After a grassroots campaign by creator Neil Gaiman to get a second season, word leaked yesterday that The Sandman has been renewed on Netflix.
A leak from DC’s own social media (soon taken down) broke the news, and was followed by Gaiman’s confirmation tweet:
The rumours are true. Netflix is thrilled that so many of you have been watching Sandman, and the thing we were all hoping would happen… has indeed happened… pic.twitter.com/zc5CrhsdZK
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) November 3, 2022
“The rumours are true. Netflix is thrilled that so many of you have been watching Sandman, and the thing we were all hoping would happen… has indeed happened…” he tweeted.
Netflix made it PR official, as Gaiman continued:
“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,” Gaiman said in a statement. “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.”
Although Gaiman’s very active social media campaign to get a renewal may have seemed like overkill – the show was very popular on Netflix, garnering 69.5M hours in its first week and staying strong from there – in the world of streaming nothing is certain. Better safe than sorry!
The show debuted back in August and immediately became a sensation, with Gaiman taking a deserved victory lap for waiting long enough for Sandman to get the adaptation it deserved – while also eviscerating Twitter trolls who whined about the updated gender and race-swapped casting.
The second season will continue the story of Morpheus’s (Tom Sturridge) conflict with Hell and Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) – and introduce the rest of the Endless.
“There are some astonishing stories waiting for Morpheus and the rest of them (not to mention more members of the Endless Family to meet),” Gaiman continued. “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…”
“I’m profoundly grateful to Netflix and to Warner Bros. — to the artists and crew who made our first 11 episodes so magical — and to the extraordinary fans of The Sandman, who advocated tirelessly — endlessly — on the show’s behalf and made it possible for us to continue telling Morpheus’ story,” showrunner Allan Heinberg tells Tudum.
“And now we get to meet the rest of the Endless!” executive producer David S. Goyer adds. “The support our partners at Netflix and Warner Bros. have given us has been phenomenal. And the fan response made the 10-year journey worth every obstacle. Truly, this has been a labor of love.”
While all involved are celebrating, the timeline for shooting and airing the second season is yet unknown.
