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The Sandman: Neil Gaiman Approving Prod Designs, Talks Series Timeline

Published Sat, 22 Aug 2020 13:39:57 -0500

by Ray Flook

Last updated Sat, 22 Aug 2020 13:41:39 -0500

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While Neil Gaiman's focus at his DC FanDome panel on Saturday was on both the comics book and audio drama versions of The Sandman, the famed author wasn't going to be able to escape "The Sandman Universe: Enter the Dreaming " without addressing the upcoming live-action series coming from Netflix. Stemming from Gaiman, Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman, Grey's Anatomy), David Goyer (Hellraiser, Constantine), and Warner Bros. Television Group, the series was given an 11-episode green light back in 2019. Since then, we've already learned a few things about the series, like the comic book's timeline being tweaked to match more current times, that the production team's been thinking/working in "two seasons" mode, and that Gaiman was "taking notes" on the audio cast for potential casting options.

While admitting that the COVID-19 pandemic has put the production on a huge "pause button," Gaiman said that the extra time has allowed the writers to "perfect" the scripts. That said, Gaiman did reveal that he's been receiving production designs for approval that are impressing him and that the adjusted Sandman timeline for the series will have the action taking place now, which will result in adjustments for modern technology and current trends that will also include some different takes on characters and situations from the comics.

Heinberg will write and serve as showrunner on the series, with Gaiman set to executive produce alongside Goyer, with both having been attached to the original New Line feature film effort. Gaiman's multi-genre tale centers on Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, and the Endless, the powerful group of siblings: Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire, and Delirium. Warner Bros. shopped the television project to a number of networks and streaming services – including "family member" HBO, who reportedly passed on the series based on the expected price tag attached. Netflix made the winning bid with a direct-to-series order, seeing the series as a potential "tent pole" for the streamer as Game of Thrones was for HBO.

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