The Sandman returns on Netflix for its second and last season. Tom Sturridge returns as Dream (also known as Morpheus), whose story is set to reach its epic cosmic conclusion. The upcoming fantasy series will showcase the aftermath of the fateful reunion Dream of the Endless had with his family.
The dramatic trailer features Dream (Tom Sturridge) fighting for his own survival and the survival of the dreamworld himself. Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) can be heard saying in the trailer, “Everyone loves a good story, but all stories come to an end.” Showrunner Allan Heinberg calls this upcoming season “a full and complete circle.”
The nearly two-minute-long intense trailer gives fans a hint of Dream's journey to fiery hell to meet face to face with Lucifer Morningstar (Gwendoline Christie), in the bid to save the life of a trapped soul. The trailer is also dark in color and in tone, indicating the morbid and troubling themes the show explores.
Season 2 will follow Dream of the Endless as he “must face one impossible decision after another as he attempts to save himself, his kingdom, and the waking world from the epic fallout of his past misdeeds.”
The official Netflix press release adds that Dream must confront “longtime friends and foes, gods, monsters, and mortals” and make amends but the path to forgiveness is “full of unexpected twists and turns, and true absolution may cost Dream everything.”
Adapted from Neil Gaiman’s comic books, the second season will predominantly take storylines from “Season of Mists,” “Brief Lives,” as well as pull from “The Kindly Ones” and “The Sandman: Overture” collections, along with “Tales in the Sand,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Song of Orpheus,” “Thermidor,” and “The Tempest.”
While the show will stay true to the source material, Heinberg teases some surprises for fans. “Our adaptation aims to be faithful to the movements of Dream’s story, but in a way that I hope will surprise the book’s loyal fans.” The next series will allegedly be more from Dream’s perspective than the source material and will rework the graphic novel storylines.
After allegations were made against Neil Gaiman in July 2024, there were uncertainty if season 2 would ever make it to our screens. However, Variety reports that the decision to conclude the fantasy drama started before filming, so they had time to wrap up all the storylines and leave no cliffhangers.
Speaking to Netflix site Tudum, writer/producer Heinberg praised the experience of making The Sandman. “Knowing this was our final season — knowing where we were going, story-wise — allowed us to prep and plan to use our time and budget to the fullest.”
Heinberg added that they always envisaged having minimal seasons of The Sandman as their show had focused exclusively on Dream’s story, rather than many of the other characters. “Back in 2022, when we looked at the remaining Dream material from the comics, we knew we only had enough story for one more season.”
Tom Sturridge returns as Dream, alongside Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, Donna Preston as Despair, and Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer. The trailer also hints at the return of Jenna Coleman’s Johanna Constantine. New cast members include Adrian Lester as Destiny, Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium, and Barry Sloane as Prodigal.
The first six episodes will be released on July 6, while five more episodes will drop on July 24. A bonus episode surrounding Death will be released on July 31.
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