'American Gods' Might Be the Most Ambitious Book-to-TV Adaptation Since 'Game of Thrones'
American Gods is hardly a work of modern literature that can be described in a single synopsis. Likewise, its plot cannot be contained in a simple trailer for a TV adaptation. The modern fantasy novel from Neil Gaiman features dozens of characters based on gods from religions and cultures throughout human history. It's dense with symbolism and complex mythological references and critiques on modern society hidden as an Americana adventure/epic fantasy war.
Yet, ambitious as it may be, Starz is set to convert the work into a new series that debuts on April 30. This first trailer does a pretty admirable job representing the breadth of characters and settings and battles of the novel while plotting out the basic premise.
But it also does an excellent job capturing Gaiman's vivid imagery. Ian McShane is the perfect embodiment of Mr. Wednesday, the sly and gruff old god who drags Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) into this immortal battle. There are images of bloody beaches, corpses, zombies, and a woman holding her own severed limb. In terms of scope and production (and gore), Starz could have a series that rivals a book adaptation like Game of Thrones.
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