After a sensational Season 4 of Stranger Things, Netflix is hoping for another huge summer hit. Those dreams may yet come when Neil Gaiman's world of The Sandman arrives this week.
Based on the DC Comics phenomenon from the '90s, Gaiman's cult title brings with it legions of passionate fans who have immersed themselves mind, body, and soul into the intricate worldbuilding and mythology of the bestselling British writer's fertile imagination.
Few comics in the past decades have built such a loyal assembly of acolytes as The Sandman. But due to the labyrinthine plot and complicated universe the property exists in, Hollywood’s attempts at bringing the comic to life have been met with serious reservations... until now.
Let's delve into the godlike gothic entities of The Sandman to learn what we mere mortals can expect when Gaiman's visionary masterwork finally awakens on the small screen!
When is The Sandman's release date?
The Sandman airs exclusively on Netflix starting August 5, 2022.
What is The Sandman's release time?
Netflix releases new movies and TV shows at midnight Pacific, which is 3 a.m. Eastern.
How many episodes is The Sandman Season 1?
The Sandman Season 1 will consist of eleven hour-long episodes.
What is the plot of The Sandman?
The Sandman is a lavish, live-action adaptation of revered fantasy author Neil Gaiman's popular comic books and graphic novel collections. It's a complex cosmic tapestry of multiple dimensions populated by The Endless, immortal human personifications of universal archetypes that all of Mankind relates to.
These Endless are cosmic avatars that include Dream and his six siblings (Death, Desire, Despair, Destiny, Destruction, and Delirium) who are responsible for watching over mortal creatures' needs for stories and dreams. Besides his official name of Dream, The Sandman is also known as Morpheus or the Lord of Dreams. He rules over the mystic kingdom called The Dreaming.
Here's the official Netflix synopsis:
A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama, and legend are seamlessly interwoven, The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic — and human — mistakes he's made during his vast existence.
With 10 volumes of comics covering 75 issues over its seven-year run from 1989-1996, there's a mountain of material to play with. Season 1 of The Sandman will be adapted from the first three collected volumes: Preludes and Nocturnes, The Doll's House, and Dream Country.
Who is in The Sandman cast?
The Sandman stars:
- Tom Sturridge as Dream
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death
- Mason Alexander Park as Desire
- Donna Preston as Despair
- Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar
- Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne
- Patton Oswald as Matthew the Raven
- David Thewlis as John Dee
- Jenna Coleman as John Constantine's grandmother, Johanna
- Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess
- Boyd Holbrook as the Corinthian
Neil Gaiman will serve as an executive producer and co-writer alongside David S. Goyer, who penned the screenplays for the Blade Trilogy and Jonathan Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy. Wonder Woman's Allan Heinberg will act as showrunner for The Sandman.
Is there a trailer for The Sandman?
Yes, there have been several teasers and trailers released but Netflix has done one better than a standard preview by delivering a comprehensive YouTube guide to the characters and concepts viewers will soon be enveloped in. Newbies will appreciate the hand-holding efforts to introduce them to the multilayered narrative, and the veteran Sandman faithful can refresh their memories before heading back to the netherworld of The Dreaming and its companion dimensions.
Will The Sandman score a Season 2?
Netflix has gone to enormous trouble and cost ($165 million) to be faithful to The Sandman. With so much invested already, it's likely we'll be back in the sweet embrace of Dream and Death at some point in 2023. Though there's been no official word, series co-creator and writer David S. Goyer recently revealed that writing has already commenced for the second season.
