Neil Gaiman Reveals Cast for Netflix's THE SANDMAN

It begins...

Neil Gaiman, co-creator and writer of the beloved DC Comics/Vertigo series The Sandman, has officially revealed the first seven actors for the upcoming Netflix TV series adaptation, including confirmation of Tom Sturridge as lead character Dream/Morpheus that was initially reported back in September.

The Sandman TV series is described by Netflix as "A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic — and human — mistakes he's made during his vast existence."

Taking to Twitter, Gaiman posted a rundown of the cast, stating, "You have all waited so patiently, so here you go. It's time to announce things. It's time to name the Dream Lord. And several other people..."

Asim Chaudhry will play Abel, the brother of Cain and host of the House of Secrets.  Gaiman described the character as "hilarious and tragic."

Sanjeev Bhaskar will play Cain, the host of the House of Mystery.  Gaiman described Cain as "the first murderer.  He is Abel's brother, locked in a monstrous double act."

Gwendoline Christine will play a female version of Lucifer Morningstar.  Gaiman posted, "Casting Lucifer was a delight.  I'm so very glad that @lovegwendoline is the Ruler of Hell."

Charles Dance will play Roderick Burgess, the magician who captures and imprisons Dream in the first issue of The Sandman while attempting to capture Death.  Gaiman remarked Burgess is "more than just a charlatan and a magician.  He also blackmails people.  And he captures the Lord of Dreams, while trying to do something else."

Boyd Holbrook will play The Corinthian, a nightmare created by Dream, who destroys him for going rogue and failing to fulfill his original design.  Gaiman posted, "For those who are wondering how I can tell, it's something about the eyes."

Vivienne Acheampong will play Lucienne, a female version of Lucian.  Gaiman posted, "One of my favourite changes from the Sandman comic. Our Lucien has become a Lucienne, and @vivacheampong brings the wise librarian of dreams to pointy-eared life."

The Sandman is currently expected to be released on Netflix sometime in 2021.

THE SANDMAN Casts Tom Sturridge as Dream/Morpheus

Tom Sturridge may be ready to show you terror in a handful of dust.

Collider has revealed that the upcoming Netflix series The Sandman, based on the classic DC Comics/VERTIGO series by Neil Gaiman and various artists, is in talks with actor Tom Sturridge to star as lead character The Sandman/Dream/Morpheus.

According to the article, Collider's sources say "Sturridge tested for the title role earlier this year along with Tom York (Poldark) and Colin Morgan (Merlin) before emerging victorious."

First announced back in July 2019, The Sandman drama series received an 11-episode order from Netflix, with Gaiman serving as executive producer with David S. Goyer and writer/showrunner Allan Heinberg.  Production was delayed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, but Gaiman recently revealed that shooting will begin in three weeks.

Sturridge, 34, is an English actor probably best known as Lord Byron in the film Mary Shelley and as Henry VI in the TV film series The Hollow Crown.  His other films include Velvet Buzzsaw, Journey's End, Song to Song, Effie Gray, Junkhearts, Waiting for Forever, The Boat That Rocked, and Being Julia.  He also played Tom Gulliver in the 1996 TV miniseries Gulliver's Travels.

Created in 1988 by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg, Dream first appeared in The Sandman (vol.2) #1 as one of the Endless, personifications of ideas and concepts that were tied to life, and were fated to fulfill their functions until the universe ended and all life disappeared from the cosmos.  On the night of June 10th, 1916, British occultist Roderick Burgess and his Order of Ancient Mysteries accidentally summoned Dream while trying to summon and imprison Dream's older sister Death. Drained from a recent odyssey, Dream was no match for Burgess, who stole his ruby, helm and pouch and held him captive in a crystal prison in the basement of his house in Wych Cross.  Burgess hoped Dream could be coerced into setting up a trap for his sister, but Dream refused to speak to him.  Dream's imprisonment led to worldwide problems.  Some people slept all day, while others couldn't sleep or experienced waking dreams.  Among those affected was Wesley Dodds whose nightmares only stopped when he became the mystery-man Sandman and fought crime.

