As we edge closer to finally seeing a live-action adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s beloved comic The Sandman, we’re beginning to hear more from its many cast members. The Sandman, about the adventures of the anthropomorphic personification of Dreams, is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious shows Netflix has ever created; it’s already the most expensive TV show DC Entertainment has ever produced! Most recently, John Cameron Mitchell broke his silence and talked about what made him want to get involved.
Mitchell, who’s currently playing Joe Exotic in Joe vs. Carole, portrays Hal. First appearing in volume two, “The Doll’s House,” Hal owns a home in Florida which he rents out to multiple tenants, including Rose Walker. He works as a drag queen under the stage name Dolly. It’s not a huge role, but Hal is a really fun character. Mitchell told Collider why he wanted to get involved. “Sandman is a smaller role in a cast of thousands,” he said. “The reason I did it is because the character gets to sing songs from Gypsy. I get to do my Mama Rose, three songs from it, and now I wanna play it on stage. I’m more of a service role in that, which is the usual role for the gay actor and the gay role.”
Mitchell also gave an overview of his character to NewNowNext:
"I play Hal, who has a B&B in Florida. He’s gay and does drag, and I get to perform a lot of songs from Gypsy in the show, which is why I wanted to do it! And Neil Gaiman’s a friend, of course, and I had a blast."
John Cameron Mitchell is an impressive actor in a cast full of them. Others include Tom Sturridge (Dream), Kirby-Howell Baptiste (Death), Charles Dance (Roderick Burgess), Gwendoline Christie (Lucifer), Patton Oswalt (Matthew the Raven), Boyd Holbrook (The Corinthian), and many others. Things are shaping up nicely indeed.
The Sandman has finished Post Production!
For literally decades, The Sandman has been deemed unfilmable. There have been several attempts to bring it to both the big and small screen, but they’ve all failed. Now Netflix has finally cracked it.
Filming wrapped a few months ago, and now Neil Gaiman has confirmed that post-production is complete. We’re officially in the home stretch. “Sandman is at the end of Post Production, where the VFX are being put in and the last of the music is being written,” Gaiman wrote on his Tumblr page.
The Sandman doesn’t have a release date yet, but its 11-episode first season is confirmed to drop on Netflix this year. Given Gaiman’s comments, I should think we’re only a matter of weeks away from a release date announcement and perhaps even a full trailer.
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