According to Neil Gaiman, Michael Jackson wanted to play Morpheus aka the titular Sandman in the 1996 failed adaptation of The Sandman by Warner Bros.
Gaiman created The Sandman for DC Comics in 1989, which ran successfully for 75 issues. A Netflix show based on Gaiman’s comic series, titled The Sandman, premiered on August 5. The series stars Tom Sturridge as The Sandman and was developed for television by Gaiman himself, along with David S. Goyer and Allen Heinberg.
There have been several attempts by writers and directors to adapt Gaiman’s iconic comic series into a feature film or TV show over the years. The first attempt to adapt The Sandman was in 1991, as a feature film.
The project was in development for almost two decades, after which Goyer pitched an idea for a feature film to Warner Bros. and Gaiman signed on as producer. However, due to creative differences and fallouts, Gaiman left the project.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was supposed to star as Morpheus in the 1996 film which never came to fruition. However, it seems like another major superstar was interested in the project before Gordon-Levitt.
During an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s podcast, Happy Sad Confused, Gaiman shared an interesting incident about how Michael Jackson wanted to star in The Sandman.
Apparently, back in 1996, the pop star called the then president of Warner Bros. asking if he could star as Morpheus in The Sandman. Check out Gaiman’s full statement below.
By 1996, I was being taken to Warners, where the then-president of Warner Bros sat me down and told me that Michael Jackson had phoned him the day before and asked him if he could star as Morpheus in The Sandman. So, there was a lot of interest in this, and they knew that it was one of the Crown Jewels, and what did I think? And I was like, “Ooh.”
Gaiman did not speak further about how he thought Jackson would portray Morpheus but admitted to being naïve about the casting process. He earlier believed it would be simple, but changed his mind after taking over 1500 auditions for the part over the years.
Gaiman has remained highly protective and choosy about his magnum opus and remained deeply involved in the development of the Netflix series.
Michael Jackson playing The Sandman would have been interesting to watch. He previously proved his acting talent with starring roles in The Wiz and Moonwalker. He also had a cameo in Men in Black II. Being a born performer, he would surely have given his own touch to Morpheus’ character.
Nevertheless, Gaiman is finally happy with Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman. Hopefully, Netflix renews the series for another season very soon.
About The Sandman
The Sandman is an American fantasy drama TV series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. The series was developed for Netflix and is being produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television.
The first season adapted the first two comics in the series, Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll’s House. In 1916, Dream, the king of Dreams and Nightmares and one of the seven Endless, is captured and imprisoned after an occult ritual. After being held captive for 106 years, he escapes and sets out to restore order to his kingdom of The Dreaming.
The Sandman stars Tom Sturridge as Dream, with Gwendoline Christie, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Asim Chaudhry, and Sanjeev Bhaskar in supporting roles.
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