In the late ’80s and early ’90s, writer Neil Gaiman and an assortment of artists collaborated on The Sandman comic book series, which helped redefine the medium for mature readers. It has taken the better part of three decades to bring this fantasy story to live-action, but the wait is almost over. Netflix has announced that the series will finally premiere this summer.
To go along with the news, Netflix dropped a new teaser trailer for the series which reveals how Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) was captured over a century ago. This was no small feat, since Morpheus is the King of Dreams and one of the Endless. Once Morpheus is freed, he finds himself somewhat unprepared for the mortal realm. And his own realm, the Dreaming, has been dying without his presence.
In the footage, many other characters become aware of Morpheus’ return. Some of them may not be happy about that. In particular, there’s a literal nightmare given form called The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook), who senses the presence of his former master. The Corinthian is a killer among killers, and far more deadly than the average dream. But he may be the least of Morpheus’ problems. Because in order to regain his lost power, Morpheus’ journey will take him into the depths of Hell itself. And that is not a euphemism.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste also stars in the series as Morpheus’ sister, Death, with Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, as well as Sanjeev Bhaskar and Asim Chaudhry as the Biblical Cain and Abel, both of whom serve Morpheus within the Dreaming.
Gaiman developed The Sandman for television alongside David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg. The first season of The Sandman will premiere on Netflix on Friday, August 5.
