On Friday morning, Neil Gaiman announced some news that his fans have been looking forward to for a good two decades: A dramatization of Good Omens, the cult novel he wrote with Terry Pratchett back in 1990.
Unfortunately it’s not a TV or movie adaptation, but it is the next best thing. Produced by the same team who adapted Gaiman’s phenomenally successful Neverwhere last year, a radio dramatization of Good Omens will be airing on BBC Radio 4 this December. Most fans saw this news on Gaiman’s Twitter feed this morning, and proceeded to freak the hell out.
The Rob half of @terryandrob is about to meet me and together we will go to @BBCRadio4 . No reason.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) September 5, 2014
Who are these people and what are they doing? pic.twitter.com/p7KhoKlC8P
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) September 5, 2014
Good Omens is coming to Radio 4 – FIRST cast photo here. @serafinowicz @neilhimself @terryandrob @louisebrealey pic.twitter.com/f4eRry8hv3
— BBC Radio 4 (@BBCRadio4) September 5, 2014
The radio version of Neverwhere starred Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, and Natalie Dormer, and it looks like Good Omens includes a similar cast of well-known actors.
The lead character, Newton Pulsifer, will be played by Merlin’s Colin Morgan, who even looks the part, while Mark Heap (Stardust, The Green Wing) and Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians Of The Galaxy, Shaun Of The Dead) will be playing Aziraphale and Crowley. The rest of the cast is made up of British TV and movie actors including Sherlock’s Louise Brealey. The director is Dirk Miggs, who is best known for the iconic Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Colin Morgan in radio version of Good Omens, is it heaven coming to earth or what? I’m so happy! #favoritebook + #favoriteactor
— Maru (@ainemcfate) September 5, 2014
Good Omens is one of those books that fans have been dream-casting for years, particularly when it came to the characters of Aziraphale and Crowley. Five or 10 years ago the fan-favorites were Paul Bettany and Johnny Depp respectively, but recent popular choices have skewed more towards the ubiquitous Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch, or X-Men’s Fassbender/McAvoy pairing.
If they were to do a film version of Good Omens, it might actually be pretty cool to cast David Tennat & Matt Smith as Crowley & Aziraphale.
— Rainbow Batman (@RainbowBatSuit) September 4, 2014
Just realized we’re never gonna get that GOOD OMENS movie with Robin Williams as the angel and Johnny Depp as the demon.
— Kelly Tindall (@kellytindall) September 5, 2014
The future of a Good Omens TV series or movie adaptation is as uncertain as ever, but this radio version certainly has fans excited. After 24 years, Good Omens has become something of an institution in the sci-fi/fantasy community, and the pedigree of this radio adaptation indicates that it will definitely live up to the book.
Photo via Wikimedia
