Netflix has confirmed The Sandman season 2 is in the works, although the new set of episodes won't officially be titled 'season 2', but a 'continuation' of The Sandman world.
Tom Sturridge is expected to return to the lead role and after months of radio silence, in April creator Neil Gaiman provided a major update on the progress of the much-anticipated fantasy follow-up.
On his Tumblr the author responded to a fan asking for news on the show's return by writing... "Scripts are written. We are casting the first episode we will be shooting. Sets are being designed." Which is good news indeed!
The 10-episode first series followed Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) the personification of dreams and one of the seven Endless is captured in an occult ritual in 1916. After being held captive for 106 years, Dream (also Sturridge) escapes and sets out to restore order to his realm, the Dreaming.
The show was an instant hit on Netflix and remained in the streaming giant's 'Top 10' list for seven weeks after its release in early August 2022, while also replacing Netflix mega-hit Stranger Things at the top of Nielsen's streaming charts.
A surprise bonus episode was also released two weeks after the initial premiere, to the delight of the millions of fans all over the world who'd enjoyed the show.
Here's everything we know about the highly-anticipated sequel...
The Sandman season 2 potential release date
In April of 2023 Gaiman confirmed the scripts are completed and casting for the follow-up has begun. With production on the sweeping series still not underway at that stage, meaning a release date of summer or late 2024 seems most likely.
This was welcome news for fans who had heard very little on the show since its return was confirmed on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, by DC Comics' official Twitter account in the following tweet.
“The dream continues. [The Sandman] will return with new episodes based on multiple volumes of the Neil Gaiman graphic novel to explore even more stories of the Endless.”
That tweet was quickly deleted, but later the same evening Netflix confirmed the fantasy saga had been renewed.
Despite the success of the first series, Neil Gaiman was initially not confident of the show being renewed, citing the cost of making it as the main obstacle for it coming back. Thank goodness Netflix have deep pockets!
The Sandman season 2 plot
Netflix is calling the follow-up series “a continuation of The Sandman world” which will expand in the next episodes, although episode count and story details are still being kept tightly under wraps.
The 10 episodes of season one covered just 16 issues of DC Comic series' original 75-issue run, with the next installment of The Sandman graphic novel series, titled Season of Mists, considered some of the finest in the entire series. Exciting.
Dream's troublesome family members are set to have a larger role in season two, with Gwendoline Christie's Lucifer working on something particularly diabolical.
"The end of episode one, if we move forward, is Dream saying to Matthew, 'I'm going to Hell and I may not come back,'" showrunner Alan Heinberg told EW in a recent interview. "So then episode two begins with the rematch between Dream and Lucifer. It's so juicy! I'm so looking forward to doing something entirely different with Gwendoline's look. I don't want to spoil the surprises for people who haven't read Season of Mists, but that's where Dream's trouble really begins."
Fans are also wondering whether there could be room for a Game of You storyline, especially if the new season covers more than one graphic novel at a time as season one did.
"If we're able to do Game of You, we've got a lot of characters who aren't even human, who are talking animals, who I'm looking forward to meeting," continued Heinberg. "Lenny Henry is so good as Martin Tenbones, and I can't wait for the audience to meet Wanda, Foxglove, and Hazel."
Why won't new episodes of The Sandman be called 'season 2'?
Netflix have never referred to the follow-up to 2022's hit first series as 'season 2' and Comicbook reported that at Fan Expo San Francisco, Desire actor Mason Alexander Park said the new chapters will arrive "in a really cool way".
"Netflix has not gone on record as calling it a Season 2, on purpose," Park explained. "And so, I will, from now on and in the future, and possibly until the end of the universe not refer to it as Season 2 until we know what it is."
"There is more Sandman coming in a really cool way and it can take many forms, so we're starting shooting in the summer and we're gonna tackle the next huge chunk of stories in however long that might take," Park continued. "And I'm really excited to share the format of what that might be with everybody eventually."
Neil Gaiman on The Sandman season 2
A tweet from Neil Gaiman on the official show account reads as follows...
“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…”
The Sandman season 2 cast
Tom Sturridge is set to return as Morpheus, while a host of other stars are also expected to return to The Dreaming, including...
* 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
* Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death
With a host of new characters also set to join the show, we're expecting some exciting casting news in the months to come...
The Sandman season 2 trailer
There's no trailer for this one yet, but we'll be sure to post it here as soon as it lands.
