A trailer for The Sandman is long overdue, especially because it airs in a little less than two weeks! Now that the clip is out, it’s wonderful to see how the comics have been brought to life, and I have to say that Tom Sturridge looks incredible as Dream!
The Sandman, set to debut on Netflix on August 5, is an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s comics of the same name. It will follow Dream, who escapes the occultists that trapped him and must deal with the chaos that ensued in his absence.
Before dissecting the trailer, it’s important for you to know that the show will follow the comic book’s anthological style. There will be a few episodes that have independent storylines and even their own villains!
So you will come across a lot of characters in the trailer, but don’t worry, I’ll explain who they are and which plotlines they belong to!
1. Dream Escapes His Prison
The trailer opens with a flurry of shots, but the most prominent one is of Dream getting sucked into a sphere of light.
All this while, Dream has been trapped by the occultist, Roderick Burgess, who wanted to capture Death but ended up with her brother. This is most likely to be Episode 1 that follows the comic book’s “Sleep of the Just” arc.
2. The Corinthian
While we’ll see plenty of bad guys in the show, the trailer makes it clear that there’ll be one in particular as a formidable antagonist to Dream. It will be none other than his own creation, The Corinthian!
Dream created The Corinthian as a nightmare, but he escaped and went rogue when Dream himself was imprisoned. Clearly, he no longer bows down to any masters as he is determined to wreak havoc and show Dream who’s the boss.
Expect to see The Corinthian make appearances in quite a few episodes, building up to a showdown during the season finale.
3. The Doll’s House
The Doll’s House is a storyline connected to The Corinthian, as well as Rose Walker and her lost brother, Jed—both of whom we see in the trailer.
However, the other characters from the story, Gilbert and Lyta Hall (who have confirmed actors playing them) seem to be missing from the trailer. My guess is that the story has been altered a little bit for the screen.
4. Johanna Constantine
Another popular figure who will be in the show is Johanna Constantine. Now, if you’ve read the comics, you’ll know that this character is supposed to be her husband, John.
But due to legal disputes, it’s been switched up with Jenna Coleman playing two versions: The first will be John’s ancestor from the 18th century, Johanna. The second will be a different but arelated present-day version.
In the comics, Constantine (who is also a sorcerer) appears in “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” where he aids Dream in finding his missing sand. I believe Johanna might have a similar underlying story since we do see a woman made of sand right at the end of the trailer.
5. John Dee and Ties with DC
It’s easy to forget that The Sandman is part of DC. This is why we have characters like John Dee who bridge that gap. Dee, better known as Doctor Destiny, was imprisoned in Arkham Asylum.
When he escapes, he uses the Dreamstone to torture people and makes them live their worst nightmares. If you want to read his original story, go to the comic book arc of “24 Hours.”
6. Cain and Abel
We also have to get biblical, so here are Cain and Abel who have to live out the rest of their existence in a constant cycle of violence. Each of them also has a gargoyle, which you may have also spotted in the trailer.
7. The Dreaming
The two doomed brothers make for a great segue into The Dreaming, because they live right next to it. The Dreaming, of course, is the realm that Dream governs. Since he’s been away for so long, he needs to get his affairs in order.
The trailer shows us quite a few characters who reside in The Dreaming, including Mervyn Pumpkinhead (who has an actual pumpkin for a head!), Lucienne, and Matthew the Raven.
8. The Endless
Finally, we come to Dream’s family, The Endless. There are seven in total who embody great sources of power: Death, Delirium, Desire, Despair, Destiny, Destruction, and Dream. In the trailer, we only see three of them, apart from Dream.
We have Desire, whose home, The Threshold, is depicted right in the beginning of the trailer. There is also a close-up of her later saying, “Things have changed.” You’ll find her to be naughty and always meddling with Dream’s schemes.
Despair is also set to appear in the show, but she doesn’t get much screen time in the trailer. Fun fact: She’s Desire’s twin!
Last, but most importantly is Death. You don’t expect Death to be kind or have such an endearing relationship with her siblings, so get ready to be awed. She’s soon going to be one of your favorite characters.
She has quite an emotional story with Dream, exploring the arc of “The Sound of Her Wings.”
9. Lucifer, Queen of Hell
Lucifer is The Sandman’s most anticipated character after Dream. Don’t let a gender swap curb any excitement—Gwendoline Christie’s delivery in the trailer has already proved she’s worth her salt and more!
Through this storyline, we will go through the gates of Hell with Dream in deep pursuit of his helm that a demon stole.
Lucifer also has a compelling tale where he empties Hell and resigns as its ruler. This was a decision that was inspired by Dream, so it’ll be interesting to see if we get to see it in Season 1 itself!
10. 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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