Streaming platforms and media houses have successfully adopted many comic books to television in the last decade. So it is only natural that Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sandman’ would eventually find its way to the small screen. The comic was first published in January 1989 and was quickly recognized for its unique characters and plot.
Although a film adaption was planned as far back as the late 1990s, the project would face several production issues and would finally be canceled. In 2019, Netflix would officially announce that it had completed a deal with Warner Bros to bring the comics to the streaming world.
The Sandman’ Season 1 Plot
The plot introduces the main character Dream, also called Sandman. The Sandman is the physical representation of human dreams and the Lord of all dreams. At the beginning of the comics, he is captured by an occult ritual and held prisoner for 70 years. He finally escapes into the modern-day world and sets out to take revenge on his captors. The rest of the story follows him as he rebuilds his kingdom and tries to correct the many wrongs of his pre-capture life. His transformation to a more sympathetic character is at the core of the series.
The DC universe serves as the main setting of the comics. Although it primarily falls in the dark fantasy genre, the comics combine history, contemporary fiction, and humor to form a truly unique tale. From the icy giants of Asgard to the fires of Hell, the comics take the audience through endless fascinating domains. Allan Heinberg, who has been tapped to be the showrunner for Netflix, expected that it would bring that same energy to the visual adaptation.
The Sandman’ Season 1 Cast
In January 2021, Netflix officially released the cast for the show. It was announced that Tom Sturridge would play the Sandman. Other cast members include Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne, Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess, Asim Chaudhry as Abel, and Sanjeev Bhaskar Cain.
Significant differences in comic and TV show
Neil Gaiman has confirmed that the series will closely follow the comics, and the first season is expected to cover the first two volumes of the comic. One of the significant differences will be the show will be set in the current times as opposed to the comic, which is set in the 1900s
The Sandman’ Season 1 Release date
Although initially expected to air in the first half of 2021, the pandemic has pushed the release date to later this year. With official sources stating that filming resumed in October 2020, fans can expect the show to air in the latter half of 2021!
