Updated News on Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys, the Highly Anticipated American Gods Spinoff

Summary

Filming for Prime Video's Anansi Boys officially began in January 2022, but updates on its progress have been sporadic.

Douglas Mackinnon, co-showrunner of Good Omens, reportedly departed from Anansi Boys in November 2022 during the post-production phase.

According to Neil Gaiman, the original author, the episodes of Anansi Boys have been "picture locked" and are currently in the process of getting visual effects finalized.

Prime Video's highly anticipated television adaptation of the Anansi Boys spinoff novel, written by Neil Gaiman, has received an update from the original author. The series follows the story of the twin sons of the Ghanaian trickster god, Anansi, also known as Mr. Nancy (played by Orlando Jones in Starz's American Gods adaptation). Filming for the new show officially commenced in January 2022, but there have been limited updates on its development.

In a recent report by Deadline, it was revealed that Douglas Mackinnon, former co-showrunner of Good Omens, had reportedly departed from the Anansi Boys project in November of last year, just as it entered post-production. Despite this setback, Neil Gaiman shared some encouraging news regarding the show's progress in response to a fan inquiry.

In addition to revealing that Anansi Boys was being filmed simultaneously with Good Omens season 2, Gaiman was asked for an update on the show’s release date. While the author did not provide a specific answer, he did share that the show’s episodes were “picture locked” during his recent involvement in the Writers Guild of America strike, and now the visual effects are being finalized for the show.

Will Anansi Boys Continue Neil Gaiman’s Streaming Television Streak?

With the immense triumphs of shows such as Prime Video's Good Omens and Netflix's The Sandman, Gaiman's literary creations are rapidly dominating the realm of streaming television. Already revered as one of the most accomplished fantasy authors of our time, studios and streaming services are increasingly delving into Gaiman's extensive body of work to discover their next potential blockbuster.

While previous attempts to bring his stories to the screen have yielded varying levels of accomplishment throughout the years, with notable delays in projects like the initial plans for a Sandman movie, Gaiman has recently been experiencing a string of streaming triumphs. This trend has been greatly reinforced by his direct involvement in certain projects, ensuring that his original ideas are faithfully portrayed.

Gaiman's involvement as a co-writer and previous co-showrunner with Mackinnon suggests that Anansi Boys has the potential to add to his string of successful shows. Additionally, teaming up with comedian Lenny Henry, who not only inspired the story but also narrated the official audiobook, offers audiences an intriguing addition to Gaiman's expanding collection of shows.

Source: Neil Gaiman/Tumblr, Deadline