Starz spartacus

During his presentation at this year’s Television Critics Association press junket, Starz CEO Chris Albrecht was open about the network’s desire to keep the success it saw with the first season of American Gods moving forward as it looks to the future. Ideally, Albrecht said, American Gods would go on indefinitely. After being stuck in development hell for what seemed like ages before it finally found a home on Starz, American Gods became a surprise ratings hit for the network when it premiered early this year to stellar reviews. Given how little of Neil Gaiman’s novel the first season actually made it through, it’s clear that Starz always planned on stretching the source material out in order to give its ensemble of characters space to breathe. According to Albrecht, though, we may be in for more American Gods than anyone initially expected. Advertisement Said Albrecht: “We are certainly on board for as long as the show makes sense for Starz. We … [Read more...] about Starz’s Hopes for

Game of Thrones andMarvel’s Inhumans star Iwan Rheon is heading into a new fantasy saga, one filled with gods and monsters. Starz has revealed that Rheon is joining season three of American Gods as a happy-go-lucky leprechaun. Just let that sink in. In a post on Instagram, Starz confirmed that Rheon is the latest actor to sign onto the third season of American Gods. He’ll be playing a new character created for the show, Liam Doyle, who’s described by EW as “a charming, good-natured leprechaun” who tried to distance himself from the leprechaun way of life—coveting gold and rainbows, presumably—but ultimately gets pulled back in. Advertisement Liam Doyle’s debut is one of several changes coming to a show that’s already seen a hell of a lot of changes coming into its third season. The series has yet another new showrunner, with Charles Eglee taking the reins from Jesse Alexander. Alexander, you may recall, sole showrunner in … [Read more...] about Ramsay Bolton Is a Leprechaun Now

As Easter, the goddess of spring, Kristin Chenoweth played a huge part in the finale of American Gods’ first season. But, with the original showrunners gone, she doesn’t know if she’s going to be back for the next one. Variety caught up with Chenoweth at a Hollywood gala, where the actress held forth about the sudden departure of Bryan Fuller and Michael Green: “When Bryan was the showrunner, I was coming back for several episodes, but I don’t know now... It depends on who it is and if they think I add value or not.” Advertisement In the final episode of Starz’ adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel, Easter induced a massive famine at the behest of schemer deity Odin. It was an apocalyptic climax that ushered in a dark turn for the world of the show—and presumably, Easter would need to be around to reverse it. The show could always get someone else to play Easter if Chenoweth doesn’t come back, but part of American … [Read more...] about Kristin Chenoweth Doesn’t Know if She’s Coming Back for Season Two of

So far, there hasn’t been a ton of menace on American Gods. Creeping dread? Yes. Believable techno-mystical threats? Sure. But the Starz series’ most formidable antagonist shows up in next week’s episode, when latter-day deity Mr. World shows up to talk to Shadow and Wednesday. Advertisement Played by Crispin Glover, Mr. World is the leader of the new gods that are on a collision course with the old-world celestials. In the clip above, he introduces himself to Shadow and Wednesday in bizarrely affected fashion. In the 2001 novel, Mr. World is something of a non-descript yet omnipresent entity, able to go wherever he wants and fading from folks’ memories almost instantly. Based on this first tease, Glover’s going to bring the same idiosyncratic intensity that made him so memorable in the Back to the Future and Charlie’s Angels movies. Episode five of American Gods airs this Sunday on Starz. … [Read more...] about Get Your First Look at Mr. World,

Most times when we see the personification of death in fiction, it’s presented as a cold or grim persona. Not so for Anubis on the TV show adaptation of American Gods. Here, the Egyptian god of the afterlife is stoic but unexpectedly warm; he has a job to do, one that fills most people with dread, but he doesn’t seem like that bad a guy. And that’s largely due to the performance of actor Chris Obi. Advertisement The actor, who trained at the Drama Centre London, might be a recognizable face for those who’ve seen Snow White and the Huntsman or the 2016 Roots miniseries. His work on American Gods has had him portraying Anubis/Mr. Jacquel as oddly relatable; there’s a hint of everyman dedication and priestly vocation to Obi’s performance. He feels like a guy who gets up everyday and does his job the best he can, because he knows that it changes people’s (after)lives. When I spoke to Obi after the end of American Gods’ first season, … [Read more...] about Conversations With God: How Chris Obi Deals With (Playing) Death on