Roderick died in 1947 and Alex Burgess took over as Dream's captor.  Over the next 40 years, he too attempted to negotiate with Dream, to no avail, while the Order fell apart.  On September 14th, 1988, after another failed attempt to get Dream to talk to him, Alex, now confined to a wheelchair, was taken back to his room, but not before one of the wheels on his chair scuffed the binding circle, breaking the enchantment that prevented Dream from entering the minds of mortals. One of his guards fell asleep on duty, allowing him to tap into the power of dreams and make his escape from his crystal prison.  He confronted Alex Burgess in dreams and demanded his helm, pouch and ruby back. Alex told him they were stolen long ago and begged for mercy, but Dream cursed him with a never-ending nightmare.

Dream returned to the Dreaming, but escaping his prison took a lot out of him, and he collapsed on the way to his castle.  He was taken to the House of Mystery and cared for by Cain and Abel.  Once he was strong enough, he went to his castle, and found it in shambles.  Lucien, his only servant loyal enough to have stayed at the castle during Dream's imprisonment told him the Dreaming had suffered because of his absence.  He summoned the Three Witches, and they gave him clues as to where he could find his helm, pouch and ruby.

Later, after reclaiming these objects and rebuilding the Dreaming, Dream was confronted by the Kindly Ones, forces of vengeance who merged with Lyta Hall, who believed Dream had murdered her young son Daniel after Dream told her that Daniel belonged to him because he had gestated in the Dreaming.  Dream refused to fight the Kindly Ones, allowing them to destroy him in order to save the Dreaming, and Death took Dream. Dream's role in the Endless was assumed by Daniel.

Audible Announces Cast for Audio Production of Neil Gaiman's THE SANDMAN

Neil Gaiman will show you terror in a handful of dust...again.

Audible has announced the full cast for the upcoming audio production of Neil Gaiman's seminal DC Comics/VERTIGO series The Sandman.  Adapted and directed by Dirk Maggs, the production will cover the first three Sandman graphic novels, Preludes and Nocturnes, The Doll's House, and Dream Country.

With Gaiman serving as The Narrator, the production stars James McAvoy (X-Men: First Class, Split, His Dark Materials) as Morpheus/Dream, Kat Dennings (Thor, 2 Broke Girls) as Death, Michael Sheen (Good Omens, Tron: Legacy) as Lucifer Morningstar, Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Rocketman) as John Constantine, Riz Ahmed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Venom) as The Corinthian, Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings, Black Panther) as Matthew the Raven, and more.  Here's the full list of performers (click to enlarge):

And look, there's even a handy press release...

Hailed by the Los Angeles Times Magazine as “the greatest epic in the history of comic books”, The Sandman changed the game with its dark, literary world of fantasy and horror - creating a global, cultural phenomenon in the process. At long last, Audible and DC present the first-ever audio production of the New York Times best-selling series written by acclaimed storyteller Neil Gaiman (who also serves as co-executive producer). Adapted and directed by multi-award-winner (and frequent Gaiman collaborator) Dirk Maggs, and performed by an ensemble cast with James McAvoy (It, Parts one and two, X-Men: First Class, Split) in the title role, this first installment of a multi-part original audio series will transport you to a world that re-writes the rules of audio entertainment the way that The Sandman originally re-defined the graphic novel.

When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus - the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination - is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence. As the multi-threaded story unspools, The Sandman descends into Hell to confront Lucifer (Michael Sheen), chases rogue nightmares who have escaped his realm, and crosses paths with an array of characters from DC comic books, ancient myths, and real-world history, including: Inmates of Gotham City's Arkham Asylum, Doctor Destiny, the muse Calliope, the three Fates, William Shakespeare (Arthur Darvill), and many more.

A powerhouse supporting cast helps translate this masterwork into a sonic experience worthy of its legacy, including Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, and more. Setting the stage for their performance is an unprecedented cinematic soundscape featuring an original musical score by British Academy Award winner James Hannigan. Fans will especially revel in a new twist for the audio adaptation: Neil Gaiman himself serves as the narrator. Follow him as he leads listeners along a twisting path of myths, imagination and, often, terror. Even in your wildest dreams, you’ve never heard anything like this.

The Sandman audio production is expected to be released on July 15, 2020.

Arthur Darvill Reprises Rory Williams for DOCTOR WHO Short "Rory's Story" Written by Neil Gaiman

"The Pretty One" returns!

