It pretty much goes without saying that we’re massive fans of Bryan Fuller here at SciFiNow. Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Hannibal – whatever he’s been involved with, we’ve loved it, and we’re sure that his forthcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s epic fantasy novel American Gods will be no different. Even so, concrete information on it – aside from the fact that it’ll air on Starz in the US, and that it would also be penned by Michael Green – has been thin on the ground. Until now, as we finally know who will be playing protagonist Shadow Moon.
Ricky Whittle, most famous for genre TV viewers for his recurring-turned-main role as Lincoln in The 100 (although British viewers of a certain generation may remember him in the likes of Hollyoaks and Dream Team), has been cast as Shadow, a convict who having been released from a prison stint to find his entire life turned upside down, is quickly taken under the wing of the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, before embarking on a life-changing quest across the continent.
Speaking about Whittle, Fuller said, “We searched every continent and country and all the islands in between for our Shadow Moon, and we are lucky to have found Ricky. Fans of the novel will find he has every bit of the heart of the character they fell in love with.”
Indeed, it’s definitely a piece of casting we can get on board with. His performances in The 100 have been a highlight, and more than anything else, it’s great to see that life after Hollyoaks is actually possible. Plus, naturally we’re jazzed whenever any Dream Team alumni make it big – he can join Rob Kazinsky in this exclusive club.
Neil Gaiman also gave his approval to this casting choice, telling Collider: “I’m thrilled that Ricky has been cast as Shadow. His auditions were remarkable. The process of taking a world out of the pages of a book, and putting it onto the screen has begun. American Gods is, at its heart, a book about immigrants, and it seems perfectly appropriate that Shadow will, like so much else, be Coming to America. I’m delighted Ricky will get to embody Shadow. Now the fun starts.”
American Gods will air on Starz in the US in 2017. For more news about the biggest TV series, pick up the latest issue of SciFiNow.
