Netflix just dropped a surprise bonus episode of The Sandman, continuing the story of Morpheus and his journeys in the Dreaming and waking world. Titled "A Dream of a Thousand Cats/Calliope," this eleventh chapter is adapted from "Dream Country," a story arc that played out in issues #17 - #20 of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comic book series.
In this two-part story collection, a Siamese cat dreaming of a new world and a writer in desperate need of inspiration cross paths with Morpheus, and just like the source material, this storyline follows the show's "The Doll's House" arc.
What's unique about this episode is that it's the first animated Sandman story, and Dutch animator Hisko Hulsing was enlisted to serve as director and production designer. Tom Sturridge reprises his role as Dream, of course, while he also voices an animated feline version of himself.
Among the rest of the voiceover cast are Sandra Oh, Joe Lycett, James McAvoy, David Tennant, and Michael Sheen. Melissanthi Mahut, Arthur Darvill, and Derek Jacobi are among the live-action cast members.
"We endeavored to make the animated version of ‘A Dream of a Thousand Cats’ as mesmerizing and hypnotic as we could by utilizing the magic of real oil paintings on canvas," Hulsing explains. "We combined the paintings with classically drawn 2D animation, based on realistic 3D animation of telepathic cats in order to create a trippy world that feels both grounded and dreamy at the same time."
"Untold Studio’s in London created the breathtaking 3D animation of the cats. The wonderful 2D animation, oil paintings and stylizing were all done at Submarine Studio’s in Amsterdam."
There had been rumblings about a bonus episode, and while we wait for news on a second season, this hour-long chapter is definitely welcomed. There's been no official word on plans for more episodes, so fingers crossed that news is imminent.
Check out a sneak peek of this bonus episode of The Sandman, which is now streaming on Netflix, below: