Netflix's upcoming adaption of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman just added a whole lot of exciting talent to its roster. Twelve more actors have been added to the cast, including Cruella actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste and the voice of Hulu's M.O.D.O.K himself, Patton Oswalt.
Previous The Sandman casting announcements included Tom Sturridge as series lead Dream and Game of Thrones actress Gwendolyn Christie as Lucifer. The Netflix series is described as a “rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven.”
Per Netflix's official press release, the new actors joining the Sandman cast are Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, Dream’s wiser and much more sensible sister; Mason Alexander Park as Desire, Dream’s sibling who is desire personified; Donna Preston as Despair, Dream’s sister and Desire's twin; Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine, John Constantine’s great-great-great-grandmother; Joely Richardson as Ethel Cripps, Master thief and woman of a thousand identities; Niamh Walsh as Young Ethel Cripps; David Thewlis as John Dee, Ethel’s dangerous and insane son who is on a quest for truth; Kyo Ra as Rose Walker, a young woman on a desperate search for her missing brother; Stephen Fry as Gilbert, Rose Walker's debonair protector; Razane Jammal as Rose’s close friend and traveling companion; Sandra James Young as Unity Kincaide, Rose’s mysterious benefactor and an heiress who has been asleep for a century; and finally Patton Oswalt will voice Matthew The Raven, Dream’s trusted avian emissary.
The Sandman is an adaption of the renowned DC/Vertigo comic series by writer Gaiman. It follows Dream, the titular Sandman, who is the lord and personification of all dreams and stories. The critically acclaimed series ran from 1989-1996 and has garnered numerous awards and nominations. It was also one of the first graphic novels to be included on the New York Times bestseller list, amongst other acclaimed comics like Alan Moore's Watchmen and Frank Millers The Dark Knight Returns.
A live-action film/television Sandman adaptation has been in development since at least 2013. At one point in time, Warner Bros. announced that Batman Begins screenwriter David S. Goyer would be producing a film adaptation starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but Gordon-Levitt dropped out in 2016. In 2019, it was announced that Netflix would be pursuing an adaptation with David S. Goyer serving as Executive Producer.
That's one hell of a cast to round out the upcoming series, which has been filming since December 2020. Howell-Baptiste can be seen starring alongside Emma Stone in Disney's villain origin story Cruella and Patton Oswalt has most recently been lending his voice acting talents to Hulu's M.O.D.O.K. David Thewlis, on the other hand, is likely still busy trying to figure out how he ended up in the Snyder Cut. The Sandman doesn't currently have an official release date but is expected to wrap production around June 2021.
The Sandman is currently in production.
Source: Netflix