Some texts are adapted countless times, while others are deemed unfilmable right away, but still, others experience one attempt after another with years in between. Filmmakers, crews, and concepts have come and gone, but it seems like Sandman is finally on its way to the small screen.
Neil Gaiman is one of the most beloved writers in the history of comic books, but adaptations of his work run an interesting spectrum. On one hand is his beautiful passion project Good Omens, on the other is less successful fare like Stardust. Sandman, perhaps Gaiman's most well-known work, has undergone a difficult journey but is currently in production with Netflix.
The original run of Sandman comics lasted from 1989 to 1996, and efforts to adapt the work to film began while issues were still being written. Pulp Fiction co-writer Roger Avary was set to direct an adaptation in the late 90s but was fired after conflict with the producer. William Farmer, the writer of the abysmal Jonah Hex adaptation, turned in a new script for the project, but Gaiman hated it so much, he began to believe Sandman would never see a screen. He famously said, "I'd rather see no Sandman movie made than a bad Sandman movie" in 2007. Regular superhero movie writer David S. Goyer pitched his take on a film adaptation and after Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer left the project, work began on shifting it to streaming TV. HBO was originally going to host the series, but balked at the sizable budget, allowing Netflix to swoop in and greenlight season one.
The Sandman is the story of The Endless, a family of immortal personifications of abstract concepts. The eponymous Dream is the living embodiment of dreaming, the lord of stories, and the monarch of the realm people briefly enter in sleep. His siblings, Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction serve their roles in the universe and contend with strange forces. The story is told largely out of sync with time, the scale is incalculable, and the esoteric magics of the main cast make it an extremely ambitious adaptation. The series deals in horror, action, romance, and much more as the endless lives of these godlike beings take endless strange directions.
Season one of The Sandman is set for eleven one-hour episodes. Within that runtime, the showrunners intend to adapt volume one "Preludes and Nocturnes" and volume two "The Doll's House", with the first half of volume three "Dream Country". Gaiman has described the adaptation as faithful, which implies that knowledge of the franchise will provide a look into the plot. The first volume tells the tale of Dream's abduction by a human occultist, his quest to reclaim his powers, and the disasters that result from the absence of one of The Endless. The second surrounds Dream hunting down a group of creatures who have escaped from The Dreaming. The third volume is more scattershot, telling several short stories about Dream's influence on the mortal realm.
The Sandman of the comics regularly incorporated DC characters, but typically only minor cameos from lesser-known characters. It's clear that The Sandman series will not interact with the established DCEU continuity or any of the other existing canon. Lucifer Morningstar is an important character in Sandman, and would be the same character as the one from Netflix's Lucifer, but has been recast to avoid that confusion. It's difficult to know whether DC characters will make appearances, but fans can rest assured knowing that the ones important to the story haven't made it to film yet. Cross-over cameos will likely be at a minimum for this series.
The biggest piece of information available is the cast list. The title role will be portrayed by English actor Tom Sturridge, who already looks good in the role. His beloved sister Death will be portrayed by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, best known for playing Simone on The Good Place. Logan star Boyd Holbrook will take on the terrifying role of The Corinthian. The series' take on Lucifer Morningstar will be portrayed by Gwendoline Christie, the wonderful actress behind Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones. Mason Alexander Park will portray the androgynous Desire, after their unique performance as Gren in the ill-fated Netflix Cowboy Bebop. Jenna Coleman, best known for portraying Clara on Doctor Who, will be portraying Johanna Constantine in place of her descendant John. Funnyman and longtime fan of the franchise Patton Oswalt was selected to portray Dream's raven emissary Matthew in the first casting decision the series made. Many interesting changes were made in casting this adaptation, and there's a lot to be excited about in this list.
Neil Gaiman promises a horrific, uplifting, powerful journey much like the beloved comic book. With a sincere adaptation and after a long and winding road, fans could finally get the on-screen Sandman they've always wanted.