Over the past few weeks in response to the need for social distancing during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 global pandemic crisis, several Doctor Who showrunners, actors, and writers have contributed to Doctor Who: LOCKDOWN, worldwide watchalong events organized by Emily Cook, a writer and editorial assistant for Doctor Who Magazine.

In the latest event, watching the 2011 episode "The Doctor's Wife", written by Neil Gaiman and starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, Suranne Jones as Idris/The TARDIS, and Michael Sheen as the voice of House, a new 2-minute, 24-second Doctor Who short called "Rory's Story" was created as an introduction for the rewatch, which you can view here:



Written by Gaiman, "Rory's Story" features the return of Arthur Darvill as former companion Rory Wiliams, in a short tale set in 1946, eight years after he and his wife Amy had been sent back in time by the Weeping Angels in the episode "The Angels Take Manhattan".  Recording a video to his new adopted son, Anthony Brian Williams, Rory dictates his rather complicated biography until a vocal cameo by Karen Gillan as Amy Pond tells him to stop what he's doing and help her paint the baby's room.

Netflix Signs Deal to Adapt Neil Gaiman's THE SANDMAN as TV Series

At long last, the dream is real.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Netflix has signed "a massive financial deal with Warner Bros. Television" to adapt Neil Gaiman's classic DC Comics/VERTIGO series The Sandman as a straight-to-series TV drama.

According to the article, The Sandman will be the most expensive TV series that DC Entertainment has ever done.  Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman, Grey's Anatomy) will write and serve as showrunner on the straight-to-series drama.  Gaiman will be an executive producer on the series alongside David Goyer, after the two attempted to adapt The Sandman as a film project in 2013 with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the central character Dream/Morpheus.

Gaiman's dark fantasy series debuted in 1989, chronicling the saga of Dream, the Lord of Dreams, and one of the aspects of the universe personified by a group of powerful beings known as The Endless.  As the series begins, Dream is captured in an occult ritual and imprisoned on Earth for seventy years, but escapes in the modern day and sets about rebuilding his realm of dreams.  Over the course of 75 issues, plus an annual and a special, Gaiman and a variety of artists (including Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, Kelley Jones, Jill Thompson and others) explored both the modern world and the past, incorporating numerous elements of literature, mythology, religion, fantasy, horror and even superheroes.

The article also claims that Warner Bros. took the Sandman TV pitch to multiple outlets, including corporate sibling HBO.  HBO passed on the series, given the massive financial cost and probably due to their other expensive shows such as Westworld, Watchmen and the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series.  Reportedly, Netflix seized upon the series as part of their search for big-name IP that could be turned into subscriber-friendly franchises, especially after Netflix recently parted ways with Marvel Studios and their five drama shows.

In addition, THR notes that Warner Bros. decided to make the deal with third-party Netflix in an attempt to bring additional revenue to the company, instead of featuring The Sandman on its upcoming WarnerMedia streaming service.  Warner Bros. is reportedly in final negotiations for a new film and TV pact with J.J. Abrams that could be worth more than $500 million, so they presumably need some spare change.

GOOD OMENS Trailer Prepares for The End of the World

Welcome to the end times.

At long last, Amazon Prime Video has released the first trailer for Good Omens, the upcoming TV mini-series based on the 1990 novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

The six-part series was directed by Douglas Mackinnon and written by Gaiman, who served as showrunner.  In the series, The End of the World is coming, which means a fussy Angel named Aziraphale and a loose-living Demon named Crowley, who've become overly fond of life on Earth are forced to form an unlikely alliance to stop Armageddon.  But they have lost Adam Young, the Antichrist, an 11-year-old boy unaware he's meant to bring upon the end of days, forcing them to embark on an adventure to find him and save the world before it's too late.

Good Omens stars Michael Sheen as Aziraphale and David Tennant as Crowley, and features Jon Hamm as Archangel Gabriel, Anna Maxwell Martin as Beelzebub, Josie Lawrence as Agnes Nutter, Michael McKean as Witchfinder Sergeant Shadwell, Adria Arjona as Anathema Device, Jack Whitehall as Newton Pulsifer, Miranda Richardson as Madame Tracy, Frances McDormand as the voice of God, Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of Satan, Brian Cox as the voice of Death, Sir Derek Jacobi as the Metatron, Mark Gatiss as Glozier, Nick Offerman as the U.S. Ambassador, and Sam Taylor Buck as Adam Young.

