Neil Gaiman's Fantasy Novel ANANSI BOYS Will Get a Limited Series Adaptation at Amazon
Amazon is set to produce a limited series adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel Anansi Boys. The adaptation will consist of six episodes, and Gaiman is set to write it alongside British comedy legend Sir Lenny Henry, who most recently worked on Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series.
Anansi Boys follows Charlie Nancy, “a young man who is used to being embarrassed by his estranged father. But when his father dies, Charlie discovers that his father was Anansi: trickster god of stories. And he learns that he has a brother. Now his brother, Spider, is entering Charlie’s life, determined to make it more interesting but making it a lot more dangerous.”
Gaiman said in a statement, “Anansi Boys began around 1996, from a conversation I had with Lenny Henry about writing a story that was diverse and part of the culture that we both loved. I wrote a novel, an (I hope) joyous and funny book about a dead god and his two sons, about birds and ghosts and beasts and cops, based in Caribbean and African tales. It was my first number one NYT Bestseller, and went on to become a beloved and award winning book.”
He continued, “Anansi Boys as a TV series has been a long time coming — I first started working with Endor and Red on making it over a decade ago. We needed Amazon Prime to come on board and embrace our vision, we needed a lead director with the craft and vision of Hanelle Culpepper, we needed the creative and technical wizardry of Douglas Mackinnon, who worked out how we could push the bounds of the possible to shoot a story set all over the world in a huge studio outside Edinburgh, and we needed the rest of the amazing talents that nobody knows about yet.”
Henry added, “I’ve been a huge fan, and couch sleeping friend, of Neil Gaiman’s for over 30 years and I have loved being a part of the Anansi Boys’ creative team. I love that we’re going to have a suitably diverse cast and crew to tell this joyous story. What’s great is that the whole production is listening and ensuring that inclusion is happening and is being seen to be done.”
Vernon Sanders, Co-Head of Television, Amazon Studios said, “No one can weave a story of fantasy, humor, and deep emotion quite like Neil Gaiman, and Anansi Boys is a funny, weird, wonderful ride. We’re so happy to have Neil, Lenny, and Douglas bring their vision for Anansi Boys to the screen for our Prime Video customers around the world.”
The series will begin shooting in Scotland later this year. Gaiman will also serve as co-showrunner on the series with Douglas Mackinnon. Hanelle M. Culpepper (Star Trek: Picard) will direct the pilot. Jermain Julien (Grantchester) and Azhur Saleem (Doctor Who) are also set to direct episodes for the series.
I’m sure that this is going to be another great series from Gaiman!
Source: Deadline