Fans of The Sandman have been eagerly anticipating the premiere of the second season since the first season debuted on Netflix in 2022. And when the series’ showrunner finally made an announcement? It only left many disappointed. 31691v

On Feb. 1, a message was posted on X (@Netflix_Sandman) about the status of the series, and although it confirmed that season 2 will be premiering this year, it also stated that it will be the final season. A message from showrunner Allan Heinberg explained that The Sandman primarily centers on the character of Dream. Following the narrative of the comics, the team determined that there is “only enough story for one more season.”

The series proved to be a major success, amassing 198 million hours of global watch time within its first 10 days on the streaming platform. It also held the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s charts for an entire week.

The Sandman is based on the acclaimed comic book series by English author Neil Gaiman, who also served as one of the show’s developers. With 74 issues and several spin-offs — a wealth of material — fans find it hard to believe that the show is being canceled due to a lack of source material. Instead, many speculate that the decision is probably linked to Gaiman himself, who is currently facing controversy following allegations of sexual assault made by several women.

In July 2024, the podcast Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman detailed the claims of Gaiman’s accs, followed by New York magazine publishing a cover story titled “There Is No Safe Word: How the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman hid the darkest parts of himself for decades,” wherein more women came forward with their experiences with the author. Gaiman has stayed silent for the most part, only addressing the allegations in a Journal post he wrote on his website on Jan. 15, 2025, wherein he strongly denied the accusations.

“I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.”

Despite his denial, several of his projects have been halted, canceled, or restructured following the controversy. Good Omens, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, initially planned to conclude the series with a third season but soon decided to air just a 90-minute special instead, saying that Gaiman wouldn’t be involved in the conclusions’s production. The author’s long-time publisher, Dark Horse Comics, has also dropped Gaiman, announcing that they would no longer publish his works.

While many speculate that The Sandman’s cancellation is tied to the allegations against Gaiman, a report suggests that ending the series after a limited run was the plan all along. According to Variety, a source revealed that as early as 2023 — prior to the allegations becoming public — Netflix planned for season 2 to be the final installment due to the show’s high production costs, but whether that is true or not remains unknown.

The Sandman season 2 will feature new characters from the comic book including Loki, Thor, and Odin. Heinberg teases that the new characters “will ensnare Dream in a web of palace intrigue, glamour, demon battles, and spider-sex. None of which Dream is prepared for; all of which transform him into a far more dangerous Dream of the Endless.” The new season will be released sometime this year, but no exact date has been announced as yet.

Renowned fiction author Neil Gaiman remains at the center of controversy after several women accused him of sexual assault. The claims against him were first revealed in the podcast by Tortoise Media, Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman, released in July 2024.

In the podcast, five women shared their experiences, including Scarlett Pavlovich, a former nanny to the author’s child, and K, a fan of Gaiman’s whom he met at a book g in 2003. Later, a few others shared their claims in a New York Magazine cover story, including four of the five women in the podcast. On Jan. 14, 2025, Gaiman addressed the claims on his website, stating, “I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.” In the lengthy post, he reflected on the allegations and concluded with, “I can’t accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not it to doing things I didn’t do.”

Clearly, Gaiman defending himself has done little to minimize the gravity of the accusations against him as his longtime publisher, Dark Horse Comics, has decided to sever ties with the author, announcing the decision to stop publishing his works. A comic book series based on Gaiman’s novel Anansi Boys has also been canceled.

As a successful author, Gaiman has seen many of his works adapted for film and television, including Coraline, Stardust, and American Gods. Some series, such as Good Omens and The Sandman, are still ongoing. However, the recent sexual assault allegations against him have cast uncertainty over the future of these projects, with some potentially delayed or quietly canceled.

What’s the status of Neil Gaiman’s TV and movie projects? 3l4i

The Sandman, based on Gaiman’s iconic comic book series, premiered on Netflix in 2022 and was renewed for a second season. Filming has already wrapped up, but the buzz around the series has been minimal. While a behind-the-scenes video was released, there have been no official trailers or even teasers so far. During Netflix’s Geeked Week in Sept. 2024, it was announced that season 2 is set to arrive in 2025, but no official release date has been announced. This has led to speculation that season 2 may have been canceled amid the allegations, which won’t be shocking based what happed to Good Omens.