If you'd like to check out the trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official Amazon Prime Video account on YouTube...




Good Omens premieres on Amazon Prime Video on May 31, 2019.

AMERICAN GODS Season 2 Trailer Teases the War of the Gods

This is America.  The greatest story ever told.

STARZ has released the first trailer for the second season of American Gods, the fantasy drama based on the novel by Neil Gaiman.  The series, which debuted in 2017, has faced a considerable struggle for its second season, with original showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, along with actors Gillian Anderson and Kristin Cheonweth, leaving the show. 

The one-hour drama centers on a war brewing between Old Gods and New Gods, as the traditional gods of mythological roots from around the world steadily lose believers.  Their challengers are an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs.

In Season 2, the battle moves toward a crisis point, as the destinies of gods and men collide.  While Mr. World (Crispin Glover) plots revenge for the attack against him in the first season, Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) throws in his lot with Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane)’s attempt to convince the Old Gods of the case for full-out war, with Laura Moon (Emily Browning) and Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber) in tow.

A council at the House on the Rock explodes into chaos, sending deities both Old and New on quests across America that will converge on Cairo, Illinois, forcing Shadow to carve out a place as a believer in this strange new world of living gods — a dark world where change demands commitment, and faith requires terrible sacrifice.

As the one minute, 50-second trailer begins, Mr. Wednesday tells Shadow, "When people first came to America, they brought us with them.  We are the ancient ones.  And they built churches, cathedrals, or they'd erect a stone circle.  Gradually, they abandoned us old, forgotten gods.  Now, there are new gods growing in America...and they want to destroy us.  Wars are coming, Shadow -- I've a big role for you.  Time...to ride."

Later, in a separate scene, Shadow tells Laura, "There's something special going on here and I feel a part of it."

"He is dangerous," Laura replies, "and I want you to believe that."

"There's always a cost with him," remarks Mad Sweeney.  "You just haven't paid it yet."

"This is America," Mr. Wednesday says late in the trailer.  "The greatest story ever told.  Are we ready?  I am."

If you'd like to check out the trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official STARZ account on YouTube...



American Gods returns to STARZ for Season 2 on March 10, 2019.

Amazon's GOOD OMENS Casts Michael Sheen & David Tennant as Leads

Get ready for the Apocalypse you already knew was coming.

Variety has revealed that the upcoming Amazon series Good Omens, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, has cast Michael Sheen and David Tennant in the lead roles of Aziraphale and Crowley, respectively.

According to the article, the six-episode series is "set in 2018 on the brink of an apocalypse as humanity prepares for a final judgment.  But Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a demon, aren’t enthusiastic about the end of the world, and can’t seem to find the Antichrist."

"I first read Good Omens as a teenager and it’s been one of my favorite stories ever since," said Sheen in a statement to Variety.  "To be part of the team entrusted with bringing it alive on screen is a bit of a dream come true to be honest.  To work alongside Neil, who I think is one of the greatest storytellers of all time, is incredibly exciting.  And, just like the rest of the world, I’m a huge fan of David’s so I relish trying to save it with him."

Sheen, 48, is best known as British politician Tony Blair in the films The Deal, The Queen, and The Special Relationship, and as William Mastes on the Showtime series Masters of Sex.  In addition, Sheen has appeared as the villain House in the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor's Wife", which was written by Neil Gaiman.  His other roles include Castor/Zuse in the film Tron: Legacy, Lucian in the movies Underworld and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, and as Aro in The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

Tennant, 46, is best known as The Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and as the Marvel Comics supervillain Kilgrave the Purple Man on the Netflix series Jessica Jones.  His other roles include DI Alec Hardy on Broadchurch, Barty Crouch, Jr. in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Giacomo Casanova in Casanova.

