A new promotional still from Netflix's The Sandman provides a stunning, though forlorn glimpse at Morpheus' nightmare realm.
The image, shared exclusively by Total Film magazine, depicts how the personification of dreams' seat of power has fallen into disrepair during his long imprisonment. However, its former elegance and majesty are still apparent in the castle's massive windows and sweeping archways.
The picture isn't the only preview of the upcoming series that has been released. Recently, the official Twitter account for The Sandman dropped multiple photos, including one that shows Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) walking the streets with her brother, Morpheus (Tom Sturridge). The shot appears to be a recreation of a sequence from Sandman #8, Death's first appearance, in which the lord of dreams accompanies his older sister as she chaperones souls to the afterlife.
Gwendoline Christie's Lucifer has featured heavily in the promotional material for The Sandman; the first teaser clip for the series ended with the Lord of Hell saying, "Hello, Dream. Are you well?" Christie's casting drew the ire of certain parts of the internet, but Sandman creator Neil Gaiman has been quick and adamant in his support for the choice. When a Twitter user claimed that he was a hypocrite because Gaiman had previously stated he disliked when characters are altered in adaptations, the award-winning author responded by asking, "How exactly has the character changed? Is it the penis? It's okay. Lucifer in the comics didn’t have a penis, and I don't believe Gwendoline Christie has one either."
The writer has also called out many others online over their nasty comments about the Netflix show. Notably, he said he gives "zero fucks about people who don't understand / haven't read Sandman" in response to racist rhetoric surrounding Howell-Baptiste's Death and sexist comments about the casting of Mason Alexander Park, a non-binary actor, as Desire. Similarly, Gaiman responded to multiple individuals on social media who were complaining about "woke" sensibilities ruining the show, explaining "Sandman went woke in 1988, and it hasn't gone broke yet."
DC's original run of Gaiman's iconic comic book series was published from January 1989 to March 1996 (per the cover dates). The story follows Morpheus, also known as Dream, as he attempts to reclaim his realm and power after being trapped on Earth for many years. The comics and their various spinoffs have won several prominent, prestigious awards, including multiple Eisner and Hugo Awards.
The Sandman will make its epic debut on Netflix on Aug. 5.
Source: Total Film magazine, via GamesRadar+