Good Omens, another Gaiman adaptation streaming on Prime Video, had a planned third season set to conclude the series. However, production was paused following allegations against the author, who also served as one of the show’s executive producers. In Oct. 2024, Prime Video announced that instead of a full third season, the series will conclude with a single 90-minute episode. Gaiman will not be involved in the production, which is set to resume this year.

Prime Video also adapted Anansi Boys into a miniseries, and although production wrapped in 2022, there have been no updates on the status of the series or whether it will be released on the platform. The list of his shelved projects doesn’t end here.

Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book was set to be adapted into a movie by Disney, but the studio decided to halt production. Reports indicate that the project hasn’t been entirely canceled, with the pause being attributed not just to the allegations against Gaiman but a combination of other reasons as well.

Amid the accusations, Gaiman has stayed silent, addressing them only in a blog post insisting the claims “never happened” or were “distorted from what actually took place.”

Hands up who ed The Sandman season 2 was coming? You’d be forgiven for sleeping on what was once one of the buzziest of Netflix shows when its first season debuted back in 2022, as things had gone quiet in the Dreaming for a long while. In some good news, though, the sophomore run of the Neil Gaiman fantasy is now finally going before cameras — with an extended cast to boot!

Netflix has confirmed a bevy of new nightmares and dream creatures ing Tom Sturridge’s Morpheus for season 2. In particular, Marvel fans will be interested to hear that The Sandman — which is set in the wider DC multiverse, don’t forget — is introducing its own iterations of three Marvel Cinematic Universe staples this time around. Namely, the God of Thunder himself, Thor, his trickster brother, Loki, and almighty father, Odin.

The trio will be played by some familiar faces, too. Laurence O’Fuarain (The Witcher: Blood Origin) is portraying Thor, The Gentlemen‘s Freddie Fox is Loki, while Clive Russell (Game of Thrones) is Odin. Don’t expect these to be the same characters as the MCU versions, though. According to Netflix, The Sandman‘s Thor is described as “brusque, rude, and driven entirely by his appetites for food and drink, battle, and sex.” What would Kevin Feige say!

Who else is ing the cast of The Sandman season 2? k5z6d

Other exciting additions to the cast include Ruairi O’Connor as Dream’s son, Orpheus, GOT legend Jack Gleeson as Puck (yes, the Shakespeare one), Douglas Booth and Ann Skelly as Fairy royalty Cluracan and Nuala, Pose icon Indya Moore as human character Wanda, and Oscar-nominated actor Steve Coogan as the voice of Barnabus the dog.

These stars three previously announced newcomers to the Sandman family — literally. Adrian Lester, Esmé Creed-Miles, and Barry Sloane have already been cast as Destiny, Delirium, and the Prodigal, the other three Endless siblings that we didn’t meet in season 1. The Sandman is well and truly building up its own cinematic universe in season 2, then. Watch out, Marvel Studios!

Who knows where the dark fantasy of The Sandman started? Conventional wisdom is that Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, arrived on paper, filtered through the plots, script, and art of Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg. But a twinkle in the Dream Lord’s dark eyes suggests otherwise. 

Wherever it began, it has spread far and wide. From the pages of DC Vertigo comics to the wider DC Multiverse and onto audio adaptations and a high-profile Netflix series, Dream, to give this personification of everything unreal another name, is everywhere. 

Different media adapts the Sandman saga differently, but each is a step into dreams that explores themes of reality and responsibility. It’s a modern classic that takes readers, listeners, and watchers from Earth to Hell via the Dreaming — the realm of the Dream Lord. 

The opening arc of Sandman deals with a universe without Dream. Imprisoned for decades, Morpheus’s realm fractures and disintegrates. Rogue nightmares escape the Dreaming as it falls to ruins and humans absorb facets of the Sandman — a nod to past DC Comics continuity and earlier superheroes that went by the name Sandman.

Chaos ensues when the natural forces of the universe are left ungoverned, and the Dreaming is only one realm. While Morpheus is Lord of the Dreaming, he’s also one of the seven Endless, a dysfunctional set of siblings, each personifying an aspect that governs the existence of everything in the universe. 

