Netflix has done what was long thought impossible by bringing Neil Gaiman’s epic comic book series The Sandman into live-action, with the first season faithfully adapting opening volumes Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll’s House.
However, there’s still a long way to go before the saga is complete, with Gaiman’s initial run consisting of 10 volumes in total, in addition to the several spin-offs and prequels that have come from other writers.
As a result, The Sandman could conceivably continue for many years to come, with Gaiman and executive producer Allan Heinberg both enthusiastic about the idea of a second season.
With diehard fans binging through the first 10 episodes on the day of release, some viewers are already wondering when they could feast their eyes on the next batch. So, read on for everything we know so far.
Will there be The Sandman season 2 on Netflix?
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/07/the-sandman-dream-death-netflix-09f1b94.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
Netflix is yet to officially announce whether The Sandman will return for a second season, but it’s well-known that executive producers Gaiman, Heinberg and David S Goyer are very keen to make it happen.
In fact, Neil Gaiman has revealed that plans are already afoot for the second run.
“There are three of us, the showrunner Allan Heinberg, David Goyer and me, and we’ve just finished writing the first episode, and plotting and breaking down the first two seasons, so we’ll see what happens next,” Gaiman revealed to RadioTimes.com.
The decision will come down to how the project performs in terms of viewership, with Netflix sinking an estimated $165 million into the series, not including the undisclosed sum spent to acquire the rights.
At a time when Netflix is facing questions about its future, that investment is no small ask, but there’s every chance the show could go again given how much love is out there for Gaiman’s source material.
When could a potential The Sandman season 2 be released?
The first season of The Sandman took almost two years to produce, with filming getting underway in October 2020 and the finished project finally landing on Netflix in August 2022.
Of course, it likely didn’t help matters that cameras started rolling at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, which would have significantly slowed down the usual pace of the shoot.
A show like The Sandman also requires a lengthy post-production phase in order to get its visual effects looking nice and shiny, not to mention the time it takes to create the practical sets and costumes.
All this to say that if The Sandman is renewed for a second season, it will probably be some time away, with our prediction being an 18-24 month production cycle. This points to a release date of spring/summer 2024.
Who could return for The Sandman season 2?
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/08/sandman-key-art-netflix-90f5aa7.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
The Sandman comic books are a sprawling saga which sees numerous characters pass through it, but creator Gaiman has assured that viewers can expect reprisals from the vast majority of the season 1 cast – if the show is renewed, that is.
“Part of the fun of Sandman is, if we get to season 2, you’re going to meet a whole lot more people,” he said in an interview with RadioTimes.com. “And by the way, in season 2, you’re also going to re-encounter pretty much everybody that you knew and loved in season 1.”
Gaiman continued: “Hob Gadling is there in Season of Mists [the fourth collection in The Sandman comic book series]. Desire is waiting for us, as well. The people that you love will all come back and there are lots of people that you haven’t met yet to fall in love with.”
These comments suggest returns for Ferdinand Kingsley and Mason Alexander Park, along with main players Tom Sturridge, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Gwendoline Christie and Vivienne Acheampong.
“Even Alex [Burgess] and Paul [McGuire],” added co-writer and executive producer Heinberg, confirming future plans for the LGBTQ+ couple.
Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman has also addressed her future in The Sandman, telling RadioTimes.com that Lady Johanna Constantine’s fleeting appearance in season 1 was a “seed” for bigger things to come.
On his character’s somewhat ambiguous fate, Boyd Holbrook said: “I had a great experience on this. And I think we’d all love to continue The Sandman. It’s the universe that just keeps going on and on… I believe that The Corinthian is reincarnated at a certain point in time in the comic, so we’ll see.”
What could happen in The Sandman season 2?
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/08/gwendoline-christie-lucifer-sandman-9f11081.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
As suggested by The Sandman ending, the next season of the show would primarily focus on the fourth and fifth volumes of the graphic novel, titled Season of Mists and A Game of You respectively.
Gaiman confirmed to RadioTimes.com: “Our plans for the second season is the second two graphic novels, which technically in this case will be books four and five, with some bits of the short stories in book three scattered among some other stuff.”
The first of these sees Dream return to Hell, where Lucifer Morningstar is waiting for him, unleashing chaos by abdicating her throne and starting a new life on Earth – freeing her demons in the process.
The second focuses on a supporting character from season 1, Barbie (as played by Lily Travers), who makes a long-overdue return to her fantasy world in the Dreaming following an intervention from mythical steed Martin Tenbones.
Given how faithful the first season was to both Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll’s House, we’d expect a potential follow-up to stick rather closely to the source material.
Is there a trailer for The Sandman season 2?
Not yet, and we wouldn’t expect to see one anytime soon.
The Sandman is available to stream on Netflix. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.