AMERICAN GODS Adaptation At HBO Officially Dead; Being Shopped Elsewhere

AMERICAN GODS Adaptation At HBO Officially Dead; Being Shopped Elsewhere

Neil Gaiman's sci-fi, urban Americana mythology tale was slated for a live-action adaptation at HBO but the project is now officially dead according to the premium cable network's Head of Programming.

By MarkJulian - Jun 20, 2014 02:06 AM EST
Filed Under: American Gods
American Gods HBO drama Neil Gaiman

Remember when news broke that Neil Gaiman's celebrated American Gods novel was set for a live-action adaptation at HBO? Gaiman even went so far as to say that he was writing a sequel so that there would be enough material for multiple seasons.  Well fastforward roughly a year later, it appears that the project is actually not moving forward.  Said HBO's Head of Programming MIchael Lombardo," I think we're all huge fans of the book, and I think the script just didn't — we couldn't craft the script as good as we needed it to be. I think we knew going in that it would be a challenge; every good book is a challenge to adapt it and find the level you need for it. The bar is high now for great dramas. And to find that bar — we tried. So it was a huge disappointment […] We tried three different writers, we put a lot of effort into it. Some things just don't happen. We have to trust at the end of the day, if you don't have a star with a great script, you're just not going to go through with it. Even though we love the book, we love the idea, we love the hope of what it could be, we just couldn't get it right."


That's unfortunate, as I know Gaiman's faithful (and large) following were greatly anticipating seeing Shadow's tale unfold on a high quality network like HBO. Still, I susppouse the silver lining here is that we know that Lombardo and HBO are not going to move forward on a project, no matter how beloved, if they don't feel like it will be up to the network's standards. 

Source: Vulture via JoBlo
 

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DocDangerous
DocDangerous - 6/20/2014, 3:20 AM
For years this has been a tease.... Now? Just not happening. Fingers crossed that some other group picks it up.
EhMaybeSays
EhMaybeSays - 6/20/2014, 3:22 AM
His Stardust adaptation was great, I was looking forward to this.
EmeritusII
EmeritusII - 6/20/2014, 3:28 AM
dar today 13 Daily Afternoon Randomness (49 Photos)

#respect
CherryBomb
CherryBomb - 6/20/2014, 4:32 AM
It's a shame, seems like a good premise and if anyone can make this show awesome it's HBO
loki668
loki668 - 6/20/2014, 4:42 AM
DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!
McGee
McGee - 6/20/2014, 4:45 AM
McGee
McGee - 6/20/2014, 5:15 AM
^^^

ClarkFarley2012
ClarkFarley2012 - 6/20/2014, 5:25 AM
Dang it. I was looking forward to this. Well hopefully someone else picks it up. Maybe Showtime??
Dmon
Dmon - 6/20/2014, 5:47 AM
@CherryBomb Yeah it is a good premise only but if this ever were to happen I hope it is not a direct adaptation. I have read the book. The concept and characters were great and the first half of the book is really good. But the second half is really boring and very anticlimactic. I was very disappointed by the book.
Gazmataz1981
Gazmataz1981 - 6/20/2014, 6:02 AM
Very disappointing, but I'd prefer to see no adaptation than a badly written one. Always felt Gaimans' work was better off animated anyway. There is so much madness in his stories that being set in reality would only harm them. Not that I've stopped hoping that Terry Gilliam will direct "Good Omens" some day...
Omega
Omega - 6/20/2014, 6:06 AM
And what about Del Toro "Monster" manga adaptation for HBO?
edge13
edge13 - 6/20/2014, 6:13 AM
Huh?this was actually very old news,its been known since like last February?
its already been picked up by new PH btw,Freemantlemedia
http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2014/02/03/fremantlemedia-acquires-tv-rights-to-neil-gaimans-american-gods/
even this particular interview already put almost a week ago
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/06/13/why-american-gods-didnt-get-a-green-light-from-hbo/
matthuliz
matthuliz - 6/20/2014, 6:16 AM
I bet Neil Gaiman is extorting HBO for more money for the book sequel, but HBO is not up to it!


:-P
scorpio2049
scorpio2049 - 6/20/2014, 6:20 AM
@Omega
I sure hope they're still doing Monster. I have faith in del Toro but he always announces 8,000 titles in development but only about 2.5 of them come to fruition. Monster I one I hope he makes because it's SUCH an awesome story and I think non-manga reading audiences would eat it up.
Nomadic1
Nomadic1 - 6/20/2014, 6:41 AM
@Gaz Good Omens is a wonderful book and the type of story that could be made into a series very easy. I don't think it will happen, at least until Terry Pratchett passes away. He does not like Hollywood and won't sell them any of his rights.
McGee
McGee - 6/20/2014, 6:56 AM
This is horrible.

Now if I want to see American Gods...I have to....read the book. Ugh!
edge13
edge13 - 6/20/2014, 6:59 AM
@McGee
read my post

MarkJulian,your very slow:p
Omega
Omega - 6/20/2014, 7:02 AM
@scorpio2049 Yeah i hope so too.
JorL5150
JorL5150 - 6/20/2014, 7:04 AM
A little zen for you idiots-


You've GOT to learn to LISTEN to your body. Your body tells you what it needs-
If its time to siesta - go take a nap
If its time to shit - go and shit (no sense filling your pants cause you don't want to lose your place in line)
And if its time to fap - guess what?
SwagInScience
SwagInScience - 6/20/2014, 8:32 AM
Great, I was having such a fantastic friday too.
Battabing
Battabing - 6/20/2014, 8:44 AM
Is it just me or was the book f.ucking terrible?
It didn't work because it was a contrived snooze fest about the Norse gods.
I'd say HBO just saved themselves a ton of cash.
imnotwearinghockeypants
imnotwearinghockeypants - 6/20/2014, 8:48 AM
Would've rather seen a Neverwhere treatment. Was not a fan of American Gods.
Bearjew
Bearjew - 6/20/2014, 10:46 AM
NO!
chewish
chewish - 6/20/2014, 11:39 AM
Not to be a dick, but can someone please explain to me why this book is so highly regarded? Like, actually explain why everyone thinks it's so great. I for one, thought it was extremely boring and kind of a chore to read...

Sorry again if I sound like a douchenozzle.
ScionStorm
ScionStorm - 6/20/2014, 12:52 PM
It's such a shame we will not get to see a woman swallow a man whole through her vagina, or see a man have dreams about making out with the cat sleeping at the foot of his bed. We have lost a good one, fellow fans. Truly a good one.
WombRaider
WombRaider - 6/20/2014, 1:00 PM
wow...i literally just finished this book last night...it was very very good but im happy the tv show is dead. i dont think it would have worked
Humperdink
Humperdink - 6/20/2014, 1:02 PM
It's not going to happen until Hollywood stops White-washing everything or pigeon-holding certain races into the same restricted roles.

Just like the producers who said Black people don't like sci-fi because they don't see themselves in the future, they told Gaiman Black people don't like fantasy so the characters have to be White.

So what happens is we always see minorities in the same comedic or buffoonish roles and people accept them because that's all they're used to seeing.

Gaiman just happens to have artistic integrity and enough money to say 'hell no' to the race changes they want to force into his stories.

"One of the things I'm concerned about is that I really want to make sure the races of all the characters are kept,"


Or 'Anansi Boys', for example:

"That was something I found deeply problematic with the attempt by some people who had a lot of money and a lot of clout, and who wanted the rights to Anansi Boys, at one point. Somewhere in there, they made the fatal mistake of saying to me, "And, of course, the characters won't be black in the movie because black people don't like fantasy." They were suddenly very surprised that we were no longer interested in selling them the book."


Hollywood wants to shape images and direct ideas and they want to show people how they should feel about certain concepts and one another.

It's B.S.
sicknimon
sicknimon - 6/20/2014, 2:07 PM
Gaiman has a lot of pride in his work, nothing wrong with that. Sandman has been in production 3 different times and Gaiman was never able to approve the treatment. I say go Gaiman. Oh and his lawsuits have been legit. Probably the only writer whose been able to succesfully gain control of their characters. Especially Angela with Spawn, since you know, Image comics mantra is that writers get control of their characters.
MightyZeus
MightyZeus - 6/20/2014, 8:25 PM
Good. I'm glad this project has died. This book is way overyped, it's bland boring and weird and one of Gaiman's worst stories. If anyone would like to read the book then go ahead but don't say nobody warned me.
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