Netflix's 'The Sandman' Series Eyeing Tom Sturridge For Morpheus
Netflix has found its Dream choice for the lead of its highly anticipated adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. Velvet Buzzsaw and Far From the Madding Crowd actor Tom Sturridge is reportedly in talks to star as Morpheus, the title character and the anthropomorphic personification of Dream in Netflix's The Sandman series, based on Gaiman's groundbreaking graphic novel series.
Collider broke the news that Tom Sturridge is in talks to star in The Sandman, Netflix's adaptation of Gaiman's beloved comic series which followed the dark and fantastical adventures of Morpheus, the anthropomorphic personification of Dream, AKA Sandman. Sturridge reportedly tested for the title role earlier this year alongside Tom York (Poldark) and Colin Morgan (Merlin) before coming out on top.
Sturridge is best known for starring opposite Carey Mulligan in Far From the Madding Crowd and has made recent appearances in Dan Gilroy's Velvet Buzzsaw, Terrence Malick's Song to Song, and as Lord Byron in the Elle Fanning-led Mary Shelley. Although I have seen the latter, I can't say he made a big impression on me, but he must have impressed the Sandman casting directors to win out for such a difficult, coveted role.
Morpheus is a challenging role to nail, as he's the farthest thing from human as a character can be — the personification of Dream is an ageless immortal being who hails from a group called The Endless, who personify concepts like Death, Desire, Destiny, Delirium, Despair, and Destruction. Even skilled actors like James McAvoy struggle with the role in the audio drama adaptation of The Sandman (mostly due to what I believe is a miscasting, as the actor isn't the right fit for the inhuman stoic that is Morpheus). It's smart on Netflix's part to cast a relative unknown, but my hope is that Sturridge at least has a deep, gravelly voice that can lend the kind of gravitas that Morpheus needs.
Gaiman recently revealed on Twitter that The Sandman will begin shooting in three weeks, after production was delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Netflix has already given an 11-episode order to the fantasy drama, which comes from Warner Bros. TV. Gaiman is executive producing with David S. Goyer (Batman Begins) and writer/showrunner Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman).
It's been a long road to The Sandman, which has seen many failed attempts to adapt the property to the big screen, including one New Line feature film that would have starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt (now that would have been a miscasting). The original 75-issue run of The Sandman was published by DC Comics' Vertigo label and ran from January 1989 to March 1996, during which it was hailed as one of the greatest comic books of all time.