No, this is not a dream fans of The Sandman. It’s Dream himself. Netflix has shared the first teaser for its highly-anticipated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s iconic comic series. And just like on the page, Morpheus’s journey will start with a long imprisonment.
Netflix shared the first trailer for its upcoming The Sandman series as part of its TUDUM online event. Fans of Morpheus will instantly recognize this footage from the show’s premiere. It comes entirely from the first comic. This teaser focuses on Roderick Burgess’s failed attempt to summon Death. Instead he ends up with her much less friendly brother Dream. That won’t be good for anyone involved.
But even if you haven’t read the comic series, you can probably guess who this encounter will ultimately be worst for. All you need to know who is in real trouble is this shot. Imagine summoning this glare to your house? Especially so you can lock them up? You wouldn’t want someone to look at you like this on a bus.
How many times do we have to say this? Do NOT mess around with an anthropomorphic embodiment of a powerful force in the universe. Especially one who exists for so long they’re known as one of the Endless. It’s “don’t get involved in a land war in Asia” on a cosmic level.
Tom Sturridge’s Morpheus won’t be locked in his cage forever though. Here’s the show’s official logline:
“The Lord of Dreams has been summoned, and captured, by mortal men. Once free from his captivity, this eternal ruler of Dreams will realize that his troubles are only just beginning.”
Netflix also put together a side-by-side video to highlight just how much this sequence follows Gaiman’s comic.
While this teaser focuses primarily on Charles Dance’s Burgess and his captive Dream, Netflix also released gorgeous triptych character posters on the show’s Instagram account. They introduce Morpheus and two of his Endless siblings. That includes his sister Death, played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, next to her symbol. And his sister-brother Desire, played by Mason Alexander Park, next to a crystal heart. And surrounding Dream is his helm (one of three tokens that will play important roles ins season one) and his raven.
When put together these The Sandman posters make for a striking tableau that captures both the beauty and terrifying power of the Endless.
Of course, there are seven Endless. And we need posters for all of them. (Even if we’re unlikely to get one sibling’s for a long time. Don’t worry, you’ll eventually understand why.)
We can only imagine how good they’ll all look together. But like this show, we’d rather see it than have to dream about what it would look like.
