American Gods season 4: All the latest updates about Starz show's future
The fantasy drama had a troubled three-season run – but it might not be over yet.
At the end of March, news broke that fantasy drama American Gods had been cancelled after three seasons, leaving fans around the world devastated.
The show's most recent season premiered back in January and ended on a mammoth cliffhanger, making this abrupt axing rather frustrating for longtime viewers.
However, hope may not be entirely lost as author Neil Gaiman, whose epic novel inspired the series, has assured fans that the television adaptation is "definitely not dead" but merely searching for a new home.
RadioTimes.com has your full breakdown on the circumstances which led to the show's cancellation and the latest developments when it comes to a possible season four or spin-off movie.
Why was American Gods season 4 cancelled?
While the first season of American Gods garnered a lot of attention with its bold fantasy vision and star-studded cast, the show went on to be hampered by behind-the-scenes drama.
Original showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green were fired as they were partway through planning the second outing, reportedly after clashing with production company Fremantle over the show's budget.
The duo were replaced by Jesse Alexander but, sadly, it wasn't smooth sailing from there – rather, the show only hit choppier waters on its voyage back to our screens.
As was widely reported at the time, American Gods season two was hit with a major production delay as issues arose between Fremantle and US broadcaster Starz over an inflating budget and last-minute rewrites (via The Hollywood Reporter).
When the sophomore offering did eventually arrive, it was hit by some less-than-stellar reviews, with many critics feeling the quality of the show had declined.
American Gods courted more controversy in the break between seasons two and three, as the story shifted focus to Shadow Moon's time living in Lakeside, resulting in the loss of some cast members.
Charles H Eglee was chosen as the fourth showrunner to take on the fantasy drama and proved to be a steady pair of hands, steering the production towards an improved critical reception.
However, with viewership on a downward trend and all these behind-the-scenes headaches to contend with, its not exactly surprising that Starz chose not to renew the show for an additional run.
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Will there be another series of American Gods?
Since the announcement that American Gods would not be returning for a fourth season on Starz, fans have been wondering if the show could find a new lease of life elsewhere.
"It's definitely not dead," writer Neil Gaiman said on Twitter. "I'm grateful to the team at Starz for the American Gods journey so far. Fremantle (who make AG) are committed to finishing the story that began in episode one, and right now we're all just waiting to see which way forward is best, and who it'll be with."
A spokesperson for Fremantle added (via Deadline): "Fremantle is committed to completing the epic journey that is American Gods, one of TV’s most inclusive series with the most amazing fans across the globe. With Neil Gaiman and this fantastic cast and crew, we are exploring all options to continue to tell this magnificent story."
If American Gods were to return, it would likely be as an event series or feature-length episode, but there's no word yet on which networks and streamers – if any – are in talks to continue the saga.
We'll update this page with new information as it comes in.
American Gods is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Take a look at the rest of our Sci-fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
