Fantasy writing dream team Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett‘s co-written 1990 novel Good Omens is being made into a TV show, and they’ve only gone and cast two of our absolute faves in the lead roles.
According to Variety, David Tennant will play the fast-living demon Crowley, while Michael Sheen will play fussy angel Aziraphale.
As lovers of the book will know, neither Crowley nor Aziraphale is too happy about the prospect of the end of the world, which is due to take place in 2018 (oo-er).
Needless to say, reaction to the news of David and Michael’s casting has been more than a little excitable. Even the book’s original author and the show’s screenwriter Neil Gaiman is getting in on the Twitter action, responding to one ecstatic fan’s plea for the world not to end, thank you very much, before she can watch the show:
I'll be a little bit ticked off myself. https://t.co/zsK8omJpAq
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) August 15, 2017
Good Omens is the latest book by Gaiman to be adapted for the small screen in recent years, with Miranda‘s Tom Ellis starring in Lucifer on Fox, and the first season of American Gods recently airing on Starz.
This new series will be co-produced by the BBC and Amazon, with six hour-long episodes airing in 2018. And while neither organization has confirmed the reports, Michael sent a statement to Variety calling Good Omens one of his “favorite stories.”
“To be part of the team entrusted with bringing it alive on screen is a bit of a dream come true to be honest,” he went on. “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.”
Aww. David hasn’t said anything yet, but we’re sure he’d reciprocate the sentiment. Since his stint as the Tenth Doctor, he’s clearly relished playing bad guy roles, from Kilgrave in Jessica Jones to Scrooge McDuck in the revamped Duck Tales, while Michael has recently been nominated for a Golden Globe for his Masters of Sex performance.
We cannot wait to see these two in action on screen together. Can you?