The Sandman First Look Reveals Tom Sturridge As Dream
Netflix and Neil Gaiman add to the hype surrounding the mythical fantasy show, The Sandman, with the first still photo taken from the show.
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Fans of Neil Gaiman’s dark horror fantasy DC comic book series, The Sandman, have been eagerly awaiting Netflix’s upcoming adaptational series of the same title. Throughout the past year, the series creators have titillated fans with first-look character posters, and a 1-minute teaser trailer. While Netflix has yet to announce when the series will premiere this year, a new interview with visionary Gaiman adds to the hype surrounding the mythical fantasy with the first still photo taken from the show.
The creator of the dark universe recently spoke with Empire Magazine in an exclusive interview. For the feature, Empire was provided with the first still image of Tom Sturridge as Dream. Fully clothed this time, the Sandman lead is pictured alongside the librarian, played by Vivienne Acheampong. Sticking with the dark theme, both characters are pictured walking on a beach, surrounded by an ominous grey sky.
Accompanying the pictures was a fresh outlook on what to expect from Neil Gaiman, who is on board as a developer for Netflix’s The Sandman. While we surely will get the graphic tropes central in the comic series, Gaiman revealed that the series will juggle multiple genres seen in modern TV. Gaiman said, “You watch Episode 1 and think, ‘Oh, I get this thing: it’s like Downton Abbey, but with magic.” Furthermore, Gaiman continued, “Then you’ll be wondering, ‘What the hell is this?'” In addition to bringing the beloved characters and story arcs to life, The Sandman looks to reinvent itself.
For decades, The Sandman has been considered one of DC’s greatest dives into the world of graphic fiction. The original comic series was based on the familiar character told throughout history’s folklore stories. But in Neil Gaiman’s universe, The Sandman is simply known as Dream. Dream is the ruler of the dream world of which he controls. As an immortal, Dream is part of a group known as the Endless which features other characters like Destiny, Death, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delight.
With Tom Sturridge at the center of The Sandman, the new series boasts a promising cast. Gwendoline Christie, best known as Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones, will portray the devil himself (or herself in this case), Lucifer. Boyd Holbrook (Milk) will play The Corinthian, with Charles Dance, also a Game of Thrones vet as Roderick Burgess, Asim Chaudry as Abel, Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, and Stephen Fry as Gilbert.
Before landing his lead role in The Sandman, Tom Sturridge grew up in London, England, where his career was helped in part by his famous parents, actress Phoebe Nicholls, and actor and director Charles Sturridge. Tom began his acting career under the guidance of his father and starred in his first TV production in 2011’s Gulliver’s Travels. Starring in low-key films ever since, Sturridge’s performances have been praised by critics, and longtime fans of the 36-year-old English native are hopeful this lead role will segue the character to Hollywood fame.
While Netflix hasn’t announced an official release date for The Sandman, the purveyor of dreams is set to land on the streaming service soon, as Netflix confirms the ethereal series will premiere this year. As for the man awakening the series, Neil Gaiman is as busy as ever. Following The Sandman’s debut season premiere, Gaiman is also developing a TV miniseries for another book series under his belt, Anansi Boys.