Good Omens is co-produced by BBC Studios with Narrativia, the production company of Pratchett’s daughter Rhianna, and the Blank Corporation and in association with BBC Worldwide for Amazon Prime Video and the BBC.  Gaiman, Caroline Skinner, and Chris Sussman are executive producing for BBC Studios, and Rob Wilkins and Rod Brown will executive produce for Narrativia.  Gaiman adapted all six episodes of the series and will also serve as showrunner.  Following its exclusive launch on Amazon Prime Video, the series will also be broadcast on BBC in the U.K.

Released in 1990, Good Omens is a World Fantasy Award-nominated comedic novel about the birth of the son of Satan and the coming of the End Times.  This comes as a bit of bad news to the angel Aziraphale (who was the guardian of the Eastern Gate of Eden) and the demon Crowley (who, when he was originally named Crawly, was the serpent who tempted Eve to eat the apple). As the representatives of Heaven and Hell on Earth, they have become used to living their cozy, comfortable lives and have, in a perverse way, taken a liking to humanity.  As such, since they are good friends (despite representing the polar opposites of Good and Evil), they decide to work together and keep an eye on the Antichrist. The child is destined to be the son of a prominent American diplomat stationed in Britain, and overseeing him will ensure he grows up in a way that means he can never decide between Good and Evil, thereby postponing the end of the world.

Unfortunately, Warlock, the child everyone thinks is the Anti-Christ, is in fact, a perfectly normal eleven-year-old boy.  Due to the mishandling of several infants in the hospital, the real Anti-Christ is Adam Young, a charismatic and slightly otherworldly eleven-year-old living in Lower Tadfield, Oxfordshire, an idyllic town in Britain.  Despite being the harbinger of the Apocalypse, he has lived a perfectly normal life as the son of typical English parents, and as a result has no idea of his true powers.  He has three close friends, Pepper, Wensleydale and Brian, who collectively forms a gang that is called "Them" by the adults.

As the end of the world nears, Adam blissfully and naively uses his powers, changing the world to fit things he reads in a conspiracy theory magazine, such as raising the lost continent of Atlantis and causing Little Green Men to land on earth and deliver a message of goodwill and peace.  In the meantime, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse assemble, including War (a female war correspondent), Death (who resembles his Discworld counterpart), Famine (a dietician and fast food tycoon), and Pollution (Pestilence having retired after the discovery of penicillin).  The incredibly accurate (yet so highly specific as to be useless) prophecies of Agnes Nutter, 17th-century prophetess, also rapidly coming to pass.  As the world descends into chaos, Adam attempts to split up the world between his gang. After realizing that by embracing absolute power, he will not be able to continue to grow up as a child in Lower Tadfield, Adam decides to stop the apocalypse, setting up a final resolution.

Good Omens will presumably debut on Amazon sometime in 2018.

New AMERICAN GODS Trailer Teases Old Gods and New

So, is the kid not Mr. World's son?

STARZ has released a new trailer for American Gods, the upcoming television adaptation of Neil Gaiman's acclaimed fantasy novel.  The 8-episode first season will debut with "The Bone Orchard", written by showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, and directed by David Slade.

When Shadow Moon is released from prison, he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday and a storm begins to brew. Little does Shadow know, this storm will change the course of his entire life. Left adrift by the recent, tragic death of his wife, and suddenly hired as Mr. Wednesday’s bodyguard, Shadow finds himself in the center of a world that he struggles to understand. It’s a world where magic is real, where the Old Gods fear both irrelevance and the growing power of the New Gods, like Technology and Media. Mr. Wednesday seeks to build a coalition of Old Gods to defend their existence in this new America, and reclaim some of the influence that they’ve lost. As Shadow travels across the country with Mr. Wednesday, he struggles to accept this new reality, and his place in it.

The new one minute, five second trailer opens with Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) asking "What's a god?" in a voiceover, before telling Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) "They're real if you believe in them."

"So, who are you?" asks Shadow.

"You wouldn't believe in me if I told you," replies Mr. Wednesday.

The next scene features Mr. Wednesday introducing Shadow as his man to Vulcan (Corbin Bersen), a new character created by Gaiman for the series.

"He does not know our world," remarks Zorya Vechernyaya (Cloris Leachman) as we see a quick glimpse of Shadow standing in an orchard of bones.

"I'm easing him in," replies Mr. Wednesday.

Next, we see Shadow's dead wife Laura Moon telling him "You've gotten yourself mixed up in some really weird shit."

