CCH Pounder, Fiona Shaw, and Jason Watkins have joined the cast of Anansi Boys, Amazon’s planned limited-series adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel, Variety reports.
Gaiman’s 2005 fantasy book, a sequel to his popular American Gods, follows Charlie Nancy, a man who is visited by a brother he never knew he had after their father, a god in human form, dies while singing in a karaoke bar. A critic for Kirkus called it “intermittently lumpy and self-indulgent, but enormously entertaining throughout.”
Pounder (ER, Sons of Anarchy) will play the role of Mrs. Higgler, a friend of the Nancy family, while Watkins (The Crown) will star as Charlie’s boss, Grahame. Shaw, known for her work in the Harry Potter movies, will play Maeve, a dancer who accuses Grahame of embezzlement.
Other actors added to the cast include L. Scott Caldwell (Insecure), Lachele Carl (Torchwood), and Joy Richardson (Children of Men). They join previously announced cast members Delroy Lindo (The Good Fight), Malachi Kirby (Roots), and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn (Small Axe).
The series is written by Gaiman, Lenny Henry, Arvind Ethan David, Racheal Ofori, and Kara Smith, with Jermain Julien, Azhur Saleem, and Hanelle M. Culpepper directing. Gaiman, Henry, and Culpepper are among the show’s executive producers.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
