Hanks's US film and television production company Playtone is currently planning to develop the novel by Neil Gaiman into an open-ended series for HBO.
However Hanks admitted that he is not familiar with the story and is working to change that.
Asked how the development is going, he said to MTV News: 'I don't know anything about American Gods. I have the book.
'I just now have it and it's on my summer reading list because people at my company came in foaming at the mouth about American Gods and the possibility of being able to do it.
'So I said: 'Uuh, okay, let's go! Let's go!' So I'm playing catch-up on American Gods which is going to be a pleasant job.'