Whoopi Goldberg announced as the latest to join Amazon’s new series Anansi Boys

Virgin Radio

8 Apr 2022, 08:42

The Oscar-winning actress will be joining the cast of Amazon’s upcoming fantasy series Anansi Boys.

Goldberg is one of six actors joining the show, which has begun filming in Scotland, and she will be taking on the role of Bird Woman- one of the story’s primary antagonists.

Along with Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Emmanuel Ighodaro, Cecilia Noble, Ayanna Witter-Johnsons and Don Gilet, the actress will make up a panel of gods who are part of the World Before Time- a place full of magic, beauty and danger.

The six-episode series has been adapted from the fantasy novels written by Neil Gaiman and follows the story of Charlie Nancy (Malachi Kirby), a young man who has a strained relationship with his father (Delroy Lindo). However, when his father dies, Charlie discovers his true identity- Anansi, AKA, the god of stories.

Charlie also learns he has a brother called Spider, who will certainly make his life more interesting but also a lot more dangerous.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Goldberg revealed she was familiar with Gaiman and his work.

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.”

Gaiman will also be serving as the series co-showrunner and admitted he had always wanted Goldberg for the role.

He added: “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 favorite books. Sometimes things feel planned and inevitable, and we are incredibly lucky. She’s going to be scary.”

Anansi Boys will air on Amazon Prime, but a release date has yet to be announced.