Netflix Signs Deal to Adapt Neil Gaiman's THE SANDMAN as TV Series

At long last, the dream is real.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Netflix has signed "a massive financial deal with Warner Bros. Television" to adapt Neil Gaiman's classic DC Comics/VERTIGO series The Sandman as a straight-to-series TV drama.

According to the article, The Sandman will be the most expensive TV series that DC Entertainment has ever done.  Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman, Grey's Anatomy) will write and serve as showrunner on the straight-to-series drama.  Gaiman will be an executive producer on the series alongside David Goyer, after the two attempted to adapt The Sandman as a film project in 2013 with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the central character Dream/Morpheus.

Gaiman's dark fantasy series debuted in 1989, chronicling the saga of Dream, the Lord of Dreams, and one of the aspects of the universe personified by a group of powerful beings known as The Endless.  As the series begins, Dream is captured in an occult ritual and imprisoned on Earth for seventy years, but escapes in the modern day and sets about rebuilding his realm of dreams.  Over the course of 75 issues, plus an annual and a special, Gaiman and a variety of artists (including Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, Kelley Jones, Jill Thompson and others) explored both the modern world and the past, incorporating numerous elements of literature, mythology, religion, fantasy, horror and even superheroes.

The article also claims that Warner Bros. took the Sandman TV pitch to multiple outlets, including corporate sibling HBO.  HBO passed on the series, given the massive financial cost and probably due to their other expensive shows such as Westworld, Watchmen and the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series.  Reportedly, Netflix seized upon the series as part of their search for big-name IP that could be turned into subscriber-friendly franchises, especially after Netflix recently parted ways with Marvel Studios and their five drama shows.

In addition, THR notes that Warner Bros. decided to make the deal with third-party Netflix in an attempt to bring additional revenue to the company, instead of featuring The Sandman on its upcoming WarnerMedia streaming service.  Warner Bros. is reportedly in final negotiations for a new film and TV pact with J.J. Abrams that could be worth more than $500 million, so they presumably need some spare change.