In addition to premiering the Ash vs. Evil Dead series, Starz is hard at work on adapting Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel American Gods for television. ComicBook.com caught up with co-showrunner Michael Green on the Ash vs. Evil Dead premiere’s red carpet and asked how involved Gaiman has been on the series so far.

“Neil’s been terrific,” Green said. “He’s like our godfather, uncle, friend, fan, and father-in-law all at the same time. He’s definitely has that role of, you know, this is his baby. He birthed it, he raised it, but he really trusts us to take it on. He’s been great. He reads everything, outlines, scripts, we talk to him all the time, running idea by him. We heard from him today, and he’s our first backstop on everything we want to do.”

As involved as Gaiman is on the series already, he still hopes to actually enter the show’s writing room at some point.

“He has high hopes to jump into our room at some point, He has some personal things that are taking him out of the loop right now, which are wonderful news,” Green says, referring to the birth of Gaiman’s child with wife Amanda Palmer. “We’re hoping to get him writing. We’re wanting to put him to work, as much as we could possibly get. But he’s been the greatest. I mean, to meet someone who you’ve been such a fan of for so long. I’ve probably spent more money buying copies of his books as gifts to people than any other author I can think of, and it’s nice to meet him and then make him buy me lunch in return.”

Green also divulged that the show as entered the casting process, saying announcements will be made, “As soon as possible. We’re working on it as we speak. It’s been great, it’s been exciting, but these things take time.”