'The Sandman: Act II' Audio Drama Reveals New Cast With James McAvoy, Kat Dennings, Andy Serkis, And More

Here comes the grand marshal of the audiobook/podcast parade, just in the neighborhood to tell you about another star-studded, radio-like drama that will be coming your way very soon. Whether it be The Lord of the Rings read by Andy Serkis or Stephen King's "Strawberry Spring" performed by Garrett Hedlund and Milo Ventimiglia, it's a good time to be a listener.

The first season of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, adapted for the audio format from his landmark DC Vertigo comic of the same name, was a runaway success last summer. Released on July 15, 2020, it became the best-selling Audible Original in the company's history, occupying the #1 spot on The New York Times Best Seller Audio Fiction list for two months. One year later, Audible has announced the next installment, The Sandman: Act II, with James McAvoy and an A-list supporting cast that will make your eyes bulge. Not only that: you'll be able to listen to the first volume, The Sandman, for free.

Audible has assembled a fierce ensemble of voice actors for The Sandman: Act II, which is bound for the bookshelves of your ears on September 22, 2021. McAvoy returns in the lead role of Dream/Morpheus and he's joined by Kat Dennings, Andy Serkis, Michael Sheen, Regé-Jean Page, Jeffrey Wright, Brian Cox, Emma Corrin, John Lithgow, David Tennant, Kristen Schaal, Bill Nighy, Kevin Smith, Bebe Neuwirth, Adrian Lester, Miriam Margolyes, and more.

Did you do a spit take when you read those names? You might not recognize all of them out of the gate, but if you use IMDb to put a face to a name, chances are you'll recognize the faces of some well-known character actors. The press release for The Sandman: Act II notes that the first installment in this audio series "will be made available for free on Audible, Amazon Music, and through Alexa enabled devices this summer."

Thrilled to be able to share just a few of the brilliant cast members of The Sandman: Act II from @audible_com and @dccomics. It will be released on September 22nd! Catch up on The Sandman Act I before Act II arrives. https://t.co/EjYoJlvueX #SandmanxAudible pic.twitter.com/Ncq0HbTI16

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) July 22, 2021

If you're behind on your Sandman news, then take another sip of your summer lemonade and prepare to do one more cast-inspired spit take ...

It's important to note that this audio drama is a separate thing from Netflix's upcoming TV adaptation of The Sandman. Just last month, Gaiman gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the development of that series, which has already received an 11-episode order, and which also boasts a stellar cast that includes Tom Sturridge, Gwendoline Christie, Charles Dance, Boyd Holbrook, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Patton Oswalt, David Thewlis, Jenna Colman, and Stephen Fry.

You must be getting tired after all of these spit takes.

Gaiman serves as a co-executive producer of both the audio series and the Netflix series. He narrated the first volume of The Sandman audio drama and is acting as the creative director for The Sandman: Act II. Again, the press release notes:

The Sandman: Act II will adapt Volume Four: Season of Mists, and Volume Five: A Game of You, as well as the "Distant Mirrors" quartet and "Convergence" trio from Volume Six: Fables & Reflections, of the graphic novel series.

The Sandman adapted the first three volumes of the graphic novel series (Preludes & Nocturnes, The Doll's House, and Dream Country). The Sandman: Act II will be available exclusively on Audible on September 22, 2021. Act III has already been greenlit.