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Sitting above gods, the Endless are the product of Night and Time — their figurative and literal children. But unlike their parents, the siblings all have names that begin with the letter D. These are not names in the typical sense (although Morpheus tends to collect nicknames) but their function. 

The Endless may not be siblings as we understand them, but they operate as a typical family unit — calling family meetings, falling out, and trying to get one over each other. 

The abandonment of his family and responsibilities makes middle sibling Destruction the subject of a critical story arc in Sandman. The oldest, Destiny, tries to stay above the squabbling of his younger siblings. While Death generally gets on with all the others (she will be the last sibling they see after all), her closest bond is with Dream. The three youngest siblings, however, all mistrust Dream. Desire holds the biggest grudge and is the most manipulative of the seven. Throughout the original saga of 75 issues, it’s worth keeping an eye on Desire as they tease their siblings and worse. 

The Endless are universal forces and can survive destruction by being reformed and returned to their duties. However, by their very existence, they are not immortal. There will be a point in the DC universe where Death is destined to be the final being in existence. As Destruction put it, and he should know best, “The Endless are echoes of darkness, and nothing more… And even our existences are brief and bounded. None of us will last longer than this version of the Universe.”

Deliberately delphic  4w7167

Much of the Endless remains unknown, and that’s deliberate. Sandman creator Neil Gaiman wanted to leave the many mysteries of this family to readers’ interpretations. If you’re familiar with Gaiman’s exploration of myth in the modern age, American Gods, you’ll know the importance of belief in gods. As the Endless are not gods, they continue, whether anyone believes in them or not, until they are destroyed and reformed as a variation or leave their responsibilities. They are as old and as timeless as the concepts they personify.

If any of Endless abdicate their responsibilities, like Destruction, or are removed from their duty, those functions are distributed throughout the universe. Naturally, things become chaotic when something like death is shared around. That was the upshot of Dream’s imprisonment during most of the 20th century.

While in their post, the Endless follows a set of laws that become apparent throughout the Sandman volumes. Although rules are there to be broken, doing so has consequences. Relationships with mortals are frowned upon, and we see several occasions where Dream’s relationships end badly. A fundamental rule in the family is that harming a family member will return suffering to the perpetrator. The series explores that through Dream’s dealings with his troublesome sibling Destiny and troubled son Orpheus.

The appearance of the Endless changes based on the eye of the beholder. Death and Dream are commonly seen as pale, dark-haired figures, or perhaps that’s just how we read them. Desire and Delirium, as befits their responsibilities, are prone to change more than most — the latter even alters physical appearance in the middle of a sentence.

Each of the Endless controls a realm in which they are the absolute ruler and a sigil that represents them. They can communicate with and summon each other using a gallery of sigils within each domain. These emblems are of great importance to each of the Endless, as demonstrated by Dream’s quest to reclaim his distinctive helm and sigil, among other totems, in the opening story of Sandman.

These are the seven Endless in order of age:

Destiny 14cu

Destiny is the oldest of the Endless. He is blind and governs from his realm, the Garden of Forking Ways. His sigil is the Book of Destiny, which is chained around his wrist. Destiny is the embodiment of fate and inevitability, and he is often depicted as a solemn figure who is deeply aware of the past, present, and future. In the Netflix adaptation of The Sandman, Destiny is portrayed by Adrian Lester. He will be introduced in the second season, which is expected to delve deeper into the complex relationships and responsibilities of the Endless siblings.

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Death is one of the most beloved characters in The Sandman universe. She is personified as a young goth woman who is cheerful despite her role as the guide for all who die. Her sigil is an ankh. Death is the second oldest of the Endless and is known for her nurturing and comionate nature. In the Netflix series, Death is played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste. She first appears in the sixth episode of the first season, where she offers guidance and to her brother, Dream, as he navigates his responsibilities.

Dream 3d672w

Dream, also known as Morpheus or the Sandman, is the Lord of Dreams and ruler of the Dreaming. He is a sulky, taciturn, and moody figure. His sigil is the imposing helm he occasionally wears, the skull of an elder god Dream slayed in times long past. Dream is the protagonist of The Sandman series and is responsible for the realm of dreams and stories. Tom Sturridge portrays Dream in the Netflix adaptation. The series begins with Dream’s capture and imprisonment for over a century and follows his journey to reclaim his lost power and restore his realm.

