Movies

Neil Gaiman Insists That 'American Gods' Is "Not Dead" Despite Starz Cancelation

american gods not dead
By Hoai-Tran Bui

It might take a miracle to bring back American Gods, but Neil Gaiman has faith that the fantasy drama based on his acclaimed novel is not dead. In fact, it's "definitely not dead," Gaiman assured fans following the show's cancelation by Starz. But considering American Gods' three turbulent seasons at Starz, it might take a little prayer to keep it going.

Late Monday night, Starz announced that American Gods had been canceled after three seasons, bringing to an end a troubled production that saw three showrunner replacements and multiple cast exits. But the saga of American Gods may not be over yet, at least not if Gaiman has any say. The day after the show was axed, a fan asked Gaiman on Twitter if Netflix, known for swooping in to rescue canceled shows and currently developing The Sandman series based on Gaiman's acclaimed comics, might pick up American Gods for a fourth season.

Gaiman responded confidently that American Gods is "definitely not dead," adding, "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."

The Wrap reached out to Fremantle, the British-American production company that makes American Gods among other shows like The Young Pope and Picnic at Hanging Rock, but did not receive a response from representatives.

Gaiman has long had a vested interest in American Gods, considered by many to be the author's magnum opus, serving as executive producer on the series and writing the teleplay for the season 2 episode "House on the Rock." But his passion for the show might have been its alabatross, as rumors spread that the author's dislike with how season 1 showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green changed his source material might have led to their firing. Fuller and Green's exit was only the start of the show's behind-the-scenes turmoil, as American Gods went through two more showrunners ( Jesse Alexander and Charles "Chic" Eglee) and lost major cast members Kristin Chenoweth, Gillian Anderson, Orlando Jones, and Mousa Kraish.

Considering the multiple creative and cast shake-ups American Gods went through since it debuted in 2017, it's hard to imagine that Netflix or another streamer would want to swoop in to revive the show. The entire saga is a bit of shame, as the series started off to such a strong, dynamic start, only to fizzle out both in quality and in pop culture relevance over the years. But if Fremantle is as dedicated to finishing the story, as Gaiman says, it can only be an improvement from the lackluster latter seasons.

Recommended