura Moon Revealed
- ‘American Gods’: Technical Boy Revealed for Bryan Fuller’s TV Adaptation
- Peter Stormare Talks ‘Clown’, Old School Visual Effects, ‘American Gods’ and ‘John Wick 2′