The day that fans of The Sandman have long dreamed of is finally here. After endless false starts, Neil Gaiman’s beloved comic book series is coming to the screen. Last July, Netflix announced it had begun developing a live-action adaptation of the fantasy series. Now, after another long delay, we know who will be joining the diverse cast. Tom Sturridge has landed a dream role of a lifetime as Morpheus. And he’ll appear opposite a couple of stars from another wildly popular fantasy show, Game of Thrones.
StudioCanal
Today, Netflix announced the first official cast members for its The Sandman series. Tom Sturridge (Pirate Radio, Sweetbitter) will take on the titular role as the Lord of the Dreaming. Gwendoline Christie will join him as Lucifer, Ruler of Hell. As will another famous denizen of the Seven Kingdoms, Charles Dance. The former Tywin Lannister is playing Roderick Burgess, “charlatan, blackmailer and magician.”
Vivienne Acheampong (The Witches) will join them as Lucienne, chief librarian and trusted guardian of Dream’s realm. Boyd Holbrook (Logan, The Predator) is playing The Corinthian. He’s “an escaped nightmare who wishes to taste all that the world has in store.” And Asim Chaudhry (Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) and Sanjeev Bhaskar (Yesterday) will star as Abel and Cain respectively. They are “the first victim and the first predator, residents and loyal subjects of the Dream Realm.”
There. A whole set of tweets written just before bed and set to go out when I'm fast asleep. I'm vaguely worried that I've mistimed them, but too late now. Here are the first seven members of the #Sandman cast to be announced officially. Seven down, hundreds to go. pic.twitter.com/DksGLyMkBf
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) January 28, 2021
The show’s official synopsis provides newcomers an idea of what they can expect from the series: “A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic—and human—mistakes he’s made during his vast existence.”
DC Comics
Gaiman, Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman, Grey’s Anatomy), and David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) will all serve as executive producers and co-writers on the series, which is being produced by Warner Bros. Television. Heinberg is also showrunner on the series.
In a statement, Gaiman talked about finally seeing his iconic DC comic come to the screen.
“For the last thirty-three years, the Sandman characters have breathed and walked around and talked in my head. I’m unbelievably happy that now, finally, they get to step out of my head and into reality. I can’t wait until the people out there get to see what we’ve been seeing as Dream and the rest of them take flesh, and the flesh belongs to some of the finest actors out there. This is astonishing, and I’m so grateful to the actors and to all of The Sandman collaborators—Netflix, Warner Bros., DC, to Allan Heinberg and David Goyer, and the legions of crafters and geniuses on the show—for making the wildest of all my dreams into reality.”
Today is also a dream come true for the many fans who have been waiting a long time to see this happen.