Author Neil Gaiman’s popular graphic novel, “The Sandman” is being developed as a potential television series according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Warner Brothers is currently pursuing the rights to the graphic novels to develop it for television and according to the Reporter, former “Supernatural” producer Eric Kripke tops the list for producer and show runner.
“Sandman” told the tale of Morpheus, the Lord of the Dreaming, a deity who personifies dreams. The book began in the horror realm but quickly made its mark in fantasy and mythology as Gaiman introduced the Endless, a group of powerful brothers and sisters named Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire and Delirium (as well as Dream).
The book helped establish DC’s Vertigo imprint and won several awards. It also was one of the few comics that segued from the comics crowd, entering the intellectual and art worlds, winning over a large non-comics-reading audience, particularly a devoted female following.
A movie version of “Sandman” has been in development since the mid-’90s, with an early version involving Roger Avery. The movie version cooled earlier in the decade, with the thinking moving to the best way to tackle an adaptation is the TV route. Up until a few months ago, DC was in talks with HBO and James Mangold to develop a show minus WBTV’s involvement, but that never coalesced.
Gaiman was not officially involved with the HBO attempt, though he and Mangold held several rounds of talks surrounding characters and story. The author is not involved in the new developments, though since it is early in the process, that may change. In fact, securing Gaiman will prove key for the project to go forward.
Kripke has been described as interested in tackling an adaptation but cautious because the comic book has such a passionate following and is held in such high regard. It’s the kind of series where each production decision, from casting to script to design, would be scrutinized by devotees.
I can’t see this on network television. If HBO was involved than yes.
If this is on network TV, then I’m not going to even bother. This needs to be on HBO or STARZ. Period.
I love the Sandman, but I can’t imagine anyone making a film versionl, let alone a tv series. It would have to be finite, like Lost was supposed to be, unless they pick up with ::SPOILER:: Daniel and go from there.
Who could play what parts? Dream, Death, Desire, Lucifer? Tilda Swinton as Desire?
Something like this belongs on HBO and even then, I’d be cautiously optimistic unless Gaiman was involved with some sort of veto authority to keep them from wrecking it.
I have faith in HBO and the quality they produce, but this would have to be tackled by someone who loved the material and understood what made it great.
Otherwise we’d end up seeing Morpheus diving across the screen blasting away with a gun in each hand while buildings blew up behind him.
“SANDMAN – NIGHTY NITE, BITCHES”