Destruction 2og58

Destruction, also known as “The Prodigal,” is the charismatic and loud sibling who disappeared during the Enlightenment. He chose not to his mantle on, believing that neither he nor his siblings should interfere in mortal lives. His sigil is a sword. Destruction is unique among the Endless in his decision to abandon his realm and responsibilities, seeking a life of creation rather than destruction. In the Netflix series, Destruction is portrayed by Barry Sloane and will be introduced in the second season.

Desire 6k121h

Desire is the genderless and most self-centered of the Endless, capable of blending into any situation. Their realm is a colossal statue of themselves called the Threshold, with Desire living in its heart. Their sigil is a glass heart. Desire is known for their manipulative and cunning nature, often scheming against their siblings for their own amusement. Mason Alexander Park plays Desire in the Netflix adaptation. Desire is introduced in the first season and will continue to play a significant role in the ongoing conflicts within the Endless family.

Despair 6r4240

Despair is the younger twin of Desire and generally appears as a short, naked, and grotesque woman. Her realm, The Gray Realm, is filled with rats, fog, and floating mirrors through which she observes mortals. Her sigil is a hooked ring that she uses to cut herself. Despair embodies hopelessness and is often depicted as a figure who revels in the suffering of others. Donna Preston portrays Despair in the Netflix series. She is introduced in the first season, where her interactions with her twin, Desire, and her influence on the mortal world are explored.

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Delirium, the youngest of the Endless, was once known as Delight. She changed her name for reasons only she understood after Destruction left his post. Delirium’s appearance and realm constantly shift, reflecting her chaotic state of mind. Her sigil is a swirl of colors that darkens with her mood. Delirium embodies madness and unpredictability, often delivering prophecies that initially seem nonsensical. In the Netflix adaptation, Delirium is portrayed by Esmé Creed-Miles. The youngest Endless will make her first appearance in the show’s second season.

The Sandman‘s long ago first season did a wonderful job converting millions of Netflix viewers around the globe into devoted followers of Neil Gaiman’s seminal comic book universe. While those initial 10 episodes do a great job of welcoming fresh fans into the world of the Endless, however, there’s still much more to be explored in its sophomore run, as the first run left several major questions unanswered by the time of its finale.

For starters, who is the mysterious “Prodigal” that the Endless keep talking about? The series follows Lord Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), the King of Dreams, as he returns to his realm, the Dreaming, after being imprisoned on Earth for a century. Across season one, we meet three more of the Endless — Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), and Despair (Donna Preston). Destiny and “poor Delirium” are also mentioned.

As there are seven Endless siblings, this leaves one more to be ed for, the enigmatic “Prodigal.” But who is the Prodigal? Thankfully, the comics provide us an answer to that question.

The missing Endless sibling, explained 6a591

The so-called Prodigal is, in fact, Destruction. The fourth oldest of the Endless family — following Destiny, Death, and Dream — Destruction is, as his name suggests, the anthropomorphic personification of the destructive forces of the universe. While this may suggest that the character could have villainous leanings, like his younger sibling Desire and their twin, Despair, that’s actually far from the truth.

Much as in the TV show, what happened to Destruction is initially kept a secret in the comics, too, with his story only eventually being told in Brief Lives, the seventh volume of The Sandman series. This revealed that Destruction broke the code of the Endless by abandoning his duties some two hundred years before Dream’s incarceration in the 1700s.

His reason for doing so is because he foresaw that the increasing scientific and technological advances of humankind would only lead to greater destruction and he wanted no part in it. Despite, or because of, his role in the universe, Destruction actually possesses many creative and constructive ions, although it’s noted that he displays little talent for them.

In Brief Lives, Dream and Delirium — who was previously known as Delight before an unknown traumatic event caused them to change — embark on a road trip in order to search for their lost brother. In this arc, we finally find out what Destruction looks like. Specifically, he presents as a tall, burly red-headed Caucasian man, usually seen with a thick beard. Neil Gaiman has explained that he was intended to physically resemble the British actor Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon).

In The Sandman, we see that each Endless has a gallery in their realm featuring the sigil of each of their siblings so they can visit and them. Destruction’s sigil is the sword, but it is not included in any of his siblings’ galleries as they shunned him when he disappeared.

