Burbank,
CA, May 19, 2017 –
With
a flourishing fan base that’s continuing to expand with each
episode, FremantleMedia is launching a range of licensed products
inspired by the American
Gods TV
series.
Based on Neil Gaiman’s award-winning novel of the same name,
American
Gods
premiered in the U.S. on STARZ on April 30, 2017. The TV gods smiled
upon the network when American
Gods
debuted to the most Live+SD series premiere viewers amongst all
current STARZ Original series, and set a network record for the
highest L+7 series premiere viewers. Internationally
the series premiered on Amazon’s international Prime Video service
on May 1, 2017, where it is currently the most watched show in the
U.K. on the streaming service.
Last
week it was announced that STARZ has picked up a second season of the
deity-driven, critically acclaimed original series. Amazon Prime
Video also followed suit and will make the second season available to
more than 200 territories outside the U.S.
“There
has been so much excitement and anticipation for American
Gods that
we wanted to offer our fan base a collection of product in
celebration of the first season,”
said Andrea Brent, Senior Vice President of Licensing & Franchise
Management, FremantleMedia North America. “An expanded offering is
currently in development and will be available in 2018 to support the
recently announced second season.”
For true believers that
want to wear their allegiance, Ripple Junction has created a line of
men’s and women’s graphic tees for specialty retailers in the
U.S. Select designs will also be available to consumers on Amazon.
Dark Horse Deluxe, a division
of Dark Horse Comics, is developing a host of novelty and collectable
products that will be available worldwide including a
sculpted coin replica, as well as a pint glass set and shot glass set
commemorating the infamous watering hole of the Gods, Jack’s
Crocodile Bar. Rizzoli will be launching a 2018 wall calendar that
will be available in September at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Go!
Calendars, and more. In addition, Trends will release a series of
posters and bookmarks carrying the iconic American
Gods
imagery for the U.S. market.
For
the rabid collector, Chronicle Books is creating a behind-the-scenes
hard cover book that will provide further insight into the making of
season 1, while Rittenhouse Archives will release a series of trading
cards in both the printed and digital format. Collectors will
rejoice with stylized figures from Funko, non-articulated vinyl
figures from Titan, and articulated action figures, foam replicas and
scalers from NECA. All of these products will be available globally.
In
the U.S. and Canada, Brand Access has signed on to run the official
American Gods
online store. The
store is scheduled to launch in June and will initially feature
limited edition, curated product bundles. The bundles will
include both products developed by Brand Access, as well as other
officially licensed merchandise.
In
addition, Represent is on board for a global direct to consumer
campaign offering fans limited edition graphic tees. Represent
will work with American Gods
cast members to design tees in support of their favorite charities.
Each weekend through the rest of the season a new character tee and
corresponding charity will be revealed. Currently, Ricky
Whittle’s Shadow Moon tee is available at
www.represent.com/shadowmoon,
with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Love Is Louder
(http://loveislouder.com). The
next American Gods limited
edition tee will feature Yetide Badaki’s Bilquis character and will
be unveiled on Sunday, May 21st
on www.represent.com.
Across
Europe, Danilo Promotions Limited is creating a series of calendars
and journals, while Pyramid Posters is creating a slate of posters,
wall art, mugs and stickers. Also available in the UK and Irish
markets will be apparel from Trademark Products and Brands In, as
well as a range of apparel, accessories and more from cult
entertainment retailer, Forbidden Planet.
Welcoming additional partners for the
American Gods
brand, FremantleMedia will be taking meetings in booth C-196 at the
upcoming Licensing Expo 2017 taking place in Las Vegas, NV from May
23-25 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
About American
Gods
Adapted
from the award-winning novel, “American Gods”
posits a different kind of war brewing—one between Old Gods and
New. The traditional Old Gods, with mythological roots from around
the world, fear irrelevance as their believers die off or are seduced
by the money, technology, and celebrity offered by the New Gods.
Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) is an ex-con who, left adrift by the
recent death of his wife, becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to
conman Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane). But in truth, Mr. Wednesday is a
powerful old deity, on a cross-country mission to build an army and
reclaim his lost glory.
“American
Gods” also stars Emily Browning (“Sucker Punch,” “Legend”)
as Laura Moon and Pablo Schreiber (“Orange is the New Black”) as
Mad Sweeney. Other cast members include Yetide Badaki (“Aquarius,”
“Masters of Sex”) as Bilquis; Bruce Langley (“Deadly Waters”)
as Technical Boy; Crispin Glover (“Back to the Future”) as Mr.
