Everything We Know So Far (2024)

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• What's 'The Sandman' Season 2's Production (And Is There a Release Date)?

• Is There a Trailer for 'The Sandman' Season 2?

• Who's In the Cast of 'The Sandman' Season 2?

• Who's Making 'The Sandman' Season 2?

• What Is the Story of 'The Sandman' Season 2?

• The Sandman Universe Spin-Offs

The Sandman Season 2 might not have a release date yet, and it could be months (or even a year) before we see the King of Dreams return to his realm, but it remains a highly anticipated and much-awaited arrival for fans. Based on Neil Gaiman’s eponymous 1989 graphic novel series, this Netflix original tells the story of the titular Sandman, Morpheus/Dream, the personification of dreams. Dream is one of the seven Endless, a family of powerful, immortal natural forces. After being captured for over a century through an occult ritual, he escapes and sets out to restore order in his realm, the Dreaming. Premiered in August 2022, this fantasy drama series has been a dream come true, quite literally. Though it took decades to translate the fan-favorite books into a screen adaptation, the series turned out to be a massive success.

On its release, The Sandman was critically acclaimed and positively reviewed among fans, with high praises for its production design, costumes, visual effects, music, and not to mention the tremendous cast and its performance, especially of Tom Sturridge as Dream and David Thewlis as John Dee. The first season ranked #1, on Netflix's Top 10 titles globally for the first week and continued to be on the top for seven consecutive weeks, eventually becoming one of the most-watched English language shows on Netflix in 2022. The series was greenlighted for a second season in November 2022. The first season adapts materials from the volumes Preludes & Nocturnes, The Doll's House, and the first two issues of Dream Country. Considering the comics span several main volumes, prequels, spin-offs, and more within The Sandman Universe, the upcoming season has the scope to cover the other popular and successful volumes in the series. But we’ll have more on that as official plot details are revealed. Until then, here’s our handy guide on everything we know so far about The Sandman Season 2.

The Sandman

What's 'The Sandman' Season 2's Production (And Is There a Release Date)?

As we mentioned above, there's no release date yet for The Sandman Season 2. Despite the WGA strike, the production for the second installment of The Sandman began on June 23, 2023, at Shepperton Studios in the UK. But filming came to a halt due to the SAG-AFTRA strike beginning July 14 and was paused indefinitely. However, filming has now resumed so hopefully, we may be able to see the new season sometime at the end of 2024 or in Early 2025.

The first installment of The Sandman had 10 episodes with one bonus episode released two weeks after the series premiere. So, whenever the second season arrives, we can probably expect it to have at least 10 episodes, though we may or may not get something extra. As for where it will come out, the show is a Netflix original series, so The Sandman is exclusively available for streaming on Netflix. The first season with 11 episodes is currently available to stream on the service, so you have all the time to catch up on the surreal fantasy series if you have yet to watch it.

Watch on Netflix

Is There a Trailer for 'The Sandman' Season 2?

With the show’s production as it is, we cannot expect any trailer/teaser/promo for the second season anytime soon. We do, however, have a behind-the-scenes image from the production of The Sandman Season 2. The scene being filmed appears to involve Dream having a conversation with his sibling and rival, Desire. Here it is:

Here's something else that might cue you into the story of the second season. Titled, "The Oldest Game", this clip features Lucifer and Dream in a battle of wills and imagination, where the king of dreams must fight, challenge and conquer the ruler of Hell in order to recover and restore his helm. The consequences of this battle are expected to play a big part in the new season (more on that below). Stay tuned for the latest updates on the official trailer and other clips of The Sandman Season 2, as and when they become available.

Who's In the Cast of 'The Sandman' Season 2?

Right from the first season, the creators of The Sandman have put together a massive and diverse cast led by Tom Sturridge (Like Minds) as the titular Sandman/Dream/Morpheus. Joining him are Vivienne Acheampong (The Witches) as Lucienne, the librarian and caretaker of the Dreaming and Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio) as Matthew the Raven, Dream's emissary. Besides the above main cast members, Season 1 of The Sandman also stars Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) as Lucifer Morningstar, the ruler of Hell; Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Killing Eve) as Death, Dream's kinder, wiser older sister and personification of death; and Mason Alexander Park (Cowboy Bebop) as Desire, Dream's sibling and personification of desire. All of these characters are expected to return to the second installment. Other recurring and guest stars from the first season who could show up in Season 2 include Kyo Ra/Vanesu Samunyai as Rose Walker; Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) as Johanna Constantine, an occult detective; and Sanjeev Bhaskar (Unforgotten) as Cain and Asim Chaudhary (People Just Do Nothing) as Abel, both residents of the Dreaming (based on the biblical characters).