Who is playing The Prodigal in the TV series? 5z4v3h

Although it took until the seventh comic volume to deal with Destruction, The Sandman on TV is fast-forwarding his storyline as The Prodigal is confirmed to appear in season 2. In fact, all seven Endless siblings will appear. Adrian Lester has been announced as Destiny, the eldest of the family, as has Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium. The Prodigal, meanwhile, is played by Barry Sloane (Call of Duty).

Going by the moody teaser promo announcing the new Endless casting, Sloane’s Destruction will look very different from his comics counterpart. Gone is his long red hair, replaced by Sloane’s naturally dark, short locks. This was perhaps done to make the similarly red-headed Delirium stand out from her siblings.

The Sandman is available to stream on Netflix. At the time of writing, season 2 has yet to be handed a release date.

The Sandman nation, it’s time to wake up! Fans of the acclaimed fantasy series based on Neil Gaiman’s legendary DC Comics have been suffering from a sleeping sickness ever since the show dumped its last episodes in 2022, but finally season 2 is stirring from its slumber.

Hot on the heels of spinoff Dead Boy Detectives (which featured some juicy cameos and crossovers, for those who haven’t caught it yet), Netflix has got us hyped for fresh adventures for Tom Sturridge’s Morpheus by announcing that the full Endless family will reunite in the next season.

In season 1, only four out of the seven Endless siblings — ancient, all-powerful beings who are manifestations of universal concepts. e.g. Death and Desire — appeared, but in season 2 the whole clan will come together. Which probably means the world is about to end or something.

The Sandman season 2 has assembled all of the Endless 1x6vk

An epic, moody promo video offered up this exciting triple-whammy of a casting announcement. First of all, the promo confirms that Sturridge will be returning as Dream, as will Kirby (formerly credited as Kirby Howell-Baptiste) as Death, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, and Donna Preston as Desire’s twin, Despair.

What’s more, it also confirms who’s playing the three new siblings. For starters, Adrian Lester (Renegade Nell) is Destiny, the eldest of the Endless, Esme Creed-Miles (Hanna) is Delirum, the youngest of the siblings, while Barry Sloane (enger) as The Prodigal, the Endless who ran away from his duties centuries ago.

Although there’s no release date info as yet, with filming on season 2 underway we can rest assured that The Sandman will soon return to sprinkle some more of its surreal magic on streaming before too long.

The dawn of The Sandman TV universe on Netflix — which now includes spinoff Dead Boy Detectives — almost brings the illustrious career of its creator, Neil Gaiman, full circle.

It was the release of The Sandman comics in 1989 that first made the British-born wordsmith someone to watch. It might have taken over 30 years for Lord Morpheus to awaken in live-action, however, but many other adaptations of Gaiman’s works have made it to the big and small screens in the meantime.

Starting as early as the 1990s, the movie and TV industries realized Gaiman’s writing was a rich well to draw from, so a bevy of the author’s novels, comics, and more have been brought to life over the years. Thanks to the high quality that Gaiman’s name guarantees, most of these have been satisfying adaptations. Although, inevitably, some of them were less successful, for various reasons.

As we wait for even more to drop, like Prime’s Anansi Boys, let’s take a look at every Neil Gaiman adaptation released to date — some of which he’s been involved in, some of which he hasn’t —ranked from worst to best based on their IMDb ratings.

How to Talk to Girls at Parties (5.7) 4v6e4n

John Cameron Mitchell, the creator of acclaimed hit, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, doing a movie based on a Neil Gaiman short story seemed like a match made in heaven, but unfortunately How to Talk to Girls at Parties disappointed when it arrived in 2017. Nevertheless, the film is as quirky and imaginative as you would expect. Alex Sharp stars as a punk rock-loving teen living in 1970s London who happens to meet a rebellious alien (Elle Fanning) at a party. Nicole Kidman also features.

Neil Gaiman’s Likely Stories (6.3) 1j1y4j

Alongside every other pie he has a finger in, Gaiman is also a successful short story writer. In 2016, Sky One and Shudder teamed up to create an anthology series based on his shorter works titled Neil Gaiman’s Likely Stories. Sadly, the show only lasted for four episodes and the tales utilized seem to have been selected based on how easy they would be to recreate on a limited small-screen budget. A nice touch, though, is how Gaiman appears in each episode, as a god-like voice heard on the radio.

