‘The Sandman’: Netflix Gives First Look at ‘The Dreaming’ for ‘Geeked Week’ Event

Netflix made a three-decade-long Dream come true for comic book fans on Tuesday. The streamer’s “Geeked Week” event finally gave us our first look at Neil Gaiman‘s The Sandman TV series. A two-minute behind-the-scenes video already has fans scrambling to enter The Dreaming for themselves.

Netflix is unveiling many of its biggest sci-fi and fantasy productions during virtual events this week, and it only seems right that the Sandman reveal is narrated by Gaiman himself. The writer spoke over a few frames from his seminal comic book before taking fans onto the set himself. Cast members weighed in as well alongside scenes from Morpheus’ world, including his iconic mask and his realm, The Dreaming.

“For 32 years, anyone who read Sandman read the comics,” Gaiman said. “That world is ending. I’m here at Shepperton Studios, and I’m getting to see what happens when you bring dreams to life.”

In an age when adaptations of existing intellectual properties are the holy grail for studios and streaming services, The Sandman may be the biggest thing Netflix has coming. The series is based on a comic book that Gaiman co-created with Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg, with a variety of artists working on it throughout its run from 1989 to 1996. It was published by DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, and recent reprints have been handled by DC’s Black Label.

The book is a surreal, esoteric exploration of existential concepts and personifications. It follows a main character named Dream — known by many other names including Morpheus — one of the seven “Endless” along with Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium and Destruction. Fans have been dying for an adaptation of this beloved series for years, yet many believed it wouldn’t — or couldn’t — be done.

Netflix intends to prove them wrong in one of the most anticipated TV events of the year. The adaptation stars Tom Sturridge as Dream, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer and Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne. Three of the other Endless casting choices have been revealed now as well — Kirby Howell-Baptiste will play Death, Mason Alexander Park will play Desire and Donna Preston will play Despair. Other big names in the show include Charles Dance as occultist Roderick Burgess, Patton Oswalt as the raven Matthew and Stephen Fry as the bodyguard Gilbert.

As exciting as this glimpse was, it gave no concrete details like the release date for the series. You can buy various editions of the Sandman comic book series in print and digital formats here on Amazon. Stay tuned for more updates on the show as they become available.

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