Empire has released a new official photo of The Sandman , a Netflix series based on the famous comic by Neil Gaiman .
The image depicts the eponymous Morpheus ( Tom Sturridge ) and the librarian Lucienne ( Vivienne Acheampong ).
Gaiman is also the author of the show, and reveals that we can expect something surprising:
You watch Episode 1 and you think, “Ah, I get it: it’s like Downton Abbey but with magic.” Then you start wondering “What the hell is he?” starting with episode 2, when you meet Gregory The Gargoyle in The Dreaming. Episode 5 is the darkest and most traumatic thing there can be, then you get to the sixth, which is probably the happiest of all episodes.
There will therefore be a great variety, and each episode will be different from the others:
If you didn’t like a Game of Thrones episode , you probably won’t like any other Game of Thrones episode . With Sandman , we want to surprise you. It’s about reinventing yourself. It is about taking you on a journey that you have never done before.
The release is expected later this year on Netflix , but a date is not yet available. You can see the photo below.
FIRST LOOK 🚨 Netflix’s #TheSandman series is “all about surprising you”, Neil Gaiman tells Empire.
Read more and see this exclusive new image in full: https://t.co/6eFyOwopW9 pic.twitter.com/6HHUxwW28M
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) February 16, 2022
The producers
The first season will have ten episodes, and will adapt the stories Preludes , Nocturnes and The Doll’s House . The pilot was written by showrunner Allan Heinberg with Neil Gaiman himself and David S. Goyer . The latter are also executive producers. Some episodes will be directed by Toby Haynes ( Doctor Who , Sherlock , Black Mirror ).
The synopsis
A rich blend of modern mythology and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly stitched together, The Sandman follows the people and places influenced by Morpheus, the King of Dreams, as he makes amends for cosmic mistakes – and humans – which he accomplished during his long existence.
The cast
The cast includes Tom Sturridge (Morpheus), Gwendoline Christie (Lucifer), Vivienne Acheampong (Lucienne), Charles Dance (Roderick Burgess), Sanjeev Bhaskar (Cain), Asim Chaudhry (Abele), Boyd Holbrook (Corinthian), Jenna Coleman (Johanna Constantine), David Thewlis (John Dee), Stephen Fry (Gilbert), Patton Oswalt (Matthew), Joely Richardson (Ethel Cripps), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Death), Mason Alexander Park (Desire), Donna Preston (Despair), Niamh Walsh (Ethel Cripps young), Kyo Ra (Rose Walker), Razane Jammal (Lyta Hall), Sandra James Young (Unity Kincaid) and Eleanor Famyinka ( Rachel) .
An ambitious project
It seems that the agreement between Netflix and Warner Bros. Television to make Sandman is “very massive”: some sources already describe it as “the most expensive TV series ever made by DC Entertainment “.
The showrunner
Allan Heinberg created the Young Avengers comic for Marvel, but has previously worked on the small screen in series such as Five in the Family, Sex and the City, A Mom to a Friend, The OC, Grey’s Anatomy, Looking, Scandal and The Catch . as well as writing the blockbuster Wonder Woman for Warner and DC Films.
A legendary comic
The original comic was published by DC Comics (through the Vertigo label ) between 1989 and 1996, and tells the story of Sogno , an anthropomorphic personification of dreams and stories. Her adventures, often tragic and painful, also include her brothers and sisters, the Eternals , who represent various aspects of the human experience such as Destiny, Desire, Despair and Delirium ; in addition, Sandman ‘s tales include many figures drawn from cultural and religious traditions from around the world, from Lucifer (who later became the protagonist of another comic series) to Odin , fromAzazel to Calliope .