Netflix’s “The Sandman,” the TV series adaptation of the groundbreaking comic series from legendary writer Neil Gaiman, will return for even more episodes on Netflix, TheWrap has confirmed.
No further details have been provided about the series, including when fans might expect to see it or precisely how many episodes will be produced.
“Millions upon millions of people have welcomed and watched and loved The Sandman on Netflix, from established Sandman fans to people who were simply curious, and then became obsessed with the Lord of Dreams, his family and their goings-on. It gives me unbelievable pleasure to say that, working with Netflix and Warner Bros., Allan Heinberg, David Goyer and I will be bringing even more of The Sandman stories to life. There are some astonishing stories waiting for Morpheus and the rest of them (not to mention more members of the Endless Family to meet). Nobody is going to be happier about this than the Sandman cast and crew: they are the biggest Sandman fans there are. And now it’s time to get back to work. There’s a family meal ahead, after all. And Lucifer is waiting for Morpheus to return to Hell,” creator Neil Gaiman said in a statement.
The show’s first season adapted the first two major storylines, “Preludes and Nocturns” and “The Doll’s House,” as well as several important stand-alone stories published during those early arcs. When she show returns, based on Gaiman’s statement it’s likely that “Season of Mists,” the third major storyline that among other things set in motion the events of the spinoff comic book series “Lucifer,’ is next on the menu.
A big hit for Netflix, “The Sandman” became the most-watched show worldwide within 3 days of its Aug. 5, 2022 release and was the most-watched show among all English-language countries for most of that month. By mid-September it had been watched a collective 393.14 million hours.
Launched in 1989, “The Sandman” was developed by Gaiman, David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg as part of a wave of revivals of older DC Comics-owned characters. Originally intended to relaunch the 1930s/1970s “Sandman,” which focused on a vigilante hero wearing a gas mask, Gaiman instead came up with the The Endless, anthropomorphic beings who embody eternal concepts like Death, Destiny, Dreams, and so on.
Alongside Alan Moore’s work on “Swamp Thing” and the John Constantine-starring “Hellblazer,” Gaiman’s “Sandman” expanded boundaries of what was considered appropriate for American comics, featuring sex, drug use, moral ambiguity and complex literary themes. It was an immediate hit and proved so popular that in 1993, DC launched an entirely separate line of comics around it, Vertigo, which became the home for DC’s growing list of adult-oriented comic book titles.
“Sandman” originally ran for 75 issues, ending in 1996. It spawned several successful spinoffs, including “Lucifer,” and was revived for two different limited series. DC Comics currently publishes the spinoff-continuation “The Sandman Universe,” as part of its Black Label line.