If you already binged your way through all ten episodes of the Netflix / Neil Gaiman series The Sandman when the show premiered two weeks ago and desperately want to see more… well, here’s some great news. There is now more of The Sandman to watch on Netflix! The streaming service has released a bonus episode of the show that is, as described by Variety, “a live-action/animated hybrid episode adapting two fan-favorite stories from Gaiman’s The Sandman graphic novels from DC Comics: A Dream of a Thousand Cats and Calliope.”
Directed by Hisko Hulsing, A Dream of a Thousand Cats is the animated portion and stars Tom Sturridge in his leading Sandman role as Dream, as well as a guest voice cast members including Sandra Oh as The Prophet, Rosie Day as The Tabby Kitten, David Gyasi as The Grey Cat, Joe Lycett as The Black Cat, Gaiman himself as Crow/Skull Bird, James McAvoy as Golden-Haired Man, David Tennant as Don, Georgia Tennant as Laura Lynn, Michael Sheen as Paul, Anna Lundberg as Marion, Nonso Anozie as Wyvern, Diane Morgan as Gryphon, and Tom Wu as Hippogriff.
The live-action story Calliope, directed by Louise Hooper, features Sturridge along with guest stars Melissanthi Mahut as Calliope, Arthur Darvill as Richard Madoc, Nina Wadia as Fate Mother, Souad Faress as Fate Crone, Dinita Gohil as Fate Maiden, Kevin Harvey as Larry, Amita Suman as Nora, and Derek Jacobi as Erasmus Fry.
Hulsing provided the following statement:
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. 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 Studios in London created the breathtaking 3D animation of the cats. The wonderful 2D animation, oil paintings and stylizing were all done at Submarine Studios in Amsterdam.”
Described as “a rich, character-driven blend of myth and dark fantasy”, The Sandman stars Tom Sturridge and has the following synopsis:
When the Sandman, aka Dream — the powerful cosmic being who controls all our dreams — is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner for over a century, he must journey across different worlds and timelines to fix the chaos his absence has caused.
Sturridge is joined in the cast by Boyd Holbrook, Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, David Thewlis, Stephen Fry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Donna Preston, Vanesu Samunyai (formerly known as “Kyo Ra”), John Cameron Mitchell, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Joely Richardson, Niamh Walsh, Sandra James Young, Razane Jammal, and Mark Hamill.
The Sandman was developed by Gaiman, Allan Heinberg, and David S. Goyer. All three serve as executive producers on the series, and Heinberg is also the showrunner. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television. The bonus episode was scripted by Catherine Smyth-McMullen.
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