American Gods TV Movie: Everything We Know So Far
After three beleaguered seasons on Starz, American Gods was canceled in March. The show, which focuses on a brewing war between the old gods of biblical and mythological roots and the new gods of the growing age of technology and media, was based on the lengthy, intricate novel by Neil Gaiman. Ricky Whittle starred in the series as Shadow Moon, an ex-con mourning the death of his wife (Emily Browning) who agrees to accompany and protect a mysterious con man known only as Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) during his adventures across America. It soon becomes clear, however, that Wednesday is actually the Norse god Odin, who is on a mission to recruit the old gods against the new ones.
What started out as a promising, if somewhat confusing, show, soon became a creative nightmare. American Gods' issues were evident by the end of the first season, as the show, initially led by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, had strayed from the source material. The duo departed the series shortly thereafter (via TV Guide), with reports claiming there were clashes between the two men and Fremantle, the studio that produces the show (via TV Guide). Additionally, Gaiman, who was an executive producer on the series, was reportedly unhappy with the direction the show was taking. But according to a blistering story from The Hollywood Reporter, a new showrunner in the form of Jesse Alexander didn't fix the behind-the-scenes issues, which bled over into the story on-screen as actresses like Gillian Anderson and Kristin Chenoweth didn't return for season 2.
With falling ratings and all of the behind-the-scenes drama weighing the series down, it was a bit surprising that the show managed to return for a third season, which advanced the narrative considerably. All of this is to say that it wasn't terribly surprising then when Starz canceled the show after season 3. But for those who want to see the full story on American Gods play out, there is some good news: Fremantle is interested in a wrap-up movie.
What we know so far about the proposed American Gods movie
In Deadline's story reporting American Gods' cancellation, the outlet revealed there were rumblings the story might continue elsewhere. "In typical small-screen fashion, where nobody ever says never anymore, we hear there are discussions about wrapping up the Toronto-themed series to align with Gaiman's 2001 novel as either an event series or a TV movie," wrote Deadline's Dominic Patten. However, he noted that the show's declining ratings might make it difficult for Fremantle to make it happen.
Still, Fremantle and Gaiman are both interested in finishing Shadow Moon's story. When the topic came up on Twitter, Gaiman tweeted: "[The show's] definitely not dead. I'm grateful to the team at @Starz for the American Gods journey so far. Fremantle (who make AG) are committed to finishing the story that began in episode 1, and right now we're all just waiting to see which way forward is best, and who it'll be with." Fremantle backed up Gaiman's words not long after. "Fremantle is committed to completing the epic journey that is American Gods, one of TV's most inclusive series with the most amazing fans across the globe," a spokesperson for the company told Deadline. "With Neil Gaiman and this fantastic cast and crew, we are exploring all options to continue to tell this magnificent story."
Unfortunately, with the cancellation news still quite fresh, there isn't much else that is known about the proposed movie or wrap-up event, who might return for it, or when it will air. But stay tuned as we'll update when we know more.