Netflix's adaptation of seminal DC Comics series, The Sandman, is set to premiere on August 5, and while the teasers we've seen for the show seem to have gone over fairly well with the fanbase (for the most part), the depictions of Morpheus and his siblings have come in for a lot of criticism.
On the page, The Endless all have alabaster white skin, and Dream's eyes are pitch-black with two dots of light in their centre. The characters will look less otherworldly for their live-action debuts, but Neil Gaiman has now revealed that a comic-accurate design for Tom Sturridge's Morpheus was tested.
The writer responded to a Tweet asking if it was "a creative decision not to give him Morpheus’ paper-white skin" by explaining why they ultimately decided to go in another direction.
What works on the page doesn't always translate to the screen, so it does make sense that The Endless would need to appear more "normal" in order to blend in while travelling in the waking world.
We recently learned that Warner Bros. Discovery will have a (smaller than usual) presence at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, and while most of the studio's upcoming DC movies are not expected to be showcased to any significant degree, there is a Hall H panel planned for The Sandman. Some new footage is anticipated, and Collider's Steve Weintraub has heard that the first episode may even screen for those in attendance.
"There is another world that waits for all of us when we close our eyes and sleep — a place called the Dreaming, where The Sandman, Master of Dreams (Tom Sturridge), gives shape to all of our deepest fears and fantasies. But when Dream is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner for a century, his absence sets off a series of events that will change both the dreaming and waking worlds forever. To restore order, Dream must journey across different worlds and timelines to mend the mistakes he’s made during his vast existence, revisiting old friends and foes, and meeting new entities — both cosmic and human — along the way."
The Sandman also stars Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, Charles Dance as black magician Roderick Burgess, and Sanjeeve Bhaskar as Cain. Joely Richardson will play Ethel Cripps, while David Thewlis will take on the role of her son John Dee, aka the deranged Dr. Destiny.
The 10-episode first season of The Sandman will adapt the first two arcs of the Vertigo comics series, "Preludes and Nocturnes" and "The Dolls House."