Neverwhere (7.2) 2j544d

Gaiman’s first foray into the TV world came way back in 1996 with Neverwhere. While fans may be familiar with his novel of the same name, the concept also spawned a TV series. Neverwhere is an adult urban fantasy about the magical world of London Below. Gaiman’s scriptwriting holds up, but the show itself is let down by dated production values. However, it does star a cast full of future familiar faces like Laura Fraser, Paterson Joseph, and Peter Capaldi.

Dead Boy Detectives (7.4) 1x1i6w

Props to Dead Boy Detectives for turning its rough start in life into a strength. Originally developed as a Doom Patrol spinoff for Max, the series was ultimately picked up by Netflix and retrofitted into a Sandman off-shoot. The result is a fast, funny YA supernatural mystery show that’s perfect for those missing the short-lived Lockwood & Co and those patiently awaiting more Sandman. Fingers crossed Netflix won’t send this one to the afterlife too soon, like it’s done to so many of its ilk before it.

Stardust (7.6) 10592l

Arguably the first mainstream Gaiman adaptation, 2007’s Stardust — from future Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn — sailed under the radar upon its release, but it’s since become a firm fan favorite. Comparable to The Princess Bride, this romantic fantasy adventure sees Tristan (a pre-Daredevil Charlie Cox) journey across the land of Stormhold with fallen star Yvaine (Claire Danes) as they face a sky pirate (Robert De Niro), an evil witch (Michelle Pfeiffer), and a power-hungry prince (Mark Strong).

American Gods (7.7) 5qd17

Starz’s American Gods initially opened to considerable acclaim back in 2017, but various behind-the-scenes upheavals and problems — including the controversial firing of Orlando Jones — caused the positive buzz to dim somewhat over the years, until it was ultimately cancelled after three seasons in 2021. Still, there’s plenty to love about the show, which follows Shadow (Ricky Whittle) as he works for Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) and finds himself in the middle of a conflict between old and new gods.

Coraline (7.7) 4k2y15

The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick helmed this wonderfully creepy stop-motion animated adaptation of Gaiman’s best-selling children’s book, delivering one of the best horror movies for kids in the process. Dakota Fanning voices Coraline Jones, the eponymous brave young girl who must rescue her parents from the clutches of the Other Mother (Teri Hatcher), a spider-like being from another realm who wants to sew buttons into her eyes.

The Sandman (7.7) 642u5r

After 30 years, there were high expectations for this Netflix series to live up to its seminal source material. With Gaiman on board as co-showrunner, the first season is a close retelling of the first two comic book volumes — and all the better for it. Starring Tom Sturridge as Dream of the Endless, the series is just as epic, dark, and grandiose as fans could have asked for, although its popularity does seem to be waning slightly with time. Hurry up and give us season 2, Netflix!

DC Showcase: Death (7.8) 3e4i2w

Before The Sandman got here, there was this 2019 animated short all about Dream’s big sister, Death. Available as an extra on the home release of Wonder Woman: Bloodlines, the 20-minute short details the life of Gotham City resident Vincent Omata (Leonardo Nam) in flashbacks, with the role of Death played by Sucker Punch star Jamie Chung. Although an original story, this short is notable for being the first screen adaptation of the Endless — but it wasn’t the last.

Good Omens (8.0) 9292d

After the death of Good Omens co-author Sir Terry Pratchett, Gaiman decided to take the bull by the horns and spearhead the long-gestating TV series himself. Sporting Gaiman as showrunner, the series is a peerless translation and update of the fantasy-comedy story, which follows unlikely friends Aziraphale the angel (Michael Sheen) and Crowley the demon (David Tennant) as they attempt to avert Armageddon. We just need season 3 to give the Ineffable Husbands a happy ending for this to be a truly perfect show.

