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[BrokenFiction]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/ian-mcshane-star-american-gods-872269

Starz has found its Mr. Wednesday.

Deadwood, American Horror Story and upcoming Game of Thrones star Ian McShane has booked the key role in Starz's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel American Gods, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The drama centers on a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon (The 100's Ricky Whittle), is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation for a battle with the new deities.

 

[Sinatar]

That's a fantastic choice.

 

[TheBlackMarvel]

I really cannot wait for this show.

 

[WillyFive]

Finally, Kings is back.

 

[Platy]

That ... don't look very good for his Game of Thrones character xD

 

[Tubobutts]

That is a perfect choice.

 

[Salsa]

woah

it's like I already imagined it as him

 

[adg1034]

Whoa.

Next up, Brad Dourif or John Hawkes as L.K. Lyesmith?

 

[Matsukaze]

Yeah, that's a really good choice.

 

[RC]

woah

it's like I already imagined it as him

Yeah, it's fantastic casting based on looks alone.

 

[sn00zer]

Oh that is goood

 

[MHWilliams]

Perfect casing.

 

[Primus]

Whoever's doing the casting for American Gods is fantastic. Seventeen thumbs way way up.

 

[Mighty Chin]

Perfect casting

 

[Charles Brandon]

not very American so far, is it?

 

[Skilletor]

I could not have picked a better Wednesday.

Holy shit. Fucking amazing.

 

[OricWindstar]

That is fucking amazing.

 

[BlueTsunami]

McShane in anything is perfect

 

[Magwik]

Fantastic casting choice

 

[Platy]

not very American so far, is it?

...neither of the characters are born in america in the novel

 

[Kaladin]

not very American so far, is it?

I'm assuming you haven't read the novel.

 

[Christine]

This is a great choice, I can almost hear him doing the part already. Mr. Wednesday is entirely about convincing people that his arrogant self-importance is actually charming, and that's something Ian McShane does very well indeed.

 

[sunshine and gasoline]

Pretty good choice. Wasn't too interested in the movie at first but McShane being in it is making me reconsider.

 

[Rymuth]

McShane in anything is perfect

.

 

[Hazmat]

You literally couldn't do any better. Perfection.

 

[Skilletor]

not very American so far, is it?

Kind of the entire point.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Holy shit yes.

 

[entremet]

I'm assuming you haven't read the novel.

Looks like a joke.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Like if there was a computer simulation designed specifically to pick the best human being to portray "Mr. Wednesday from American Gods", Ian McShane would have been the top result

 

[Citizen_Insane]

Amazing choice. This is gonna be great.

 

[Kaladin]

Like if there was a computer simulation designed specifically to pick the best human being to portray "Mr. Wednesday from American Gods", Ian McShane would have been the top result

As I read the book, in my mind Mr. Wednesday was very similar to Al Swearengen.

 

[ivysaur12]

Yaaaaaaay!!!!

 

[TwEE-N-Toast]

Nice! Less gingery then I would have liked though.

 

[Magwik]

Looks like a joke.

Lolwut

 

[Charles Brandon]

I'm assuming you haven't read the novel.

Guilty! I bought it the other week though. Complete coincidence - I had no idea this was happening.

 

[C-Drive]

This is such good news.

 

[Fuu]

McShane in anything is perfect

This. I was going to watch the show regardless, but him alone is reason enough for me to watch anything.

 

[Platy]

Pretty good choice. Wasn't too interested in the movie at first but McShane being in it is making me reconsider.

It is a tv series

 

[CloudWolf]

Amazing pick. Much better than the pick for Shadow.

 

[Optimusdouche]

Ack, I found AMERICAN GODS to be one of the worst novels I have read in my life, and a very ill fit for Gaiman.

It's a really long, fractured, and convoluted, gritty version of many comics, including one he wrote himself. It's a dark and r-rated version of a very cliched and well worn storyline about gods in the contemporary world.

Gaiman did the story with his run of The Eternals, but it's been done a few times at least. The worst part is, how damned dull, and long AMERICAN GODS is. And the fractured narrative doesn't make it more literary, just even more annoying. And the dark take, the r rated nature, serves no purpose at all. That's another indictment against it. Not like it deconstructs or plays with the myths by making it dark.

 

[NimbusD]

Great casting, though I never finished the book because I got a little bored of it. Maybe one day, or I'll just wait for this to come out.

 

[berzeli]

That's pretty amazing casting. Really liking how this is shaping up.

 

[Tugatrix]

he's going to nail the character

 

[Akahige]

Fucking perfect casting right there.

 

[JadedWriter]

AL swearengen with the powers of a god?

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Ack, I found AMERICAN GODS to be one of the worst novels I have read in my life, and a very ill fit for Gaiman.

It's a really long, fractured, and convoluted, gritty version of many comics, including one he wrote himself. It's a dark and r-rated version of a very cliched and well worn storyline about gods in the contemporary world.

Gaiman did the story with his run of The Eternals, but it's been done a few times at least. The worst part is, how damned dull, and long AMERICAN GODS is. And the fractured narrative doesn't make it more literary, just even more annoying. And the dark take, the r rated nature, serves no purpose at all. That's another indictment against it. Not like it deconstructs or plays with the myths by making it dark.

I wouldn't be that harsh in my criticism, but yeah, I found that it really started to drag in the 1/2 to 2/3 point. I still haven't finished it.

 

[rbenchley]

Excellent choice! My dream casting always had Brendan Gleeson as Mr. Wednesday, but I'll never complain about Al Swearengen showing up in shows I watch.

 

[CreeperBlocks]

Finally, Kings is back.

My Man.


Kings was fantastic.

 

[Sadsic]

I'm in.

 

[The Wall]

Ack, I found AMERICAN GODS to be one of the worst novels I have read in my life, and a very ill fit for Gaiman.

~snip

Read it. Then read it again and see if you notice anything.