I just read American Gods, and I must say, it swallowed me whole. If someone doesn't make a movie out of this, man, I certainly will if I ever get the captal to buy the liscensing (not to mention to do the film some justice). Excuse the pointlessness, I just had to state my thought.

Yep, I hope I live to see the day that American Gods become a movie! I say Peter Jackson should make the Film!

Defy Life

I have always thought of shadow looking and feeling like Vin Diesel - also maybe Hugh Jackman..

"Breakfast every hour on the hour just might save the world"

I agree completely that this book should be made into a movie... however if we have it made into a movie then it must not have even one iota left out... if something is left out then it changes the whole complex picture. Would anyone today be able to do this movie justice? with the backstage scenes.. the sex scenes.. the tons of different creatures that should definately look realistic?! I'm not sure anyone could.. though I will be the first in line if they do make it into one.... who would you play Shadow and Laura?

I do not believe in books being made into movies. Had American Gods been a movie idea, I'm sure that Mr. Gaiman would have written a screenplay rather than a book. The best thing about his writing is knowing the strengths and weaknesses of different media.

I don't think it would be easy. A movie based on American Gods would have to be very long, probably a trilogy.
I was reading the other topic about it and i thought about a few roles.
Shadow - Hugh Jackman or Billy Bob Thornton
Czernobog - Christopher Walken
Mr. Nancy - Morgan Freeman or Samuel L. Jackson
Easter - Cate Blanchett
Laura - Deborah Kara Unger
Wednsday - Anthony Hopkins or Donald Sutherland
Mad Sweeny - Ben Kingsley
Hinnzelman - Harvey Keitel

I think a good cast for a movie would probably be

Vin Diesel as Shadow
Jack Nicholson as wednesday
John Rhys-Davies as Czernobog
Bill Cosby as Nancy
James Marsters as Loki
Famke Jannsen as Laura
Queen Latifah as Easter (I know it's weird but it would work)
Woody Harrelson as horus
and Jack Osbourne as Technical Boy
Let me know what you think.

Hmmmm. I'm not sure I'd want to see American Gods with any of the casts proposed here so far...

There are a few actors I've seen who could do a great job with Wednesday, but unfortunately I don't know their names! I guess I'd rather see AG cast with unknowns or lesser-knowns as opposed to "big movie stars". Jack Nicholson as Wednesday? *shivers*

I see AG working better as a miniseries instead of a movie, anyway. I think the TV version of "The Stand" is a good example of turning a big fat novel into a miniseries with some depth.

It's tough to consider casting for a novel on this scale. I doubt an A-list cast is necessary, and some roles would definitely need to be lessened while others lengthened. Low Key for instance could be used in a couple of flashback sequences, make him seem as if he had a more profound influence on Shadow than the book lets on. As for the actual casting:

SHADOW- James Marsden of "Gossip" and "X-Men" is a quality actor and could easily fit into this friendly and trusting character. Admittedly, Vin Diesel was the image I had while reading but seriously, Vin couldn't pull off this character. Physically of course, but personality-wise, lo siento Vin. Hell, Barry Pepper may even be overdue for a shot as a leading role.
WEDNESDAY- I saw someone drop Kevin Spacey's name, who wouldn't be a terrible choice at all, nor would Anthony Hopkins. Those are the two top choices from my perspective.
LOKI- Tim Roth, I saw that name and immediately had it pictured perfectly. He's a likeable guy but at the same time, has that mischeivous look.
CZERNOBOG- The Russian guy from so many movies, especially from "Armageddon." He's key for this role because he's got that rough Russian way, a sort of cold bastard with leniance. Maybe John Malkovich would actually be suitable for this role as well.
SAM- Another role that needs some expansion, however easily this is Natalie Portman.
MAD SWEENEY- Norman Reedus, no doubt, this is your man for the leprechaun role, which should lengthen ever so slightly. When I say lengthen, I merely mean that they should drop wise advice to Shadow, that adds to Shadow's experiences and helps him grow.
MR. NANCY- Morgan Freeman, suitable enough as the smart black man.
LAURA- Famke Janssen would be probably be good as well.
As for the other characters, they can all be pretty B-List, although it would be great to have some well-knowns as Jaquel and Ibis, but everyone else really doesn't need incredibly well-knowns. Directing, Darren Aronofskey or Christopher Nolan would be prime picks, a smart director is a must, and both these guys have put together some very disturbing and smart flicks. Only a mind like that could possibly take on "American Gods."
Oh yeah, drop vignettes because they weren't all that important and there are only subtle changes that would need to be made regarding character roles decreasing and increasing.

As Kundera wisely noted, now to save a novel from being adapted to cinema the only thing you can do is shape it in a way it isn´t possible to do so...Books make us think and imagine, not just swallow, that´s what´s so good about them. Encouraging someone to see the movie based on book you've enjoyed is a big mistake, because there´s nothing more magical than relating characters in a book to people you've known/seen, something which rarely happens when you see a movie, plus, in a movie they chop out important things and ruin the book (most of them anyway..).
The least we can do if we borrow dreams is at least try to put in them a bit of ourselves.

Great words indeed.

How about William H. Macy as Wednesday? Or is he too nice for it?

OhdearGod.

Engineer, that posting style might work on the Avril Lavigne boards, but please, no allcaps and please, please, please, learn the joys of punctuation.

Y'know, getting snarky with the administrators is probably not th' best way to start your postings here.

That said, I've been meaning to catch "The Immortal" since the guy who lent me "City of Lost Children" told me I'd love it.

Well, no matter what, Loki would obviously have to be played by Edward Norton. He is very "Loki" in Rounders.

if you ask me, a movie could never be equally good as the book. never.

What if it was directed by your favorite director and starred your fave actors?

i'm thinking... everybody from Chinatown. working on a movie called 'American Gods'. i'd watch that

its o.k, i just gave neil some sort of honey wine, and he said i could make. who woulda thunk it. and he said he,d give me the money for some cheap violins.
well i,ll pass it on to david lynch, and don't tell me he makes twisted rubbish neither, the straight story made me cry.Dennis hopper for wednesday jo!

M. Night Shymalan directing would be interesting.

I tend to think that about many great books that I read that have lots of good visual content, and tent to be highly disapointed at the result. Movies just can't do justice to book, and I have trouble liking them if they deviate from my mental idea of what is happening. It would also be hard to put this book to screen because you would have to take out parts vital to the story for it to avoid being rated R. Prostitutes vaginally ingesting people isn't exactly as poetic on screen as on paper. Stuff like that just doesn't translate because it makes the movie appear to just have gratuitous sex and violence. In short, you simply cannot sum up the beauty of a book in film. Anyway, Hollywood has no taste.