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David Tennant, Michael Sheen in Good Omens for Amazon.

Humorous fantasy written by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett will screen in 2019.

Michael Sheen and David Tennant will star in Good Omens, a humorous fantasy drama which will launch globally on Amazon in 2019.

The 6 x 1-hour “equal parts comedy and horror” series will be written by Neil Gaiman (American Gods), based on the bestselling novel by Terry Pratchett (Hogfather, Discworld) and Gaiman. The project was first greenlit in January.

Co-produced with BBC Studios, the series will see Gaiman act as Showrunner with Douglas Mackinnon as director.

David Tennant says: “Michael Sheen, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett and directed by Douglas Mackinnon, it’s a dream team and a dream gig. I am very excited that I’ve been asked to be part of this amazing project. Bring on the Apocalypse!”

Michael Sheen says: “I first read Good Omens as a teenager and it’s been one of my favourite stories ever since. To be part of the team entrusted with bringing it alive on screen is a bit of a dream come true to be honest. To work alongside Neil, who I think is one of the greatest storytellers of all time, is incredibly exciting. And, just like the rest of the world, I’m a huge fan of David’s so I relish trying to save it with him.”

Neil Gaiman, Writer and Executive Producer says: “If you are looking for actors to play two of the best-loved characters you and Terry Pratchett ever created, then, if you are very lucky and have been very good, you will get Michael Sheen and David Tennant to bring them to life. The best Welsh actor of his generation gets to be an angel, the best Scottish actor of his, a demon. Terry and I wrote Good Omens (I like to think it’s one of the funniest novels ever written about the end of the world and how we are all going to die) almost 30 years ago. It’s strange that it feels more relevant now than it ever did before. I only wish that Terry could be here to see it come to life with such a fantastic team.”

Sheen will star as the somewhat fussy angel and rare book dealer Aziraphale, and Tennant will play his opposite number, the fast living demon Crowley, both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and of each other. So it’s really terrible news for both of them that, if Heaven and Hell have their way, the world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis has risen, tempers are flaring. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are ready to ride. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Expect that someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist…

Good Omens will be brought to the screen by the highly acclaimed director Douglas Mackinnon, whose credits include Doctor Who, Outlander and the standalone Victorian episode of Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, winner of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie last year.

Douglas Mackinnon, Director and Executive Producer says: “Ironically, given that it is a timeless novel, the Good Omens story stretches from the beginning of time to quite near the end of time. I am honoured to be working with Neil Gaiman (and Terry Pratchett in absentia) and directing such a wonderfully prestigious project for Amazon and BBC Studios. I hope to deliver an epic parcel of fun just before Armageddon arrives instead.”

Roy Price, Head of Amazon Studios and PrimeVideo.com content globally, said: “We could not have hoped for two better suited actors to take the roles in this highly-anticipated show. We look forward to seeing David and Michael make these roles their own, as they are sure to do, and look forward to bringing the show to Prime members around the world in 2019.”

The Executive Producers of Good Omens are Neil Gaiman (American Gods) and Chris Sussman (Fleabag) for BBC Studios; Rob Wilkins (Choosing to Die) and Rod Brown (Going Postal) for Narrativia; and Douglas Mackinnon (Sherlock). Gaiman has adapted the novel for the screen.

One Response

  1. There has been lots of talk (and a little action) for more than 15 years about making a film and/or TV series of the book. This does seem to be a lot more solid than previous attempts but 2019 is still some time away.

    Think there might be one or two Disc World novels that haven’t yet been made into something televisual.

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