Fans of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods who are looking forward to the new Starz drama will have a lot to look forward to as we head into San Diego Comic-Con. The cast and creative team are headed to the world famous convention, and with their presence comes the promise of a number of hints, surprises, and exclusives to be thrown our way.

Before they even arrive in San Diego, the team behind American Gods has opted to give us our first look at Yetide Badaki (of Aquarius and Masters of Sex fame) as Bilquis, an ancient goddess of love. The scene below is straight out of the book, and looks to be perfectly shot. As someone who has read the book a million times, I was a bit nervous about the adaptation, but this, and other stills from the series have me incredibly excited to see one of my favourite novels on the small screen.

Starz

Like all of the gods in Gaiman’s novel, and presumably as part of the show itself, Bilquis needs to be worshipped in order to continue to thrive in today’s world. The series pits old gods, such as Bilquis, against new gods, like Gillian Anderson’s Media for example, in an epic battle for humanity. Shadow Moon, an ex-con with an incredibly complicated life, is caught in the middle when he takes a job as Mr. Wednesday’s bodyguard and travelling companion. A number of gods, both old and new, are encountered by the two as they travel around the world gathering up forces for their side of the battle. 

The Starz series already boasts an incredibly impressive cast. Ricky Whittle will star as Shadow Moon, with Emily Browning playing his wife Laura. Ian McShane will Moon’s enigmatic boss Mr. Wednesday, with the remainder of the old gods played by talented actors such as Orlando Jones, Cloris Leachman, Demore Barnes, and Badaki. The new gods, those of modern wonders, will be played by another impressive list of actors including Gillian Anderson and Bruce Langley. Dane Cook was recently announced as Robbie, Moon’s best friend and former employer, in another brilliant casting move. 

American Gods, the novel, has won the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker Awards, and the series, complete with stellar casting, is poised to sweep award shows as well. American Gods, the series, is being written by Bryan Fuller (of Hannibal and Pushing Daisies fame) and Michael Green (known for his work on The River and Heroes). Along with Fuller, Green, and Gaiman, the series will be produced by Craig Cegielski, Stefanie Berk, and David Slade, who will also be directing a number of episodes. 

What do you think of these early images? Are you as excited as we are to see Gaiman’s wonderful book brought to life?