American Gods Adds Orlando Jones and Demore Barnes To Its Cast

Neil Gaiman’s beloved American Gods is heading to Starz and has announced two new cast members [...]

ANASI AMERICAN GODS

Neil Gaiman's beloved American Gods is heading to Starz and has announced two new cast members who'll appear in the upcoming television series.

Playing Mr. Nancy, Orlando Jones will be starring as Anasi while actor Demore Barnes has been confirmed to play Mr. Ibis who's better known as the Egyptian god, Thoth. The official American Gods Twitter announced the news today to the excitement of fans who've been early waiting more casting news.

Neil Gaiman's American Gods was published back in June 2001 and has received tons of critical praise from critics and casual readers. The book won both a Huge and Nebula Award, and the work is often considered one of Gaiman's best pieces. The novel blends together elements of Americana folk, fantasy, and strands of cross-cultural mythology as American Gods explores what it means to believe in something. May it be gods or technology, American Gods explores complex themes which Gainman first explored while he work on The Sandman comics for Vertigo.

Gaiman's novel now acts as the source material for Starz's upcoming adaptation which was first announced in 2014. The first episode, "The Bone Orchard," is set to air sometime in 2017 on the network. The television series will focus on the aloof character, Shadow, who finds himself thrown into a world full of magic and mythology when he discovers that all of the gods spoken about in legend really do exist. Introduced to a man named Mr. Wednesday, Shadow discovers that the unassuming man knows more than any human should and eventually learns that the man is the Norse god Odin. For centuries, Shadow learns that gods have existed amongst mankind for eons, and he gets wrapped up in a growing conflict between the pantheon gods of old and new.

Orlando Jones is joining the American Gods cast after well-received stints on show like Sleepy Hollow as Frank Irving. Cast as Mr. Nancy, viewers will see Jones take on the wry trickster-spider god from African folklore who cherishes mischief. Demore Barnes, who's best known for his roles in The Flash and Hemlock Grove, will be playing Ms. Ibis who embodies the Egyptian god of knowledge and writing. Other talent such as Gillian Anderson, Ricky Whittle, and Emily Browning have also signed onto for the highly anticipated series.

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