It's been 27 years since Neil Gaiman first started writing The Sandman, his groundbreaking comic series for DC (and later Vertigo), yet no official adaptations of the main storyline have been produced until now.
Netflix will be streaming a live-action adaptation of The Sandman, produced by Warner Bros. Television, and the news that's been released about the series so far has given fans of the comics plenty of reason for excitement. Here is what we know about the story and cast of Netflix's The Sandman Season 1.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated Sept. 21, 2021, to include the first-look trailer for Netflix's The Sandman, and images released by the streaming service on social media.
What Is the Story of Netflix's The Sandman?
The Sandman is a fantasy epic for mature audiences focused primarily on Dream, one of the seven Endless beings whose existence predates the gods. Season 1 of the Netflix series is going to be focused on the first two graphic novels in the series: Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll's House. In Preludes & Nocturnes, Dream escapes from captivity under the Burgess family of occultists and goes on a journey to recover his three symbols of power: his ruby, his helm and his pouch of sand. In The Doll's House, Dream tracks down creations that have gone missing from his realm -- including the nightmare being known as The Corinthian -- and crosses paths with Rose Walker, a woman whose search for her brother leads her to a convention for serial killers.
Neil Gaiman and David S. Goyer are writing the scripts together. While sticking to the plot of the comics, Gaiman has noted that the biggest changes have been adjusting the setting from 1989 (when the comics began) to the present day. Dream's imprisonment now lasts 105 years instead of 75 years to avoid messing heavily with the historical timeline. In addition, some characters have been reimagined in a more diverse manner to reflect how Gaiman would approach creating them today.
Who Has Been Cast in The Sandman?
Netflix has been announcing the cast of The Sandman in waves. The first wave revealed that Tom Sturridge is starring as Dream and Gwendoline Christie is playing Lucifer (a different interpretation of the same comics characterization that inspired Tom Ellis' character in Lucifer), along with Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne, Charles Dance as Roderick Burgress, Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian, Asim Chaudhry as Abel and Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain.
The second wave announced the actors for three more of the Endless: Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, Mason Alexander Park as Desire and Donna Preston as Despair. Other actors announced in the second wave include Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine, Niamh Walsh and Joely Richardson as younger and older versions of Ethel Cripps, David Thewlis as John Dee, Kyo Ra as Rose Walker, Stephen Fry as Gilbert, Razane Jammal as Lyta Hall, Sandra James Young as Unity Kincaid and Patton Oswalt as the voice of Matthew the Raven.
Lourdes Faberes is also confirmed to appear in the series in an unannounced role.
Trailers and Sneak Previews of Netflix's The Sandman
Netflix began its marketing campaign for the series with a behind-the-scenes featurette released in June 2021. The sneak peek features Neil Gaiman, Tom Sturridge and Gwendolyn Christie talking about the adaptation and provides first looks at some significant props and sets, as well as glimpses of concept art.
The first proper look at footage from the series was revealed at Netflix's TUDUM event on September 25, 2021. This one-minute teaser showcases the scene in which Roderick Burgess summons and captures Dream of the Endless. At the end of the teaser, The Corinthian tells Dream, "You're gonna need all the help you can get."
Also on September 25, Netflix launched the official Twitter and Instagram accounts for the series, debuting posters for Death, Desire and Dream.
No release date for The Sandman Season 1 has been announced yet by Netflix, though a release in late 2021 or early 2022 seems likely.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.