Credit: The Sandman
The Sandman has finally been renewed for a second season on Netflix. The journey leading up to the show’s premiere was certainly an odd one. First, the comic book adaptation was barely advertised and though it’s not out of the norm for Netflix to not promote their films and shows, the buzz surrounding The Sandman was notably quiet. Many assumed that the series would be terrible due to the lack of buzz; however, once reviews started pouring in, fans were surprised at the strong critical reception that the Netflix series was receiving.
Once fans started watching The Sandman audiences appreciated the Netflix series as the heat for what was once deemed unfilmable grew as the days passed by. The show managed to garner over 300 million hours of viewership, which is quite impressive for any Netflix series. However, The Sandman was not cheap for the streaming service. Each episode costs an astounding $15 million, and though that doesn’t match the $30 million per episode for the fourth season of Stranger Things, that’s still a ton of money to invest into the series. The Sandman needed a high viewership in order to get a second season, especially since Netflix’s financial troubles have seen various cancellations and layoffs.
Credit: The Sandman
Neil Gaiman essentially prepared fans for cancellation; Despite the show being a heavily watched series, the viewership didn’t seem enough to warrant another season, “Sandman is a really expensive show.” Gaiman responded to a fan on Twitter who didn’t understand why Netflix didn’t renew the series for a second season yet. “And for Netflix to release the money to let us make another we have to perform incredibly well. So yes, we’ve been the top show in the world for the last few weeks. That still may not be enough.”
It appears that the viewership was indeed good enough for Netflix to renew, as it was confirmed thanks to an accidental leak that revealed The Sandman’s renewal. The series is a DC comics adaptation of Gaiman’s work of the same name, following Morpheus, a man who can control dreams and one of the seven Endless, who’s captured and held as a prisoner for 106 years. Morpheus eventually escapes, but he must restore balance within the world known as the Dreaming. The series stars Boyd Holbrook as Corinthian, Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne, Patton Oswalt as the voice of Matthew the Raven, David Thewlis as John Dee, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar, Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death. Gaiman released a statement expressing his gratitude overall the renewal of his comic book series:
Credit: The Sandman
“Millions upon millions of people have welcomed and watched and loved The Sandman on Netflix, from established Sandman fans to people who were simply curious, and then became obsessed with the Lord of Dreams, his family, and their goings-on. It gives me unbelievable pleasure to say that, working with Netflix and Warner Bros., Allan Heinberg, David Goyer and I will be bringing even more of The Sandman stories to life. There are some astonishing stories waiting for Morpheus and the rest of them (not to mention more members of the Endless Family to meet). Nobody is going to be happier about this than the Sandman cast and crew: they are the biggest Sandman fans there are. And now it’s time to get back to work. There’s a family meal ahead, after all. And Lucifer is waiting for Morpheus to return to Hell…”
At the moment, there’s no word on when the series is scheduled to return. It’s great that The Sandman is getting a second season, as it was truly one of the biggest surprises of 2022. Let’s hope the second season lives up to the high expectations that the first set.
Follow Us
