Starz has ordered a second season of original series American Gods, which premiered April 30. The show is produced by FremantleMedia North America (FMNA). More than 5 million multiplatform viewers watched the premiere, says Starz. Some 975,000 watched live+SD while 1.58 million watched live+7, the latter a record for a Starz series premiere.
“Bryan Fuller, Michael Green and Neil Gaiman have evolved the art form of television narratively, structurally and graphically with American Gods, and we’re thrilled to be working again with these artists as they continue to build the worlds and wars of the gods,” said Carmi Zlotnik, president of programming at Starz.
Gaiman wrote the novel that the series is based on. The story suggests a different kind of war—one between old gods and new. The old gods fear irrelevance as their believers die off or are seduced by the money, technology, and celebrity offered by the new gods.
“American Gods has been a ground-breaking series born out of belief and it’s thrilling to be partnered with Starz to continue this ambitious story,” said Craig Cegielski, co-CEO of FMNA. “Neil Gaiman, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green have ignited a conversation through cinematic magic, presented through a diverse ensemble of actors that continue to keep us engaged and inspired.”
The cast includes Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane and Emily Browning.
FMNA’s Cegielski and Stefanie Berk are executive producers along with Fuller, Green, Gaiman, David Slade and Adam Kane. Marta Fernandez and Ken Segna are the Starz executives in charge of American Gods.
