Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is being made into an audiobook

Soon we’ll be able to experience Neil Gaiman’s seminal comic book The Sandman like never before. No, I’m not talking about Netflix’s upcoming TV series, although we’re pretty psyched about that, too. Amazon is also adapting The Sandman as an audiobook. It looks like everyone wants a piece of this masterwork nowadays!

The announcement was made by creator Neil Gaiman on Twitter, who also included a short teaser of the narration:

This announcement is brand new, so we’re short on details. The first part of the audiobook — set to cover the Preludes and Nocturnes story arc — will release in the summer of this year on Audible. Gaiman himself will act as executive producer, creative director, and narrator. He’s narrated his own work for Audible before, so he’s no stranger to this kind of work. Dirk Maggs will serve as executive producer, scriptwriter, and director, having already worked on audio editions of Gaiman projects like Neverwhere, Stardust, Good Omens and Anansi Boys.

It seems that an audio version of the series is something Gaiman has wanted to do for a while. “Almost 30 years ago, Dirk Maggs approached DC about adapting The Sandman info audio form,” he said in a statement. “I’m glad it didn’t happen, because we are in a Golden Age of audio drama right now, and Dirk and I are much better at what we are doing. This is a rich audio adaptation of the Sandman graphic novels, brilliantly crafted by Dirk Maggs, with an all-star cast.”

The multi-part audio series is also getting an original soundtrack produced by BAFTA-nominated composer James Hannigan, whose credits include beloved video games like Runescape and Command and Conquer.

As for the voice cast, well, it looks like we’re going to have to wait a little longer. Gaiman confirmed on Twitter that they’ve been secretly working on the project for months, and a cast will be revealed “when we are ready to announce it.”

The first Audible dramatization of Gaiman’s work came last year, when his book Norse Mythology got the audiobook treatment. There was some fantastic voice talent involved with that, including Game of Thrones stars Diana Rigg and Natalie Dormer.

It will be interesting to see how The Sandman fares in a new medium. In the comic, there are panels that just wouldn’t work in audio form, no matter how well it’s produced. But with Gaiman overseeing the project, I’m hopeful it will capture the magic of the comic.

Then there’s the upcoming Netflix drama, which is not affiliated with the Audible adaptation in any way. The series will begin filming this year, though a release date has not yet been confirmed. With cinematographer George Steel not on board, things are moving forward.

A Sandman audiobook is something nobody asked for, but now it’s actually happening, I can’t wait!

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h/t The Hollywood Reporter