Posted in: Netflix, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: dead boy detectives, neil gaiman, netflix, The Sandman

The Sandman: Dead Boy Detectives Officially Set in Netflix Universe?

If we're reading Neil Gaiman's response accurately, Dead Boy Detectives will officially be a series in Netflix's The Sandman universe.

When it comes to spinoffs and/or projects set within the universe of Neil Gaiman, Allan Heinberg & David S. Goyer's live-action Netflix adaptation of The Sandman? If we're being honest, our money was on Jenna Coleman's Johanna Constantine. But it sounds like Steve Yockey's (The Flight Attendant) & Beth Schwartz's ("Arrowverse") upcoming adaptation of Gaiman & Matt Wagner's Dead Boy Detectives might just be taking that title. Originally planned for HBO Max (soon to be Max), we learned earlier this year that Warner Bros. Discovery was shopping Dead Boy Detectives – and considering the comic book series' direct connection with The Sandman Universe in the comics, Netflix made the most sense. But even with the news confirmed, it still wasn't a "given" that the shows would be connected. And that's exactly the question that Gaiman was asked on Twitter.

When asked, "Is this one Sandman TV universe, Doom Patrol universe, or its own thing?" Gaiman added, "Sandman Universe, I think it's safe to say now." Here's a look at the initial post, where Gaiman congratulated the team on wrapping filming. Following that, we have a screencap of Gaiman's response when asked which of the three possible "universes" Dead Boy Detective would be housed in:

Neil Gaiman Offers Season 2 Update

When asked for "a little news on" how the new season was coming along, Gaiman continued his reputation of being open, honest & direct as possible – and yet, it still stunned us (in a good way): "Scripts are written. We are casting the first episode we will be shooting. Sets are being designed." Gaiman also makes it clear that no one from the show or streaming service ever promised that the second season would arrive this year and that Netflix would be handling casting announcements. Maybe it's just us, but we're pretty excited about the news because while we weren't sure where things stood, Gaiman's update has us feeling like things are further along than we thought. Here's a look at a screencap:

The Sandman: Will There Be "Seasons" or "Volumes" Moving Forward?

Back at the beginning of this year, Peter Friedlander, Netflix's head of UCAN scripted TV, offered some insight on what went into the streaming service greenlighting a second season. "We wanted to spend the time to get creatively aligned around what would be the next, best experience with 'The Sandman. And because of that, we wanted to spend the time with Allan [Heinberg] and Neil [Gaiman] and really talk through and be thoughtful about what the approach should be… because Season 1 is also very thoughtful and intentional," Friedlander explained during an interview with Variety. "So that was really what took the extra time, is to get our ducks in a row." But then things got interesting when the topic of why the second season isn't actually being called "Season 2"…

Though not willing to directly answer that question, Friedlander did have a very interesting response when the theory was offered that the series will be handled in "volumes" or in groupings that are more in line with how the storylines run in the comics. "There are decisions that haven't been made, but we are considering batching approaches. Everything's on the table when it comes to 'Sandman.' It's an innovative show." So could that include "bonus episodes" as we had with "A Dream of a Thousand Cats/ Calliope"? "The Sandman always follows his own path. I do really believe that. The show, I think, was so popular because it was such a discovery and it was such an invention. That's what we're trying to honor as we continue to tell this story, and it shouldn't follow any path other than its own," Friedlander teased, not exactly pushing back on the theory proposed. "And I genuinely believe that, and I want to help tell the story in that way with Neil and Allan and protect the storytelling so it's the best experience it can be. And so part of that is also just keeping it secret till we know more!"

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