American Gods coming to HBO

[Blitz]

So, American Gods has been rumoured as a film for a long while now. But it's been picking up steam lately, with Gaiman himself recently saying he was in talks with both a director in cinematographer.

But things have changed just a bit. Deadline (http://www.deadline.com/2011/04/playtone-options-neil-gaimans-american-gods-in-series-talks-with-hbo/) is now reporting that Tom Hanks's Playtone production company has brought the book to HBO for adaptation as a series, with Gaiman and cinematographer Robert Richardson working on the pilot.

I know it's super early, but I fucking could not be happier about this if it actually happens. I was psyched when it was just gonna be a movie, but a series is the perfect medium for something which such rich mythology. I'm really hoping they adapt the book as the first season or two, then spin off into new stories. Or I'd be happy if they spent 5 or 6 seasons doing the whole damn book. Hell, I'd even be happy if they just started from scratch and ignored the main story altogether and built a new one.

Fuck. Yes.

[Blitz]

PS if this ends up falling through, may kill myself.

[BigDaddyCool]

What is this American Gods? Is it some sort of comic book?

[Blitz]

A novel. By Neil Gaiman. The basic thrust of it is that Gods exist (all of them, from every pantheon) because we believed in them. But now we don't believe in them as much and they're losing their power. Humans have begun worshipping things like technology and media and money, and they've become Gods themselves. The story follows this ex-con named Shadow who gets caught in the coming war between the old Gods and the new Gods.

[BigDaddyCool]

Just a regular novel or graphic novel?

[loopydate]

Regular novel.

Possibly my favorite book of all-time. Very excited about this news.

[BigDaddyCool]

Regular novel...sounds interesting. I might give it a read.

[loopydate]

I definitely would. It's a great read. Equal parts funny, scary, disturbing, mysterious, and romantic.

[RoXer]

Gayman

[The Destroyer]

It's an excellent book, but I'm not sure if I'd actually want to see an adaption of it.

Reminds me that I really need to get around to reading Anansi Boys.

[Skippord]

I just bought this book, if it isn't good I will negative rep everyone who says it is

[Blitz]

Lots of articles, and requests for me to comment, about the slew of articles that came out about Playtone taking American Gods to HBO. I'm not sure where the news came from or who put it out, and I don't actually think things are at a point yet where I'm ready to comment on it, other than to say that everything's looking really promising so far.

[Blitz]

It's an excellent book, but I'm not sure if I'd actually want to see an adaption of it.

Reminds me that I really need to get around to reading Anansi Boys.
Anansi Boys is a vastly different book. Still good though.

[Kapoutman]

Absolutely love American Gods the book. The book itself has enough material for a couple of seasons.

[Blitz]

Tom Hanks’ Playtone Productions is set to produce an open-ended series, American Gods, for HBO, based on Neil Gaiman’s award-winning novel...The series-in-development, revolving around the question “are you a god if no one believes in you?” is executive produced by Goetzman and Hanks, with Bob Richardson, and Gaiman on board as executive producer and writer.

Now slated for six seasons, each season will be of 10-12, hour-long episodes with a budget of around $35-40 million per season, targeted to debut on the cable powerhouse in 2013 at the earliest.

Rich in religious folklore that spanned millennia and featuring deities from Greek and Nordic mythology, and even the Judeo-Christian monotheistic God making an appearance, in the contemporary U.S., American Gods will be effects-heavy to do justice to the awe-inspiring power of the divine beings. “There are some crazy things in there. We’ll probably be doing more effects in there than it’s been done on a television series,” said Goetzman.
My nipples are hard.

[The Destroyer]

I can't see someone commissioning it for 6 seasons right off the bat, but still, be nice if we even managed to get a couple.

[Nowhere Man]

I'm seriously psyched about this, since Gaiman is one of my favorite authors ever, and American Gods is easily in my top 5 favorite books. My question, though, is how the hell do you manage six whole seasons of material out of one book?

[Lock Jaw]

Walking Dead got six episodes out of two and a half comic books.

Anyways, never read this book, but the concept sounds "neat".

[Blitz]

I'm seriously psyched about this, since Gaiman is one of my favorite authors ever, and American Gods is easily in my top 5 favorite books. My question, though, is how the hell do you manage six whole seasons of material out of one book?
Out of American Gods? Easily. There's five seasons in there, no problem.

[Lock Jaw]

Just bought this book cause I didn't know what else to read. Gonna spoil the TV Show for me.