Neil Gaiman’s popular comic book series, “The Sandman,” has been in development as a film or TV series for years now. Lots of different actors have come and go and studios have flirted with ways to bring the characters to life. But now, it appears that Netflix is definitely going to be the place where “The Sandman” comes to life, as the streaming service announced the primary cast for Gaiman’s TV adaptation.
READ MORE: Tom Sturridge Is In Talks To Star In Neil Gaiman’s ‘Sandman’ Series For Netflix
According to Netflix, confirming a report that dates back to last September, Tom Sturridge is officially leading the cast of “The Sandman,” playing the character of Morpheous, aka Dream, in the fantasy series. Joining Sturridge in the cast are Gwendoline Christie, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Asim Chaudhry, and Sanjeev Bhaskar. “The Sandman” isn’t your typical comic book series, though it is based on characters from DC Comics. The series aims to tell the story of Dream, as he travels around time and space attempting to fix mistakes he’s made during his existence. The series is much more cosmic and surreal than you might be expecting, as the show will also likely feature personified entities such as Death, Destiny, Despair, Desire, Delirium, and Destruction, who all make up a group known as The Endless.
“For the last thirty-three years, the ‘Sandman’ characters have breathed and walked around and talked in my head,” said Gaiman. “I’m unbelievably happy that now, finally, they get to step out of my head and into reality. I can’t wait until the people out there get to see what we’ve been seeing as Dream and the rest of them take flesh, and the flesh belongs to some of the finest actors out there. This is astonishing, and I’m so grateful to the actors and to all of ‘The Sandman’ collaborators — Netflix, Warner Bros., DC, to Allan Heinberg and David Goyer, and the legions of crafters and geniuses on the show — for making the wildest of all my dreams into reality.”
“The Sandman” is produced by Gaiman, alongside Allan Heinberg and David S. Goyer. Obviously, there’s no release date set for “The Sandman.” With casting becoming official, perhaps filming will begin soon enough for a 2022 debut.
Here’s the synopsis and character descriptions:
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.
TOM STURRIDGE is DREAM, Lord of the Dreaming
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE is LUCIFER, Ruler of Hell
VIVIENNE ACHEAMPONG is LUCIENNE, chief librarian and trusted guardian of Dream’s realm
BOYD HOLBROOK is THE CORINTHIAN, an escaped nightmare who wishes to taste all that the world has in store
CHARLES DANCE is RODERICK BURGESS, Charlatan, blackmailer, and magician
ASIM CHAUDHRY is ABEL, and SANJEEV BHASKAR is CAIN, the first victim and the first predator, residents, and loyal subjects of the Dream Realm.