We then see Mr. Wednesday talking to Easter (Kristin Chenoweth).  He remarks, "You're as forgotten and unloved as any of us."

"I'm doing just fine," smiles Easter to someone off-camera, presumably Shadow.

Someone asks Mr. Wednesday if he's trying to start a war and he responds, "We're at war already...and we're losing."

Shadow asks someone off-camera "Who's after you?", just before we see a figure lighting up floor tiles as he walks like Michael Jackson in his "Billie Jean" video, who turns out to be Crispin Glover as Mr. World.

"The times, they are a'changing," quips Technical Boy (Bruce Langley) as he blows smoke rings while sitting in the back of his limousine.

Next, we see Shadow fighting Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber) in a bar as Mr. Wednesday says in a voiceover "We need you to fight them, to show them who we are."

"They are gods, for god's sake!" shouts Easter as we see Czernobog (Peter Stormare) holding his bloody sledgehammer.

Someone asks Mr. Wednesday what the plan is and he replies "War."  We then hear a gospel song with the words "Deliver me" as a bloody battle takes place.  We see glimpses of Mr. Nancy (Orlando Jones) as Shadow says in a voiceover, "None of this feels real.  It feels like a dream."

As we glimpse a minotaur with eyes of flame, Laura Moon bloody and carrying her severed arm as she walks down a suburban street, and an old ship on fire in the middle of the ocean, we hear Technical Boy saying, "And things are never going back to the way that they were."

"It will be glorious, win or lose," replies Mr. Wednesday.

If you'd like to check out the trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official STARZ account on YouTube...




American Gods premieres on STARZ on April 30, 2017.

AMERICAN GODS Casts Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday

And, of course, this was announced on a Wednesday.

Deadline has word that the upcoming Starz series American Gods, based on the 2001 novel by Neil Gaiman, has cast Ian McShane in the role of Mr. Wednesday.

According to the article, Mr. Wednesday is described as "a crafty and endlessly charismatic con man, full of perverse wisdom, curious magic, and grand plans.  He hires ex-con Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) to be his bodyguard as he journeys across America, using his charms to recruit others like him as he prepares for the ultimate battle for power."

McShane, 73, is best known as Al Swearengen on the HBO series Deadwood, and has appeared in numerous film and television roles, including John Wick and the upcoming sequel John Wick Chapter Two, Hercules (2014), Snow White & the Huntsman, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Coraline, Kung Fu Panda, The Golden Compass, Shrek the Third, Babylon 5: The River of Souls, Game of Thrones, American Horror Story: Asylum, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Twilight Zone (2003), Lovejoy, and Space: 1999.

"When you write a beloved character (beloved with, or despite, or because of all his faults) like Mr. Wednesday," said Gaiman, "you get to watch the internet trying to cast the role.  I’ve seen a hundred names suggested, but few make me grin like Ian McShane does.  I’ve already been lucky enough to have him in one film (he was bright blue in it, animated, and probably Polish).  Now I count myself even luckier: he’s made the journey from Lovejoy to American Gods."

The television adaptation will focus on the mysterious Shadow, a man who is released from prison a few days early after serving a three year sentence for bank robbery when his beloved wife Laura is killed in a car accident.  Flying home for the funeral, Shadow is seated next to a man who introduces himself only as Mr. Wednesday, and this man knows more about Shadow's life, both past and present, than is possible.  Shadow comes to learn that Wednesday is, in fact, the god Odin of Norse mythology and that all of the gods that mankind has ever believed in are alive in human form and live among us.  Shadow is soon thrust into a gathering conflict between the Old Gods and the so-called "New Gods," the gods of money and technology, who believe there is no longer room on Earth for the Old Gods.

"Actor.  Icon.  And now god," said executive producers Bryan Fuller and Michael Green.  "It is a goddamn delight to be collaborating with the incomparable Ian McShane — again and for the first time — on a story about faith and belief, with the utmost faith and belief in Mr. McShane as our Mr. Wednesday.  A wonderful Wednesday indeed."

American Gods is produced by FremantleMedia North America.  Bryan Fuller and Michael Green are writers and showrunners.  David Slade (Hannibal) is directing the pilot and additional episodes.  FMNA’s Craig Cegielski and Stefanie Berk are executive producers on the series along with Fuller, Green, Slade and Gaiman.  FremantleMedia will distribute the series worldwide.

