Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN is a comic loved by fans and critics alike. The surreal and sprawling tale of Morpheus and his family as they traverse realms both real and fictional has long been a contender for either big or small screen translation and yet nothing has really happened. The most recent person to show interest in the project was THE WOLVERINE's James Mangold, with Joel Schumacher and Matthew Vaughn also showing interesting, but now we have rumors that someone has actually pitched a project to Warner Bros.
Badass Digest claims that MAN OF STEEL and THE DARK KNIGHT screenwriter David S. Goyer is developing a SANDMAN movie with support from comics writer Geoff Johns and Joseph Gordon-Levitt possibly starring as Morpheus. The site stresses that their source is reputable but that this is in the very earliest of development stages. Either way, with Goyer’s first look deal with the studio, the desire to adapt the Vertigo comic and possible connections to JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, and the popularity of Gordon-Levitt, this looks like a winner on all fronts.
Here’s a brief rundown of the comic from Wikipedia:
The Sandman's main character is Dream, the Lord of Dreams , who is essentially the anthropomorphic personification of dreams. At the start of the series, Morpheus is captured by an occult ritual and held prisoner for 70 years. Morpheus escapes in the modern day and, after avenging himself upon his captors, sets about rebuilding his kingdom, which has fallen into disrepair in his absence.
In its beginnings, the series is a very dark horror comic. Later, the series evolves into an elaborate fantasy series, incorporating elements of classical and contemporary mythology, ultimately placing its protagonist in the role of a tragic hero.
The storylines primarily take place in the Dreaming, Morpheus's realm, and the waking world, with occasional visits to other domains, such as Hell, Faerie, Asgard, and the domains of the other Endless. Many use the contemporary United States of America and the United Kingdom as a backdrop. The DC Universe was the official setting of the series, but well-known DC characters and places were rarely featured after 1990. A notable exception is Lyta Hall, formerly Fury of the 1980s super-team Infinity, Inc., who figures prominently in the "Kindly Ones" story arc, and her superhuman abilities are not ignored.
On all fronts I love this idea. While I would prefer SANDMAN to get the series treatment from HBO or AMC, I would never shy away from a big budget adaptation of this comic masterpiece. Goyer has his detractors, but I would think since this is not an original tale but rather a straight adaptation that he would seek Gaiman’s blessing and do things the right way. Getting Geoff Johns involved is a good choice too.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is linked to almost every movie these days but I think Morpheus is a perfect fit for him. It is not the traditional character and something that has not ever been shown on screen. He could truly make this his own without being typecast as a superhero.
While it is way too early to get excited, I hope that we finally get the SANDMAN movie we have been waiting for all this time.