Lucifer (8.1) 6l53o

Interestingly, perhaps the loosest adaptation of Gaiman’s work is the highest rated out of them all. While fans usually prefer close adaptations, they had to make an exception with Lucifer, which still stands as one of the most popular Netflix series of all time. That’s for good reason as Tom Ellis’ Lucifer Morningstar is a devilishly charismatic lead, even if he is nothing like the version Gaiman wrote in the pages of The Sandman. Not that there was any — Gaiman himself turned up as narrator for an episode of season 3.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Dead Boy Detectives season 1.

The Sandman season 2 might be taking its sweet time in getting here, but at least Netflix has gifted subscribers a dream substitute in the form of Dead Boy Detectives, another supernatural series based on a Neil Gaiman comic that’s set in the same shared universe.

Although it was originally developed as a Doom Patrol spinoff headed for Max, the YA-flavored series pivoted lanes when it switched to Netflix and was redeveloped as a Sandman spinoff instead, with Gaiman’s blessing. Although the show — starring newcomers George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri as a pair of ghost private eyes — is mostly standalone it does contain at least a couple of major ties to its parent series, which should delight those missing Dream of the Endless and his curious family.

Dead Boy Detectives season 1 —The Sandman universe cameos, explained 6u6e4

If you saw the trailers, you knew to expect one big Sandman universe cameo from Dead Boy Detectives — that’s right, Kirby Howell-Baptiste reprises her role as Dream’s sister Death in the first episode.

In fact, the show wastes as little time as possible in bringing Death on-screen. In an action-packed opening sequence, Edwin (Rexstrew) and Charles (Revri) successfully defeat the ghost of a WW1 soldier who has been driven mad by a cursed gasmask. The boys then hide as a special visitor comes to escort the soldier to the afterlife — Death herself. Edwin and Charles make clear that they are hiding from Death as the two best friends don’t want to be forced to part and go their separate ways in the spirit world. Cue opening credits.

As in The Sandman, Death is portrayed as much warmer and kinder than you would expect, with her poetic dialogue being so spot-on you would think Gaiman had written it himself. The character is definitely not a big presence this season, however, and does not appear again after this opening sequence.

That said, another of the Endless family also makes an appearance much later in the season. In episode 7, Edwin is trapped in hell, seeming destined to be tortured for all eternity, when he notices someone spying on him in a reflective surface. As ghosts cal travel through mirrors in DBB lore, Edwin follows the reflection and finds himself in a location DC fans may recognize as the Gray Realm and facing Despair, as played by Donna Preston, returning from Sandman season 1.

Although she’s not explicitly named on screen, when Edwin inquires as to what kind of creature she is Despair says that the possibilities are “endless.” Despite being depicted as quiet and depressed on Sandman, here Despair is a little more pro-active, comics-accurate, and creepy. We learn that she feeds on the despair of others, so peeping on Edwin as he endures the cruelty of hell is a particularly delicious treat for her. “Isn’t it beautiful">assuming that we get one. And if she can bring her big brother Dream with her next time the fans would really appreciate it.

Dead Boy Detectives has had a strange path to the small screen. The TV series was originally set to be part of the DC Universe, but co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran decided that it didn’t match with their revamped vision of the franchise, and dropped it. The series then shifted from Max to Netflix, where it’s set to premiere on April 25, 2024. Dead Boy Detectives‘ unusual rollout has little to do with its quality, however, as fans are anticipating great things for the uniquely-toned teenage series.

As with any series, however, there’s speculation over the future. Dead Boy Detectives may be a brand new show, but it has drummed up so much anticipation among superhero fans and those who read the comic books that there’s a desire to find out whether it’s been renewed for another season. Will Dead Boy Detectives receive the green light from Netflix or will it go down as a one season wonder? Let’s discuss.

Dead Boy Detectives has not yet been renewed by Netflix y2z3d

So far, Netflix has not announced plans to renew Dead Boy Detectives. To be fair, the streaming platform typically waits until a show premieres, and popularity can be gauged, before giving the green light on future seasons. This approach makes a particular amount of sense when applied to Dead Boy Detectives and its touch-and-go production.

Co-showrunner Steve Yockey told The Wrap that he’s relieved to have the hard work that went into season one pay off, given that the plug was pulled on the show while production was still going on. “It wasn’t like we were in danger of suddenly getting the hammer dropped on us,” Yockey assured readers. “It’s unfortunate that we had to leave them, but I also think it’s worked out best for the show.”