World; and Orlando Jones (“Madiba,” “Sleepy Hollow”) as Mr.
Nancy.
Additional
cast include Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files,” “The Fall”) as
Media; Kristin Chenoweth (“Pushing Daisies,” “Wicked”) as
Easter; Jonathan Tucker (“Kingdom”) as Low Key Lyesmith; Cloris
Leachman (“Malcom in The Middle,” “Raising Hope”) as Zorya
Vechernyaya; Peter Stormare (“Fargo,” “Prison Break”) as
Czernobog; Chris Obi (“Snow White and the Huntsman,” “The
Counselor”) as Anubis; Demore Barnes (“12 Monkeys”) as Mr.
Ibis; Corbin Bernsen (“L.A. Law”) as Vulcan; Mousa Kraish
(“Superbad,” “Fast & Furious”) as The Jinn; and Omid
Abtahi (“Argo,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2”) as
Salim.
“American
Gods” is produced by FremantleMedia North America. Bryan Fuller
(“Hannibal,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Heroes”) and Michael
Green (“Logan,” “Blade Runner 2049," "Alien:
Covenant," "Murder on the Orient Express," “Kings,”
“Heroes”) are writers and showrunners. David Slade (“Hannibal,”
“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) directed the pilot and additional
episodes. FMNA’s Craig Cegielski and Stefanie Berk are executive
producers along with Fuller, Green, Slade, Adam Kane and Neil Gaiman.
Senior Vice Presidents of Original Programming Marta Fernandez and
Ken Segna are the STARZ executives in charge of “American Gods.”
STARZ
retains all network pay TV and SVOD rights, as well as certain DVD
distribution rights in the US and Canada, to the project.
FremantleMedia International is distributing the series in all other
media worldwide.
Written
by Neil Gaiman in 2001, American
Gods has been translated into
over 30 languages and earned numerous accolades including Hugo,
Nebula and Bram Stoker Awards for Best Novel.
About
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia
creates, produces and distributes some of the best known and loved
content in the world including: American
Gods,
The
Young Pope,
Deutschland
83,
Got
Talent
(co-produced with Syco in the UK and the US), The
X Factor
(co-produced with Syco in the UK), Take
Me Out,
Family
Feud,
Match
Game,
Gute
Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten,
Wentworth,
Neighbours,
Grand
Designs,
Jamie
Oliver,
Danger
Mouse,
Munchies
(with
VICE Media),
and
The Football Republic.
We have an outstanding global network with operations in 31
countries, producing over 11,000 hours of programming a year, rolling
out more than 60 formats and airing more than 420 programmes a year
worldwide. The company also distributes more than 20,000 hours of
content in over 200 territories. We are part of RTL Group, a global
leader across broadcast, content and digital, and a division of the
international media company Bertelsmann. For more information, visit
www.fremantlemedia.com,
follow us @FremantleMedia
and visit our LinkedIn
and Facebook
pages.
About
FremantleMedia North America
FremantleMedia
North America (FMNA) is a premier content studio. FMNA and its
portfolio of companies, including Random House Studio, Original
Productions and 495 Productions, create entertaining and
innovative scripted and alternative programs for network, cable,
syndicated and digital partners. Its diverse,
critically-acclaimed and award-winning slate includes
American Idol (ABC),
America’s Got
Talent (NBC), Family
Feud (SYN), Let’s
Make A Deal (CBS), The
Price Is Right (CBS), The
Great Christmas
Light Fight (ABC), Deadliest
Catch (Discovery), Jay
Leno’s Garage (CNBC), Married
to Medicine (Bravo), Martha
and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party
(VH1), Blue Collar Millionaires
(CNBC), Ice
Road Truckers (HISTORY), Storage
Wars (A&E), Celebrity
Family Feud (ABC), To
Tell The Truth (ABC), Match
Game (ABC) and American
Gods (STARZ), among
others. FMNA also operates BUZZR, a retro game show channel that
launched in 2015, and is available in the top 10 U.S. markets, and 65
percent of the country.
FMNA
is the U.S. arm of global media giant FremantleMedia, which includes
a distribution arm, FremantleMedia International, a digital and
branded entertainment division and a kids & family entertainment
business. As one of the world’s largest and most successful
creators, producers and distributors of TV brands in the world,
FremantleMedia’s comprehensive global network has operations in 31
countries, creating over 11,000 hours of programming a year, rolling
out more than 60 formats and managing over 420 individual titles. The
company also distributes more than 20,000 hours of content in over
200 territories. For more information follow us @FMNATV and visit our
Facebook
page.
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