After the exit of showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green – as well as habitual scene-stealer Gillian Anderson – the future of American Gods is uncertain. But the man in charge of the Starz television network has just said the one thing that should help fans keep hope alive: American Gods author Neil Gaiman will be a lot more involved with the upcoming season.
Image: Starz
A Variety article reports that Starz CEO Chris Albrecht talked about the future of American Gods at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. Oddly, Albrecht said that Fuller and Green “were not fired, nor did they quit”, and makes it sound like they might still be tangentially involved in some way:
Brian and Michael will be involved as much as they can be. It’s a little bit up in the air what their exact role will be.
Speaking about Gaiman, Albrecht said the award-winning author would be working in more of a “traditional showrunner role” and partnering with what Variety says would be a seasoned TV producer.
When speculation of Gaiman possibly taking charge of American Gods came up late last year after Fuller and Green left, he was quick to downplay it on Twitter:
No, it’s not true at all. I’m showrunning Good Omens in the UK until next year, then retiring from showrunning and going back to writing novels for a living. https://t.co/nsmx7OkLzK
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) November 30, 2017
He was talking about working on Good Omens as recently as yesterday afternoon.
It’s the other way round: I’m bringing her with to South Africa. (I’ll be there showrunning GOOD OMENS.) https://t.co/df6VqALXND
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) January 12, 2018
A new tweet from Gaiman offers up some context for Albrecht’s remarks:
I’m already showrunning GOOD OMENS and I won’t be physically showrunning two shows. But I plan to work really closely with the new showrunner, and to help plot and guide and build American Gods, just as I did when Bryan & Michael came on as showrunners.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) January 12, 2018
It isn’t quite the lucky coin scenario that fans want, but it’s an important thing to have if American Gods is going to come back and be as great as it was in its first season.
[Variety ]