June 03--Get ready to worship at the altar of Gillian Anderson. "The X-Files" actress has been cast as a New God on the upcoming Starz adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "American Gods."
According to a statement released by the network Friday, Anderson, best known for her work as Dana Scully on '90s sci-fi classic "The X-Files," will play Media, "the mouthpiece for the New Gods, functioning as their public face and sales representative, by taking the form of various iconic celebrities."
"She lives off the attention and worship that people give to screens -- to their laptops, their TVs, to their iPhones in their hands while they watch their TVs. Ever the perky spokesperson, and always in control, she spins stories in whatever direction best suits her."
The Starz description fits the book's character, and Media is not to be trusted. The more prevalent a god is in the public, the stronger he or she becomes, and if today's phone-obsessed culture is any indication, Anderson might be pretty popular.
Anderson is the latest "Hannibal" alum to join "American Gods." Bryan Fuller, who served as show runner for the NBC adaptation of the Thomas Harris novels, is the show runner and writer of the upcoming Starz series, alongside Michael Green.
David Slade, who served as a director and executive producer on the NBC psychological horror, is directing the pilot of "American Gods" as well as additional episodes.
"American Gods" is the tale of a growing war between the old gods and the new, centered around Mr. Wednesday, a charismatic con man played by Ian McShane ("Deadwood") and a quiet ex-con, Shadow Moon, played by Ricky Whittle ("The 100").
The series is set to debut on Starz in 2017.
