Don’t pinch yourself because you’re definitely not dreaming, Netflix’s The Sandman has 12 new cast members confirmed for the project.
The new additions to the cast bring the total cast number up to 19 following the announcement of the first seven cast members in January. Stephen Fry, David Thewlis, Jenna Coleman and Patton Oswalt are among the 12. The announcement came with exclusive plot details and was released by The Sandman author, Neil Gaiman.
Jenna Coleman, David Thewlis, Stephen Fry, Patton Oswalt, Joely Richardson, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Donna Preston, Niamh Walsh, Kyo Ra, Razane Jammal, and Sandra James Young will co-star alongside Tom Sturridge and Gwendolyn Christie in The Sandman! pic.twitter.com/tlQ97I0xyS
— Netflix (@netflix) May 26, 2021The Sandman was first published in 1988 by DC Comics and written by then-up-and-comer Gaiman as a reinvention of the obscure character, Morpheus. The story was originally marketed in the horror genre on the comic book market, but received overwhelming success with readers outside of the comic book market. Gaiman says he was first offered to turn the story into a film in 1991, but it has taken three decades for the screen-rights to come to fruition.
Netflix has given the show an 11-episode commitment, though producers Gaiman and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) and screenwriter/show-runner Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman) are already planning for a second season. The trio worked on the pilot script together, though Gaiman says his involvement with this show will be less than his involvement in his last story to come to life on-screen, Good Omens. In an interview with Digital Spy, Gaiman confirmed that the show would be coming sometime in 2021, though with production delays due to the pandemic it will likely be later in the year.
