Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is one of the most ambitious comics ever created. It’s a sprawling epic taking place across space and time that explores various cultures, myths and legend. For decades, the series has been deemed unfilmable, and while there have been failed attempts, it’s finally getting the live-action adaptation it deserves thanks to Netflix. The streamer is sparing no expenses; it’s the most expensive DC Entertainment TV show of all time!
According to star Sanjeev Bhaskar (who plays Cain, based on the biblical figure), the scale of the show is nothing short of “extraordinary,” unlike anything he’s seen. “I’ve only got a couple of scenes in [The Sandman], but I have not worked on anything of that kind of scale before,” the actor told Radio Times. “We shot one day in the studio and a couple of days on location, and in the studio the sets they were building – just walking around, I’d never seen anything like it.”
"It was just extraordinary in terms of scale, in terms of the detail, in terms of just how true to the comics, you know, to the spirit of the comics they’re trying to be…From the physical craftsmanship of carpenters and metal workers and electricians and everything, through to the fellow actors and the directors. I’m pretty excited about it."
Neil Gaiman had a similar reaction when he walked around the vast set in a behind-the-scenes teaser released last year: “Holy Sh*t.”
Back to Bhaskar, the actor also talked about the fan base. “I mean, I didn’t know much about Sandman before I got involved, and so it was only when I was announced as being part of it on Twitter that I kind of realized quite how deep and broad the fanbase is,” he said.
Before The Sandman, Bhaskar had a bit role on another Neil Gaiman show: Good Omens. “I’ve kind of known him on and off about 10 years,” he said. “And I just love this stuff. There’s a quirkiness to it which I think makes it quite uniquely British, in that you’ve got these fantastical stories that go into these other realms, but there’s a kind of thread of humour through all of them.”
Bhaskar will bring his comedy chops to the role of Cain, who continually kills his brother Abel in numerous brutal ways. It’s funny in a dark, bleak sort of way.
Neil Gaiman teases more Sandman announcements!
Sandman fans have been craving more news for months now, to no avail. And despite creator Neil Gaiman having very little authority in regard to how Netflix decides to market its shows, he recently shared that he’s had a word with the streamer about pushing some announcements forward. Whether this makes a difference, we’ll have to wait and see, but it shows Netflix that there’s a huge audience of eager fans, at least:
Whoa. Okay, it was going to all be going out on Netflix's schedule, but I've read your tweets and asked Netflix if they can move the announcements up a bit.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) February 2, 2022
…or he was joking.
Wait and see...
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) February 2, 2022
Currently, Netflix does not yet have a premiere date set for The Sandman. As it stands, filming is complete and the series is in post-production. Let’s hope we get more info soon!
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