Earlier this summer, Audible debuted an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s landmark comic book series, The Sandman. However, Netflix’s live-action Sandman series is still going forward. While speaking with Digital Spy, Gaiman noted that production was originally slated to begin in May. Gaiman also revealed that The Sandman will diverge from the comic by updating the story for the present.
“The Netflix version is going to begin in 2021,” said Gaiman. “So Morpheus will have been kept prisoner in the Netflix version for 105 years rather than 70 years.”
As originally written by Gaiman, Morpheus/Dream was captured by a group of sorcerers who tried to trap his sister, Death. Consequently, Morpheus spent decades in captivity before finally escaping in 1989. The comic initially followed Morpheus’ quest to reclaim his lost power. It also established Morpheus’ siblings, the Endless; which included the personifications of Desire, Delirium, Destiny. Despair, and Destruction. The Sandman comics also introduced its own version of Lucifer, who received his own spinoff comic that inspired the live-action series. However, it seems unlikely that Tom Ellis’ Lucifer will appear on The Sandman.
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Regardless, Gaiman shared his belief that moving The Sandman into the present gives the creative team the opportunity to re-envision the characters and stories.
“We’ll take that one, see what that does. It’s already in the scripts, it does interesting things because… if we were creating this character now, what gender would the character be? If we were creating the character now, who would they be? What would they be doing? And going on from there.”
Netflix has yet to announce a cast for The Sandman. Additionally, there’s no indication when the series may begin filming.
What do you think about Gaiman’s latest comments? And what do you want to see in the series? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes 30th Anniversary Edition
