Starz is going forward full-throttle with the third season of American Gods, currently under the stewardship of showrunner Charles “Chic” Eglee, the third person to have the job. It’s staffing up in a big way, hiring people like Blythe Danner to play the goddess Demeter, Marilyn Manson as the lead singer of a Viking death metal band, and more.
And things are just getting started. Today, Starz rolled out the first official image from the third season, showing Shadow (Ricky Whittle) and the god Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) looking less than glamorous outside a trailer:
Pack your bags, we're going to Lakeside. Season 3 of #AmericanGods is officially in production! pic.twitter.com/SIvXFv3Zu2
— American Gods US (@americangodsus) October 9, 2019
It’s hard out there for a god these days.
After discovering something huge about himself at the end of season 2, season 3 will see Shadow try to break away from Wednesday and his war against the New Gods by settling in the sleepy, snowy town Lakeside. There, he’ll meet chief of police Chad Mulligan, who “spends his days mediating disputes between townsfolk he’s known his whole life. This trademark low-key diplomacy works well for Chad until a local teenage girl goes missing, igniting a panic of paranoia and blame that threatens to tear Chad’s beloved town apart.”
That’s more or less what happens in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, on which the series is (increasingly loosely) based. Mulligan will be played by American Gods newcomer Eric Johnson, who played Jack Hyde in the Fifty Shades sequels.
TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 05: Eric Johnson attends the “Clifton Hill” premiere during the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival at Ryerson Theatre on September 05, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
On top of that, Starz has drafted Dominique Jackson — who plays the legendary Electra Abundance on Pose — as Ms. World, an incarnation of the New God Mr. World, played by Crispin Glover. Don’t worry: Glover is still in season 3, but a god who adapts to the times as much as this one has many faces.
This season, “World is looking to control destiny with a mysterious new piece of technology that, if brought online, will have the power to dominate humanity’s attention. And in this modern age, attention is worship.” More as it develops.
I’ll admit that I stopped watching American Gods after season 1; I’m a fan of Gaiman’s book and was getting tired with how much the show was dragging it out. But I give props to the producers for keeping at it and putting together an intriguing cast. Maybe it’s worth another look.
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