sandman, Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s work of the same name, is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The production is the result of a long journey of source material through studios, production companies and versions. With its 75 volumes, telling the adventures of the Lord of Dreams has become a curious challenge. Especially because of the sheer number of characters populating the story.
How do you translate a long, actor-heavy narrative into a believable adaptation for a wider audience? The answer came from Netflix, which offered all sorts of benefits and a big budget for the project. It was only then that Gaiman agreed to turn his most famous work into a streaming production.
And he did it with a touching, detailed and complex result that surprises with its attention to the most critical points of the plot. The ten-chapter Netflix series is adapting the comic’s main arc. But it also does something else :tturns inspired original vignettes into a larger universe. Especially thanks to a well-chosen cast that embodies the beloved characters of an entire generation with sensitivity and intelligence. sandman it is the result of the efforts of a talented group of creators who have recreated supernatural scenery and turned it into an immersive experience.
Thus, and so that you do not get confused in the plot, we will tell you about five characters in the comic. sandman that reach their TV adaptation, and what you should know to better understand the story.
Morpheus/Sleep
One of the challenges the Netflix adaptation faced was, of course, finding the perfect actor for the lead character. Morpheus/Dream, Lord of Dreams, is the core of the plot. He is also a key figure in modern pop culture. As much as inspire songs, poems and even similar stories and tributes. Pale, sinister, cold and ambiguous, Gaiman’s figure has a long shadow in the entertainment world.
Finding an actor who could embody this combination of feelings was not easy. Gaiman spent months studying hundreds of candidates. Although, as he would say at Comic-Con 2022, his chosen one has always been British actor Tom Sturridge. This is despite the fact that he listened to “over a thousand different auditions”.
AT sandman, Sturridge’s performance is surprising in that it manages to capture the duality of Morpheus. As the ruler of the dream world, he can be as ruthless as he is vulnerable. Also cunning, bold, and, in Gaiman’s words, “fiercely independent”. The qualities that the actor has managed to capture throughout his collection of idiosyncratic shades.
Lucifer Morningstar
Every great story needs an outstanding adversary for its hero. and in comics sandmanLucifer Morningstar, Ruler of Hell. The most beautiful, wise and powerful angel of creation, expelled from heaven for his arrogance, this is a character carefully crafted by Gaiman. Indeed, his involvement in the graphic novel is of particular interest. As much as later getting your own collection of short stories on paper. And even the recently completed six-season television series starring Tom Ellis.
In the Netflix adaptation Sandman, the dark figure of Lucifer also has a certain size. The choice of the actor – or, in this case, the actress – was a decision made with painstaking care. After some debate, Gaiman dropped the idea of including Tom Ellis. That is, in order to delve into the androgynous, imposing and formidable nature of the infernal Lord, as the writer intended. Then the choice fell on Gwendolyn Christie, known for her role as Brienne of Tarth in the Game of Thrones.
Christie’s choice surprised, and in some cases angered, a large group of comic book fans. However, Gaiman defended his decision in his official social networks and made it clear that the actress is “her own version” of Lucifer..
In the Netflix series, Lucifer Christie is a powerful presence that bears a striking resemblance to the cartoons. In fact, one of the central episodes of the Hope in Hell chapter is almost identical to the source material. The merit is that can be attributed to the game of the actress.
Corinthian
The creature representing the nightmare created by Morpheus in the comic appears in the Netflix series dressed as Boyd Holbrook. Tough casting choice. On the one hand, this meant a combination of the actor’s possible physical resemblance to the character and, at the same time, his sinister morality. A sadistic, narcissistic, and ruthless killer, Corinthio is one of the central figures in Gaiman’s comic strip.. At the same time, it is a disturbing reflection on the ominous possibilities of the Dream Realm. As if all of the above wasn’t enough, one of the drawbacks for the translator who was chosen for the role would be that he couldn’t show his eyes. Or do it rarely.
Cause? The Corinthian has jaws instead of eyelids. A creepy feature that hides most of the time. This is a challenge for any actor because they won’t be able to use their eyes in many scenes. Even more difficult in the plot, in which the character has repeatedly encountered Morpheus.
Holbrook commented Screenshot who had long conversations about it with screenwriter Allan Heinberg and writer Neil Gaiman. With the help of both, he was able to better understand the role and delve into its features. He eventually realized that Corinth was a set of sinister traits that he could develop despite having his eyes closed.
AT sandman, the result is flawless. The performer puts on a memorable performance, covering the intricacies of an ambiguous and cruel creature, with a mysterious purpose. At the same time, he’s a dangerous foe that fits in with Tom Sturridge’s inspirational performance.
Gilbert / Fiddler Green
One of the fan questions sandman it was the way the series’ plot would delve into this unique character. Gilbert/Fiddler Green is not a person, but a place in the Dream Realm. Opportunity meant choosing an actor capable of understanding the intricacies of a larger goal. And the answer was performer and writer Stephen Fry.
It was about other choices that Gaiman had to actively defend on social media. And this is despite Fry’s obvious outward resemblance to his paper version. Some fans feared that the famous theater actor’s performance might seem unrefined compared to Gilbert’s shy and outspoken character. But the actor decided to listen to the criticism of readers and express his opinion about the unique figure.
As the artist told Slashfilm, Gilbert seemed to him the greenest and favorite place in the Kingdom of Dreams, hope. And his anthropomorphic version was inspired by the writer, philosopher and theologian G. K. Chesterton. The result is a combination of kindness, knowledge and sensitivity. All the elements that define the original in Gaiman’s work.
a wish
The youngest of the Eternals and the most difficult member of the Sky Family appears on television with a surprisingly similar version of the role. After months of searching, Gaiman found the perfect actor for his character in Mason Alexander Park, a non-binary interpreter.. This decision coincides with the writer’s perception of one of the most unclassifiable figures in his history. Androgynous, beautiful and violent, this is a mysterious plot point. And as if that weren’t enough, it glorifies the very essence of embodying what the heart yearns for.
For Pak, this is a challenge that allows one of his most cherished desires to come true. As a fan of Gaiman’s work, playing a character that is close to you, even in his gender expression, is amazing. The artist explained geek lair who in many ways deeply understands Desire.
“Desire is very appealing to me as an actor, a fan of this world and Neil Gaiman,” Park explained. “It is very difficult to think about the concept of desire and how it manifests itself in a million different ways. Both positive and negative, sexual and emotional. Being able to see character choices and relationships with Dream through this lens is a great roadmap. One that delves into his behavior, which definitely needs an explanation from time to time.”
Highly praised by the queer community, the choice is also Neil Gaiman’s favorite. “I love it,” he wrote. on his official Twitter account.