American Gods is expected to debut on Starz sometime in 2017.

AMERICAN GODS Casts Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon

American Gods has found its Shadow.

Deadline reports that the upcoming Starz series American Gods, based on the 2001 novel by Neil Gaiman, has cast Ricky Whittle in the lead role of the mysterious Shadow Moon.

According to the article, with Shadow Moon cast, the series will begin shooting in April.  A number of scripts have already been written, and Starz CEO Chris Albrecht said at the Television Critics Association earlier this month that the network brass are happy with what they've read so far.

The television adaptation will focus on the mysterious Shadow, a man who is released from prison a few days early after serving a three year sentence for bank robbery when his beloved wife Laura is killed in a car accident.  Flying home for the funeral, Shadow is seated next to a man who introduces himself only as Mr. Wednesday, and this man knows more about Shadow's life, both past and present, than is possible.  Shadow comes to learn that Wednesday is, in fact, the god Odin of Norse mythology and that all of the gods that mankind has ever believed in are alive in human form and live among us.  Shadow is soon thrust into a gathering conflict between the Old Gods and the so-called "New Gods," the gods of money and technology, who believe there is no longer room on Earth for the Old Gods.

Whittle, 34, is an English actor best known as Lincoln on The 100.  He's also had roles on the series Mistresses, NCIS, Single Ladies, Hollyoaks, and Dream Team.  In addition, Whittle plays running back for the Manchester Titans American Football Club.

The article also reports that Albrecht and American Gods executive producers Bryan Fuller and Michael Green had repeatedly stressed the importance and challenge of finding the right actor to play the lead character in the adaptation because of Shadow’s unique heritage and look in the books, with the prototype being a younger Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Whittle was among the actors who tested for the role last September, but Starz apparently held onto him while exploring other options, with more testings and retestings until Whittle was cast.

American Gods is produced by FremantleMedia North America.  Bryan Fuller and Michael Green are writers and showrunners.  David Slade (Hannibal) is directing the pilot and additional episodes.  FMNA’s Craig Cegielski and Stefanie Berk are executive producers on the series along with Fuller, Green, Slade and Gaiman.  FremantleMedia will distribute the series worldwide.

American Gods is expected to debut on Starz sometime in 2017.

Neil Gaiman Addresses One Million Moms Petition Against LUCIFER

To the surprise of no one, the right-wing, Christian boycott group One Million Moms has a problem with the upcoming Fox midseason replacement series Lucifer, based on the DC Comics/VERTIGO series by Mike Carey and starring Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar.

Last week, the group posted a petition urging Fox to "Drop plans to air Lucifer," which currently has a total 12,807 "concerned moms," only 987,193 short of one million.  The damning petition (Get it?) is described on the OMM site as follows:

FOX has plans in 2016 to air "Lucifer," a new series which will glorify Satan as a caring, likable person in human flesh.

The series will focus on Lucifer portrayed as a good guy, "who is bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell." He resigns his throne, abandons his kingdom and retires to Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals.

At the same time, God's emissary, the angel Amenadiel, has been sent to Los Angeles to convince Lucifer to return to the underworld.

Previews of the pilot episode depict graphic acts of violence, a nightclub featuring scantily-clad women and a demon.

To quote Dana Carvey's classic Church Lady character from Saturday Night Live, "Well, isn't that special."

Neil Gaiman, co-creator of the Lucifer comics character in 1989's The Sandman #4, weighed in on the petition by way of his official Tumblr account, with the following response...

'One Million Moms' Says New Fox TV Series 'Lucifer' 'Mocks the Bible,' Starts Petition Urging for Show's Cancellation

Ah. It seems like only yesterday (but it was 1991) that the “Concerned Mothers of America” announced that they were boycotting SANDMAN because it contained Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans characters. It was Wanda that upset them most: the idea of a Trans Woman in a comic book… They told us they were organising a boycott of SANDMAN, which they would only stop if we wrote to the American Family Association and promised to reform.

I wonder if they noticed it didn’t work last time, either…


Lucifer is expected to air on Fox sometime in early 2016.