What happens when you pit the Old Gods against the New Gods? Starz’s American Gods is tackling that topic head-on. The series based on the Neil Gaiman novel is a officially a month away—it premieres on April 30—and to push your anticipation levels farther towards the sky, Starz has released the opening titles. The sultry and bizarre sequence is packed with rich symbolism. Watch:
As I’ve mentioned before, the new and old deities have no interest in co-existing. One side wants to come out on top, to claim the brunt of the believers and worshippers in America, and grow strong and survive. (That last bit is important.) The Old Gods are eking out a living, but they’re getting by on figurative crumbs. The New Gods, however, they’re thriving—and that’s what jumps out to me in the opening credits.
We see iconography from a variety of religions and myths, a.k.a. what the Old Gods are trying to protect and revive. But everything is touched, infected maybe, by technology, drugs, and all the things the New Gods push and take power from. You can spot a crucified astronaut, Las Vegas’ neon cowboy, and a circuit-shrouded statue among other objects. All of it comes together to form an unlikely totem.
Co-showrunners and executive producers Bryan Fuller and Michael Green said, “Is it strange to want action figures from a main title sequence? Crucified astronauts, neon cowboys and S&M centaurs, we bow to Elastic [they created the titles] and their spectacular vision. A totem of godly visions we didn’t know we needed to worship until they showed us the light with this clarion call to the American Gods.”
What do you think of the style of the opening sequence? Share your reaction and interpretation in the comments.
Featured Image: Starz