Among new characters, we can expect to see the additions of Delirium, the youngest of the Endless who navigates a dynamic realm and seeks Dream’s help; Destruction, an Endless sibling who abandoned his realm; Destiny, the all-knowing, eldest Endless sibling, and Wanda, a trans woman who works for a high-end travel firm and serves as a personal guide/liaison for Dream and Delirium in the waking world. While for the role of Delirium, the casting for the other three new characters is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, some of the earlier characters from the first season, like Boyd Holbrook’s (In the Shadow of the Moon) Corinthian and David Thewlis’s (Harry Potter) John Dee will not be reprising their roles, since The Corinthian was defeated by The Sandman and John Dee who was returned to the hospital from which he escaped. However, The Corinthian might be returning in a later season.

Who's Making 'The Sandman' Season 2?

The Sandman is a television adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s eponymous comic book series published between 1989 and 1996 by DC Comics. Gaiman developed the series for Netflix along with Allan Heinberg and David S. Goyer. The project has been in and out of planning and development since the 90s. A legend of modern literature, award-winning author-screenwriter Gaiman is reputed for penning numerous short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre, and scripts. Besides The Sandman as his most legendary creation, some of his best-known works are Good Omens, Stardust, Anansi Boys, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book, to name a few. Series co-creator, David S. Goyer is also a well-known filmmaker, novelist, and comic book writer, most recognized for his screenplays for superhero films like The Dark Knight trilogy and the Blade trilogy. He has also directed the films The Invisible, Blade: Trinity, and The Unborn, and created the Apple TV+ sci-fi series Foundation. Allan Heinberg is most known for his screenplay for the 2017 Wonder Woman film, which he co-wrote with Zack Snyder and Jason Fuchs, as well as for developing, writing, and producing the ABC comedy series, The Catch. His other writing and producing credits include hit television series like Sex and the City, Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, etc.

The Sandman is produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television with Gaiman, Goyer, and Heinberg serving as the executive producers along with Mike Barker (The Handmaid's Tale), Jamie Childs, Bruno Felix, and Femke Wolting. The series’ brilliant cinematography can be credited to Will Baldy and George Steele of Peaky Blinders fame and Sam Heasman of Doctor Who fame, while the show’s music is composed by David Buckley of The Good Fight and The Lincoln Lawyer fame. Costume designer, Sarah Arthur, best known for Sherlock and A Discovery of Witches, and property master Gordon Fitzgerald of Game of Thrones fame are the ones who recreated the costumes and props from the comic books for the series.

What Is the Story of 'The Sandman' Season 2?

The first season of The Sandman introduces Dream, the titular Sandman, who was captured by a group of occultists over a century ago. After decades of patient waiting, he breaks out of his imprisonment and sets out to recover his “articles of office” so he can restore balance to his realm, which had been disrupted in his absence. His quest brings him into contact with various individuals, some good and some evil, including Johanna Constantine, Lucifer, and John Dee. By the end of Season 1, Lucifer vows to seek revenge on Dream for being defeated and humiliated in a game. In the comics, Lucifer attempts to do this by leaving Hell, emptying the souls of the damned back into the waking world, and giving the keys to Dream. This prompts various forces from around the universe to seek to take over Hell, which will likely be the focus of the second season’s plot, along with what Dream will do with this newfound responsibility.

Meanwhile, in the absence of Lucifer as the keeper, all the souls from Hell now stuck on Earth provide a solid B-plot in the comics, with Death playing a key role. On the other side of the storyline, the second season is also expected to explore why and how Dream banished his former lover Nada to Hell. The second season will most likely feature arcs from the volume The Season of Mists, which is regarded as one of the most popular and influential installments in The Sandman series.

The Sandman Universe Spin-Offs

The Season of Mists volume also sets up the spin-off comic series Lucifer and Dead Boy Detectives. The first of those has already been loosely adapted into the eponymous series adaptation Lucifer (2016-2021) with Tom Ellis featuring as the titular keeper of Hell. However, the series is a very loose adaptation that is not technically based on the actual events of the books. In fact, as Gaiman explains, Christie’s characterization of Lucifer is much closer to the character's original depiction in the comics. Additionally, the other spin-off comic, the Dead Boy Detectives, is also being adapted for a Netflix original fantasy drama series with its release date yet to be announced. Said to be set in the same universe as The Sandman, the eponymous series is developed by Steve Yockey, best known for his previous work on Doom Patrol, The Flight Attendant, and Supernatural.

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