Netflix has just unveiled a first glimpse of the iconic world of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman in live action, with a video teaser and a series of character posters making their debut.
As part of the Netflix TUDUM event, The Sandman stars Tom Sturridge and Kirby Howell-Baptiste joined Gaiman to present an exclusive look at footage from the upcoming series. The clip shows Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess, performing the ritual that results in Dream's captivity on Earth. The posters appeared on newly created social pages for Sandman fans, as pointed out in the panel.
In addition to the comics-accurate setting and dialogue of the ritual, the teaser trailer reveals a first look at Sturridge as Dream, with ultra-pale skin and haunting dark eyes. There is also a close-up look at each of his key tools: a helm, a ruby and a pouch of sand.
Sturridge stars in The Sandman as Dream of the Endless, also known as Morpheus or the Sandman, an immortal being who represents humanity's ability to dream, hope and imagine. Howell-Baptiste will play Dream's older sister, Death.
Other cast members announced so far include Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer (a different interpretation of the same comics characterization that inspired Tom Ellis' character in Lucifer), Asim Chaudhry as Abel, Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain, Jenna Coleman, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Fry, Charles Dance and Good Omens actor Lourdes Faberes in a mystery role. The series is expected to premiere in late 2021 or early 2022. Before today's teaser, some behind-the-scenes footage was the only source of visuals from the show to be released.
The Sandman is based on the beloved dark fantasy/horror comic series of the same name, which was first published in 1989 by Vertigo, a division of DC. It primarily follows the character of Dream, but takes frequent detours into worldwide mythologies and legends. Because of its many fantastical elements and wide scope, adapting it to the screen has long been seen as a special challenge, with readers of the comics often objecting to any possible changes in the story.
However, Gaiman is present as a writer and executive producer on the series, alongside David S. Goyer, who believed that Gaiman's involvement was critical. In addition to working on the show directly, Gaiman has been actively hyping the project and wielding questions from fans online. For example, following a massive Sandman casting announcement, he revealed detailed breakdowns for the series' many characters, explaining who they are and why the actors playing them were cast.
Season 1 of The Sandman completed filming in August 2021, but Netflix has not yet announced a premier date.
Source: Netflix