Neil Gaiman Announces ‘American Gods’ Season 3 Premiere Date

“American Gods” will return to Starz for Season 3 starting on Jan. 10.

The Season 3 premiere date was revealed as a message within an image of the Lakeside Clunker Board from Hinzelmann’s shop, referenced within author Neil Gaiman’s novel on which the show is based. In addition to sharing that image, Gaiman, who also created the show and serves as executive producer on it, wrote a letter to the fans, in which he addressed the timeliness of the forthcoming season’s plot, which is set to include more of a focus on immigrants and diversity.

“The struggles of the gods and the people in Season 3 of ‘American Gods’ are the struggles of America,” Gaiman wrote. “We didn’t think it would prove as timely when we plotted it, nor did I think the novel would still be relevant when I wrote it over 20 years ago. But I’m glad it’s happening now, in a year when it feels as though diverse stories are being heard, and honored, and allowed to change the future.”

“American Gods” depicts a world in which the gods of mythology exist and interact with humans. They begin to clash, however, with humans’ new set of gods: technology. Season 3 finds protagonist Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) attempting to create a normal life for himself in Wisconsin, hoping to reject the destiny he supposedly has as the son of Norse god Odin (Ian McShane).

“America must be for all of us, and ‘American Gods’ must reflect that,” he wrote. “This season truly feels as if it does. It’s full of drama and emotion, the very real and the utterly strange, and it features some of the finest performances the show has yet seen.”

In addition to Whittle and McShane, the series stars Emily Browning, Yetide Badaki, Bruce Langley, Omid Abtahi, Ashley Reyes, Crispin Glover, Demore Barnes, Devery Jacobs, Blythe Danner, Marilyn Manson, Julia Sweeney, Iwan Rheon, Danny Trejo, Peter Stormare, Denis O’Hare, Lela Loren, Dominique Jackson, Wale, Herizen Guardiola, and Eric Johnson.

“American Gods,” which is produced by Fremantle, is also executive produced by Charles H. Eglee, Anne Kenney, Damian Kindler, David Paul Francis, Mark Tinker, McShane, Craig Cegielski and Stefanie Berk. Eglee is also the showrunner.

Starz also announced that leading up to the Season 3 premiere, the network will host a weekend-long marathon of the first two seasons. The first eight episodes, running back to back on Jan. 9, beginning at 12 p.m. Then on Jan. 10 at 12:20 p.m., the second season’s eight episodes will air, leading directly into the Season 3 premiere at 8 p.m.

Read Gaiman’s full letter below:

When we embarked upon making Season 3 of “American Gods,” we had no idea how timely it would turn out to be. We knew we wanted to return to what people loved and responded to in the book: that it was time for Shadow to go to the little town of Lakeside and try to lose himself in normality.

And at the same time, in Season 3, we wanted to focus on the characters and their journeys. To show Shadow forging a path guided by the Gods of his ancestors, becoming more himself while deciding who he is and what side he’s on — humanity’s or that of the Gods.

We knew also that we wanted to continue to root the show in the landscapes of America. To explore what “America” means to its people and to talk about immigrants — about the very different people who came to this remarkable land and brought their gods with them. The new gods of phone and app and glitter demand our attention and our love, and the old gods want to mean something again.

America must be for all of us, and “American Gods” must reflect that. This season truly feels as if it does. It’s full of drama and emotion, the very real and the utterly strange, and it features some of the finest performances the show has yet seen. It brings back favorite characters, some in remarkable new ways, and we will encounter people and gods we’ve never met before. I’m proud of our brilliant cast — of Ricky and Emily, of Yetide and Ian, Bruce, Demore, Omid and all the rest — and of what the writers have done to bring the story back on track.

The struggles of the gods and the people in Season 3 of “American Gods” are the struggles of America. We didn’t think it would prove as timely when we plotted it, nor did I think the novel would still be relevant when I wrote it over 20 years ago. But I’m glad it’s happening now, in a year when it feels as though diverse stories are being heard, and honored, and allowed to change the future.

Thank you so much,

Neil Gaiman