Everything You Want To Know About Netflix's 'The Sandman'

For years, a huge community of fans have clamored for a live adaptation of The Sandman, Neil Gaiman's DC superhero comic book series. In 2020, Netflix announced that it would make this dream come true; and after two long years, it's finally coming next month. Here's what we know.

The Sandman in a nutshell:

Based on the beloved award-winning DC comic series written by Neil Gaiman, The Sandman is a rich, character-driven blend of myth and dark fantasy woven together over the course of ten epic chapters following Dream’s many adventures. Developed and executive produced by Gaiman, showrunner Allan Heinberg, and David S. Goyer, The Sandman is produced by Warner Bros. Television.

Who is The Sandman? Who will play him?

The Sandman is about Dream, a character that goes by many names but he is the titular Sandman, the lord of dreams, and one of the seven Endless (god-like beings that are tied to the fabric of reality itself.). In Netflix's upcoming adaptation, Tom Sturridge (Being Julia, Like Minds, The Boat That Rocked) will bring the beloved comic book character to life.

In the original comic books, the story begins when Dream is captured and imprisoned for seven decades by a cult. He escapes into the modern day and punishes his captors while rebuilding his realm, which has since fallen into ruin since his abduction.

In the series, the powerful cosmic being is held prisoner for over a century and now faces the challenge of journeying across different worlds and timelines to fix the chaos his absence has caused. How much the series will stick to the original plot remains to be seen, but Neil Gaiman, a producer himself of this production, is reportedly quite happy with how this live adaptation has been turning out. 

Who is in the cast of The Sandman?

The series also stars Boyd Holbrook, Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, David Thewlis, Stephen Fry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Donna Preston, Vanesu Samunyai (formerly known as "Kyo Ra"), John Cameron Mitchell, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Joely Richardson, Niamh Walsh, Sandra James-Young and Razane Jammal.

Will there be more seasons of The Sandman?

The first season—composed of 10 episodes—will adapt the first two volumes of Gaiman's comic, "Preludes and Nocturnes" and "The Doll's House" (Issues #1-#16), which tell the story of Dream's escape from the cult and search for his objects of power, journeying into Hell itself to reconnect with his long-lost siblings, and after that, figuring out who is responsible for a mysterious magical scheme destroying his creations.

When does it premiere on Netflix?

The Sandman drops on Netflix on August 5, Friday. There will be 10 episodes total, with each episode running an hour.

Watch the trailer to The Sandman:

All photos courtesy of Netflix