Frances McDormand Cast As God In Neil Gaiman's 'Good Omens'

Neil Gaiman revealed at San Diego Comic-Con Friday that two-time Oscar-winner Frances McDormand [...]

Neil Gaiman revealed at San Diego Comic-Con Friday that two-time Oscar-winner Frances McDormand has signed on to star in Amazon's adaptation of Good Omens.

Gaiman said McDormand will perform the "voice of God" in the series, which will also feature Michael Sheen and David Tennant, reports Deadline. Sir Derek Jacobi, who was previously announced as the Voice of God or Metatron, will still be involved. McDormand will only have one vocal appearance as God.

Gaiman said McDormand got involved after she randomly sent him an email, asking if she could stay at his home in Scotland.

Amazon first announced plans to turn Good Omens into an eight-episode miniseries back in January 2017. The 1990 novel, which Gaiman wrote with the late Terry Pratchett, tells the story of a future where the Apocalypse is coming and the Final Judgement will descent on humanity. It was originally set in 2018, and is a comedy series.

Mad Men star Jon Hamm signed on in October, and will play archangel Gabriel, God's primary messenger. Gabriel only played a small part in the novel, but Gaiman expanded the role for Hamm in the miniseries.

Sheen stars as the novel's main angel, Aziraphale. Tennant will star as the demon Crowley. In the book, the two come together to try to stop the End of Times from coming. Things do not go as planned.

Gaiman will be involved in the miniseries, which also stars Nick Offerman, Miranda Richardson, Jack Whitehall and Michael McKean. It will be co-produced with BBC Studios, Narrativia and The Blank Corporation. It will air on the BBC in the U.K. before debuting on Amazon Prime in 2019.

"Almost thirty years ago, Terry Pratchett and I wrote the funniest novel we could about the end of the world populated with angels and demons, not to mention an eleven-year old Antichrist, witchfinders and the four horsepeople of the Apocalypse," Gaiman said in a statement last year. "It became many people's favourite book. Three decades later, it's going to make it to the screen. I can't think of anyone we'd rather make it with than BBC Studios, and I just wish Sir Terry were alive to see it."

As for McDormand, she is an Oscar-winner for her roles in Fargo and last year's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Last week, she reportedly turned down an offer to be in Joaquin Phoenix's Joker movie as the Joker's mother. Earlier this year, her voice was heard in Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs. Her most recent TV gig was the 2014 HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge.

Photo credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

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