Streaming series, particularly Netflix, have fully embraced the golden age of BookTok, the TikTok hashtag where lives all broody, coming-of-age, fairy, faerie, and feyrie fantasy novel content. Following the sweeping success of their most Lovecraft season of Stranger Things yet, and recent announcements of upcoming period fantasy/horror gothic series like 1899, Netflix is seemingly committed to adapting everybody’s favorite graphic novels and series into larger-than-life, binge-worthy spectacles.
The series The Sandman is the latest addition to this niche but universally appealing roster. This story is stylistically equal parts Batman, Dracula, Twilight, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and awesome. Who doesn’t want to enjoy eight to twelve episodes of a bunch of broody, attractive individuals interacting with each other about monumentous and ominous affairs and brooding attractively?
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The Sandman graphic novels are about the immortal being the Sandman, or Dream, who is one of seven “Endless” who go by the names of Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction. Clearly, a prioritization of imagination and sleep is taking place here. The graphic novels were some of the first to make it to the New York Times Best Seller list and takes place deep within the DC universe. They boast a deservingly so large following and otherwise devoted fanbase. The novels’ adoring fans are getting absolutely pumped for Netflix’s live-action adaptation, which looks promising so far. It will star Tom Sturridge of Far From the Madding Crown as Dream, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Gwendoline Christie, and Doctor Who’s fan-favorite companion Jenna Coleman.
Here is everything we expect from the series based on the trailer and why we think you should get excited!
The Sandman Trailer: ‘Ruler of the Nightmare Realm'
Netflix
The Sandman trailer tells us to expect a lot of misty graveyards at dawn, gothic tower spires, crows, and a lot of black wool coats with popped collars. “I am the king of dreams, ruler of the nightmare realm,” the protagonist tells us via voiceover in the teaser’s first few moments. Jenna Coleman’s character, meanwhile, appears to be a type of mortal investigator who finds herself in a run-in with the dangerously powerful Sandman and his constituents.
The most we can gather regarding the plot exclusively from the trailer is that Dream has been wrongfully imprisoned, and evil forces have taken hold in his absence. Now that Dream is free, he must surmount the odds and use his immortal power to put the bad guys back in their place once and for all, but hopefully over many seasons.
The creators of the story, writers Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg, explain that central to the concept is Dream’s recent imprisonment. Dream, also sometimes referred to as Morpheus, among other names, in the story, experiences a profound change between his wrongful imprisonment during World War I and his release in 1989 or our modern-day 2020s in the show. Gaiman said of this change:
Upon his return, his castle fortress and his powerful empire are literally in ruins, so the Sandman must rebuild not only his realm or his life. The mortals seem to have allowed him to slip into legend, becoming a “fairy story,” and it looks as though he is about to prove them all wrong in a big way.
What Else to Know About The Sandman
The Sandman is one of seven immortal beings who take center stage in the graphic novels, so there is lots of wiggle room for him to interact dramatically with them. For this first season, it is thought that the primary antagonist will be the devil herself, played by Gwendoline Christie. The show will also star Charles Dance as Sir Roderick Burgess, who accidentally imprisons Dream instead of Death, who he believes to be responsible for the death of his son. Also in the cast is Vivienne Acheampong as the Sandman’s main librarian, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, Stephen Fry’s authoritative character Gilbert, Boyd Holbrook’s mirror-symbolizing character Corinthian, and David Thewlis of Harry Potter’s disturbed character John Dee.
Another prominent character in the story is the Raven, shown briefly in the trailer. This bird will have an important interaction with the Sandman and a role in his quest to restore his power and authority. In the comics, this bird does a lot of trash talking and has quite the personality, so perhaps the Raven will be a source of comedic relief in the otherwise dark and angsty series.
Though this is all that is known so far, in the meantime, we can enjoy footage of the unfortunate but resilient protagonist and his circle of immortal and human intrigue! The series is to be released on August 5, 2022.
