Neil Gaiman’s American Gods heading to HBO with Tom Hanks?

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Fans, or is it worshippers, of Neil Gaiman are probably feeling a little despair with Sandman having a difficulty making the journey from page to screen, but Deadline brings some cheerful news regarding one of Gaiman’s other creations.

HBO, feeling like a king with A Game of Thrones, is looking into acquiring Gaiman’s novel American Gods for a televised fantasy series, and there are already some impressive names involved with it.

The cable network received the project from Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and cinematographer Robert Richardson will be working with Gaiman on the script for the pilot. With Hanks having an interest in the project and Gaiman having a hand in the adaptation, it looks like American Gods could be transformed into a HBO hit.

If you’re unfamiliar with the 2002 novel, American Gods is a modern day spin on the gods and creatures of mythology. It turns out that Zeus and all the others are real, and they’re living in our world. Modern times haven’t been good to them though because they lose power as people lose faith in them. To make matters worse, a new class of gods brought to life by faith and devotion to things like technology and drugs are starting to rise up against the older gods. Of course, you can’t have a story about gods without a mortal chosen to be a champion so an ex-con is brought into the story to help recruit troops for the upcoming battle.

If you’re a true fan of Neil Gaiman, instead of just hanging around watching paint peel while waiting for American Gods and Sandman to come to life, you should hop over to Boom Reads for the Sandman re-read. You might have read the stories before, but you’ve never seen them like this.

One Comment

1. 

   Jon

   June 6, 2011 at 10:23 am

   Neil Gaiman is a racist asshole and American Gods is a tedious, unreadable mess. You have got to be kidding.

   Reply