James McAvoy, Anthony Head, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Bernard Cribbins will star in a BBC Radio production of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, set to air in the first part of 2013.There’s a lot more details below, and lots to be excited about, including the fact that Gaiman is presently working on the American Gods pilot.Neil Gaiman posted the photo at right to his Tumblr, along with the following message (excerpted from a longer, more general post):
Right now, also due to being in the wrong country — like this minute — I’m missing this, which arrived a few hours ago: [photo]That’s left to right, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Harewood, Natalie Dormer, Dirk Maggs, James McAvoy, David Schofield and Anthony Head, all gathered today to record the BBC Radio 4/Radio 4 Extra production of NEVERWHERE.(It’ll start on Radio 4 and then go over to Radio 4 extra.) The adaptation is by Dirk Maggs, who did the last three Hitchhiker’s Guide Radio adaptations. He’s co-directing it with producer Heather Larmour, who is the one who went off and made this happen after a small enthusiastic chat in a London coffee shop much earlier this year — the kind of conversation that you have that normally just leaves you feeling happy, but doesn’t actually turn into anything real. This time it did.The cast includes…James McAvoy RichardNatalie Dormer DoorDavid Harewood MarquisSophie Okonedo HunterBenedict Cumberbatch IslingtonAnthony Head CroupDavid Schofield VandemarBernard Cribbins Old BaileyRomola Garai JessicaChristopher Lee Earl of Earl’s CourtAndrew Sachs TooleyGeorge Harris AbbotDon Gilet Fulingous, Ruislip, BlackfriarAbdul Salis Sable, Sump, Clarence, Homeless ManPaul Chequer Gary, Guard 2Lucy Cohu LamiaYasmin Paige Anaesthesia, Tenant 2 – female, Match girlJohnny Vegas Lord RatspeakerStephen Marcus Varney, Homeless man, Letting agent, Guard 1Karen Archer Sylvia, Old Woman, Dream Hawker, Mother… …and lots more (including an author, who recorded his bits last month). It will go out in six episodes.Am I excited? I am. Very much so.(Also, CHRISTOPHER LEE IS GOING TO BE SAYING LINES I WROTE. This makes me happier than I have any right to be.)It will be broadcast somewhere in the first 4 months of 2013. And you will be able to listen to it wherever you are in the world, using the BBC’s iPlayer.I’m currently listening to Tor Dot Com’s AMERICAN GODS MIX TAPE while I work on the HBO American Gods pilot episode. https://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/11/the-complete-american-gods-mix-tapeRight. Back to work…