For those of us familiar with Nightmare on Elm Street, we know that not even in our dreams are we safe from mysterious and dangerous things going on in the universe. Neil Gaiman set out to prove that fact with his graphic novel series The Sandman, and now, Netflix is taking that message to heart. The streamer premiered the latest trailer from the upcoming adaptation of Gaiman’s work at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, revealing an even better look at the master of dreams himself — as well as his sister, Death.
Much like the brief look given to us about a month ago from Netflix, the trailer reveals a new look at Tom Sturridge as Morpheus, better known as Dream, the king of dreams and ruler of a land known as the Dreaming, an amorphous other dimension that certain humans seek to control. He is joined by Kirby Howell-Baptiste as his sister Death, a goth with less strict sensibilities than her brother. The two must join forces to rebuild Dream’s kingdom after he is captured by humans who seek to abuse his power, and the series is an off-the-wall, mind bending exploration of the metaphysical, and what happens to the people (or beings) who seek to control it.
The Sandman comics began in 1989, when Gaiman — also the author of a number of other titles that have been adapted for screen, including Good Omens and American Gods — started writing the series for DC Comics. The series ran for seventy-five issues between 1989 and 1996, and has been largely celebrated since its release. But while the original series featured minor appearances from certain iconic DC characters, notably John Constantine, the new series will steer clear of that copyrighted material, even going so far as to change Constantine into a new female character, played by Jenna Coleman.
While an audiobook adaptation of the hit series premiered on Audible last year, Netflix’s adaptation of the series is the first successful filmed version to make it to screens. The project was stuck in development hell for years, starting as early as 1991, before Netflix signed a deal to produce the upcoming series in 2019.
The series also features the talents of a number of high-profile stars, including Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, Boyd Holbrook as the Corinthian, Charles Dance as Sir Robert Burgess, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, David Thewlis as Dr. John Dee, and Stephen Fry as Fiddler’s Green. Also featured in the series, along with others, are Vivian Acheampong, Asim Chaudhry, Donna Preston, Joely Richardson, Patton Oswalt, and Mark Hamill.
The Sandman hits Netflix on August 5. Check out the new trailer below: