There is no end to the fun fantasy content coming to streaming over the rest of 2021 and into 2022. Netflix in particular has focused on developing adaptations of various well-known fantasy and sci-fi novels and comics (graphic novels). With shows like The Witcher, Locke & Key, Lucifer, Shadow & Bone, Fate The Winx Saga, and Jupiter’s Legacy, among others. One exciting upcoming series is The Sandman, based on Neil Gaiman’s wildly popular comic book series of the same name. Let’s take a look at what we know so far about the series.

The Comic Book Series

Award-winning and best-selling author Neil Gaiman published the original The Sandman series of comics (including 75 issues) from 1989 through 1996. The series is one of the very few graphic novels ever to reach The New York Times Bestseller list.  Following that original series, multiple spin-offs were launched, including Lucifer, The Dreaming, and Dead Boy Detectives. Gaiman also released an illustrated novella called The Sandman: The Dream Hunters. 

This wealth of existing content provides a great foundation for the Netflix series. 

What’s it About?

Gaiman and Netflix have promised a faithful adaptation of the series, so we can make some good assumptions about the plot of the series. The Sandman’s main character is Dream (aka Sandman, Morpheus, The Lord of Dreaming, and other names). The story kicks off when Dream is captured by a human sorcerer and held prisoner on Earth for 70 years. After biding his time, he is eventually able to escape in the modern-day and proceeds to take vengeance on his captors. Afterward, he set out to rebuild his kingdom, which has fallen into disrepair and chaos while he was gone. 

However, despite the fact he is ancient (billions of years old), his decades in captivity seem to have changed him and he goes about undoing past mistakes and changing his ways as he builds his kingdom again.

Who are the Actors?

Casting announcements for The Sandman have come out in waves over time, slowly building up the list of actors in most of the known major roles. Currently announced cast members include: Tom Sturridge as Dream, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne, and Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain. One fun aside, Netflix already has a version of the character Lucifer, played by Tom Ellis in the series Lucifer.  That character is also drawn from Neil Gaiman’s work - the graphic novel series, Lucifer, which is an offshoot from The Sandman. 

When will it be Released?

So far, Netflix has not announced a specific release date for The Sandman Season 1. However, rumors persist that it will be released in later 2021 or early 2022. There also hasn’t been a trailer released by Netflix, which suggests it may be a bit before we see the series appear on the streaming network. There was a short behind-the-scenes feature released in June 2021 which included a sneak peek with Neil Gaiman, Tom Sturridge, and Gwendoline Christie talking about the adaptation of the graphic novel series. 

Should you put it on your Watchlist?

If you're a fan of the comic series or just a Neil Gaiman fan in general, then it is a must for your watchlist. But, if you just enjoy a good fantasy story, keep an eye as trailers come out and give them a look!