Neil Gaiman Bluntly Debunks Netflix’s The Sandman Cancellation Rumors

Neil Gaiman bluntly debunks rumors that Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman has been cancelled before even premiering on the streaming platform. Efforts to bring Gaiman’s fantasy graphic novel to the screen have languished in development hell for over three decades, with the majority of the attempts being aimed for the big screen. The most recent film attempt had Joseph Gordon-Levitt set to produce, potentially direct and star as The Sandman with David S. Goyer and Gaiman producing and Eric Heisserer rewriting a script, though it ultimately fell apart due to creative differences between Warner Bros. and Gordon-Levitt.

The Sandman TV series would finally get off the ground in mid 2019 when Netflix signed a deal with Warner Bros. to produce the series for an 11-episode season after HBO passed on the project due to the larger budget needed. The series, developed by Gaiman, Goyer and Allan Heinberg, will hew faithfully to its source material, with season one adapting the “Preludes & Nocturnes” and “The Doll’s House” storylines with minor changes being made to adjust for a modern setting. Tom Sturridge is leading the cast of The Sandman in the titular role alongside Gwendoline Christie, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Patton Oswalt.

While audiences await word of the show’s premiere, one fan took to Twitter to ask Neil Gaiman about rumors regarding Netflix’s The Sandman being cancelled. The author responded with a blunt debunking of these rumors, addressing that because a launch date hasn’t been announced some are considering the show cancelled and citing that as “hilarious.” See Gaiman’s response below:

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Though said rumors of Netflix cancelling The Sandman before it even premieres seem to be buried in a more cynical corner of the internet, it’s somewhat understandable for there to be some skepticism regarding the project’s future. As previously mentioned, Warner Bros. has tried and failed numerous times to adapt Gaiman’s graphic novels for the screen, with budgetary concerns and creative directions generally serving as the catalysts for their downfalls. Additionally, with Starz’s adaptation of Gaiman’s American Gods being cancelled after just three seasons following years of behind-the-scenes development trouble and Netflix shelling out large budgets for the cancelled live-action Cowboy Bebop and The Witcher universe, it’s understandable there may be some hesitation about keeping The Sandman alive.

That being said, Gaiman has remained largely confident in Netflix’s The Sandman adaptation throughout its development. The prolific author was involved with the show during its evolution, being more hands-on than American Gods though less than Amazon’s hit Good Omens series and a BTS video for the upcoming series saw Gaiman praising the production design put into adapting his fantasy world and the writers room’s ability to authentically capture his voice. Only time will tell if there’s a future for the series when The Sandman premieres on Netflix later this year.

Source: Neil Gaiman/Twitter

About The Author

Grant Hermanns
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Grant Hermanns is a News Writer, Interviewer and Hiring Manager for Screen Rant, having joined the team in early 2021. Way back in 2015 while still in his college days, Grant got his start in the entertainment journalism industry with creator-friendly site Moviepilot until it shuttered nearly three years later. From there he joined the staff at ComingSoon.net and was its Associate Editor prior to coming over to Screen Rant.

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To say he’s a lover of film and television would be an understatement and when he’s not mass consuming either you can find him exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends or slowly making his way through his gaming backlog.

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