Whoopi Goldberg has been cast as Bird Woman in the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 2005 fantasy novel Anansi Boys.
The American actress, 66, will star opposite Malachi Kirby and Delroy Lindo in the six-episode series from Studios.
Anansi Boys tells the story of the sons of Mr Nancy, an incarnation of West African trickster god Anansi, as they become aware of each other’s shocking existence and embark on an adventure together.
Delroy plays Anansi while Malachi takes on the role of both sons: Fat Charlie and Spider.
News of the Sister Act star’s addition to the cast was announced today, with Whoopi revealing she is a big fan of the novel.
She said: ‘I have been a fan of this book for a very long time and when Neil Gaiman told me it was being brought to the screen, I did everything I could to be part of it to help make people aware of Anansi and all his magic.’
Author Neil meanwhile, who also acts as both showrunner and executive producer of the series, said he had always envisioned Whoopi in the role when he first wrote the book.
He said: ‘When I first conceived Anansi Boys, decades ago, I imagined Whoopi Goldberg as Bird Woman.
‘I wasn’t able to meet her until 2018, when she interviewed me with some of the Good Omens team at New York Comic Con.
‘At which point she mentioned that she had just finished listening to Sir Lenny Henry’s reading of Anansi Boys, and that it was one of her favourite books.
He added: ‘Sometimes things feel planned and inevitable, and we are incredibly lucky. She’s going to be scary.’
The new series is set everywhere from contemporary to Florida, the Caribbean and the mythical World Before Time, which is described as ‘a place of incredible beauty, magic and danger.’
As one of the key antagonists, Whoopi’s Bird Woman is the embodiment of all birds, from stately breeds to aggressive seagulls, and was wronged by Anansi long ago.
The cast of animal gods from the World Before Time includes Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Tiger, Emmanuel Ighodaro as Lion and Cecilia Noble as Elephant.
Fantastical land the World Before Time is one of the locations brought to life at FirstStage Studios in Leith, Scotland, with the help of a new LED volume stage.
Renowned fantasy novelist Neil’s creations have been brought to life plenty of times before, with The Ocean at the End of the Lane enjoying a run in London’s West End, and 2007’s fil adaption of Stardust released to critical acclaim.
Most recently, – Neil’s 1990 novel with Terry Pratchett – was adapted into a hugely popular Amazon series, starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen.
The second series of the show is currently in production.
