Last night, fans of Netflix's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman finally got the news they'd been waiting for since the show premiered on the streaming service: Morpheus' story will continue in all-new episodes.
Though The Sandman was a pretty big hit for Netflix, fans of Gaiman's horror-tinged comic series were growing increasingly concerned that the streamer would decide to cancel the show (not like it hasn't happened before) when we still hadn't heard anything over a month after it premiered.
The series launched at the start of August, was watched for 69.5M hours in its first week, 127.5M in its second, scored 77.2M in its third, and dropped to 53.8M in its fourth. These are solid numbers, but as Gaiman was frequently required to remind his legions of Twitter followers, various other factors contribute to the decision to give one of Netflix's shows another run (the number of people who binge-watch the entire season, for example).
You can check out Gaiman's statement below, along with a brief teaser promo.
“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…”
Since Calliope and A Dream of a Thousand Cats were covered in the bonus episode, the second season will most likely adapt Season of Mists, which focuses on Lucifer seeking revenge against Morpheus, and A Game of You.
Have you guys finished The Sandman yet? You can check out our review here.
"There is another world that waits for all of us when we close our eyes and sleep — a place called the Dreaming, where The Sandman, Master of Dreams (Tom Sturridge), gives shape to all of our deepest fears and fantasies. But when Dream is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner for a century, his absence sets off a series of events that will change both the dreaming and waking worlds forever. To restore order, Dream must journey across different worlds and timelines to mend the mistakes he’s made during his vast existence, revisiting old friends and foes, and meeting new entities — both cosmic and human — along the way."
The Sandman stars Tom Sturridge as Morpheus, Kirby Howell Baptiste as Death, Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian, Donna Preston as Despair, Stephen Fry as Gilbert, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, Charles Dance as black magician Roderick Burgess, and Sanjeeve Bhaskar as Cain. Joely Richardson will play Ethel Cripps, while David Thewlis will take on the role of her son John Dee, aka the deranged Dr. Destiny.
The 10-episode first season of The Sandman adapts the first two arcs of the Vertigo comics series, "Preludes and Nocturnes" and "The Doll's House."