For a while, it looked as though American Gods wouldn’t be coming to television sets at all, but a fresh deal with FreemantleMedia has made sure another of Neil Gaiman’s creations cross mediums from book to screen.

Niel GaimanNeil Gaiman's award-winning stories are finding wider audiences

“FremantleMedia North America has finalized a deal for the rights to Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed urban fantasy novel American Gods, it was announced today by Thom Beers, CEO, FremantleMedia North America,” reads a portion of the press release, released today (Feb 4th).

The acclaimed 2001 novel American Gods was supposed to be in development at HBO, but back in November 2013, it changed hands, as Gaiman himself confirmed via Reddit on an AMA (ask me anything).

He said: “There is an American Gods TV series in the works. It’s no longer with HBO. The moment that things are ready to be announced I am sure they will be, either legitimately or via a leak in a big Hollywood Agency mailroom.”

Gaiman’s story – one that has picked up many awards, like the Hugo, Nebula and Bram Stoker Awards for Best Novel – sees a conflict brewing between gods of two ages: traditional biblical gods and those of ancient mythology opposed to a modern set of gods, reflecting societies obsession with consumerism.

Neil GaimanNeil Gaiman At Comic-Con

With secularisation rife, gods in the traditional sense are rapidly losing followers to a wave of modern technologies, media propaganda, loving relationships and drugs. Shadow Moon – the book’s protagonist – is an ex-con who partners up with Mr. Wednesday, a current con-man on a mission to gather forces and do battle with the new set of deities.

Gaiman has recently announced a return to the Sandman franchise, too, with a new mini-series of his most famous creation available now. The new plot acts as a prequel, giving fans of the franchise a chance to see what happened to Dream, how he got captured at the beginning of the tale.