Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman has finally been given a release date on Netflix – and longtime fans will be pleased to learn that Morpheus’ highly-anticipated screen debut is just around the corner.
The star-studded Netflix show, which is an adaptation of Gaiman’s epic 1990s comic book series of the same name, is heading to the streaming service on August 5. The date was announced at the streamer's annual Geeked Week event alongside a first full-length trailer (included below).
Tom Sturridge, David Thewlis, Boyd Holbrook, Jenna Coleman and Game of Thrones alumni Charles Dance and Gwendoline Christie are among the many actors confirmed to star in the series, which has been the subject of big and small screen development for more than three decades.
Not familiar with The Sandman? In a nutshell, Gaiman’s comic series tells the story of Dream, one of the seven Endless – a group of superhuman beings more powerful than gods – who escapes capture after 105 years and sets out to restore order to his magical kingdom.
Still confused? The show’s official synopsis, as provided by Netflix, reads as follows: “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.”
Issue #1 of The Sandman debuted in 1989, and its primary story ran for 75 issues until 1996. Netflix’s take on the epic tale will cover the series' first two collections, Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll's House, across 11 episodes.
Creator Neil Gaiman (also responsible for the likes of Coraline and Good Omens) is on hand as a producer on the series, alongside regular DC writer (and Foundation showrunner) David S. Goyer, while Wonder Woman writer Allan Heinberg is serving as its showrunner.
We got a first look at The Sandman towards the end of last year, when Netflix – as part of its Tudum celebrations – dropped a (very) brief first trailer teasing the capture of lead character Morpheus and the beginning of the sweeping fantasy saga.
Elsewhere during Netflix's Geeked Week 2022, fans were given updates on shows including Locke and Key, The Umbrella Academy and Guillermo del Toro's latest horror project, Cabinet of Curiosities.
The week-long event will be throwing up plenty more details about upcoming Netflix projects, too, so stay tuned to TechRadar for all the latest news.