The co-showrunner is not wrong. Had Dead Boy Detectives stayed on Max, and premiered on the platform, there would be little to no chance of the show getting a second season. The fact that the show was retooled for Netflix and tied in with the critically acclaimed Sandman series means that it will have a much better chance at connecting with a wide audience.

Showrunners have plans for the shared Sandman universe 65382h

While the official future of Dead Boy Detectives remains unclear, the showrunners have made it known that they have plans for where the show could eventually go. Both Steve Yockey and Beth Schwartz were eager to set Dead Boy Detectives within the framework of the Sandman universe, and they would love an opportunity to strengthen the connections between characters in both shows.

Yockey and Schwartz told Screen Rant that Netflix approached them with the idea of setting the show within the world of The Sandman, and the duo responded enthusiastically. They worked in a couple of Easter Eggs to the parent series in season 1, but they made it clear to the outlet that they have bigger plans in store should Dead Boy Detectives get picked up for additional seasons. Yockey maintained that crossovers would benefit both shows as long they made sense for the story:

What I foresee and what’s going to happen are not always the same thing. I think Beth and I agree that further crossover would be really cool. But the thing is that it needs to be specific.

Are you enjoying Dead Boy Detectives so far? Do you think it will help raise the profile of Netflix’s burgeoning Sandman universe? And lastly, do you want to see it come back for season 2?

While we wait for the next season of The Sandman to drop, Neil Gaiman is back to remind us that he and Netflix are the real streaming dream team. Although it’s not exactly a spinoff, The Sandman universe is set to expand with Dead Boy Detectives.

Just like The Sandman, Dead Boy Detectives is also based on a DC Vertigo comic series created by Gaiman. Originally developed as a Max original series, the HBO platform ultimately kicked the project to the curb, leaving Netflix to hungrily pick it up and run with it. Given how much success Gaiman adaptations have found in Prime’s Good Omens and the aforementioned Sandman, there’s a good chance Max will be proven to have made a big mistake in letting Netflix snatch this one up.

Are you investigating the mystery of whether to check out Dead Boy Detectives when it lands on the streamer this spring? Here’s everything you need to know to solve the case.

What is Dead Boy Detectives about? 37m2f

Honestly, I feel like the title Dead Boy Detectives tells you everything you need to know about this teen supernatural-mystery series, but hey ho, here’s some more info for you.

In the original comics, Dead Boy Detectives follows Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne, two ghosts who haunt a creepy old boarding school. For the screen, the story has been given a much more modern and punkish spin. Now the two life-lorn lads run the Dead Boy Detective Agency, having elected against moving on into the afterlife in order to stay behind on Earth to use their ghostly powers to become private eyes. Or, as Charles puts it in the teaser trailer, “we’re ghosts, and we solve mysteries.” ‘Nuff said.

Who is in the cast of Dead Boy Detectives? 3fu47

So, here’s the thing, given that Dead Boy Detectives was supposed to be a Max show, Charles and Edwin first made their live-action debuts in an episode of Doom Patrol season 3, in which the duo were played by Sebastian Croft (Heartstopper) and Ty Tennant (House of the Dragon). Presumably these two rising stars were too busy to commit to the Netflix series, though, or else the producers wanted to draw a line in the sand between the two series in of continuity, as Charles and Edwin have been recast.

Dead Boy Detectives stars Jayden Revri (Fate: The Winx Saga) and newcomer George Rexstrew as the titular undead investigators The ing cast includes Kassius Nelson (White Lines) as Crystal Palace, Ruth Connell (Supernatural) as the Night Nurse, and Briana (sister of Kaley) Cuoco as Jenny the Butcher. Recurring and guest stars include Lukas Gage (The White Lotus), Michael Beach (Aquaman), Joshua Colley (Love, Victor), and Lindsey Gort (The Samantha Chronicles).

As for who’s involved behind the scenes, it’s important to note that, as he’s busy with Good Omens, The Sandman, and other projects in the works, Neil Gaiman is not showrunning this series. Instead Dead Boy Detectives was developed for TV by Steve Yockey, creator of The Flight Attendant.

Is there a Dead Boy Detectives trailer? 5x4z5r

There is indeed. Netflix unveiled our first look at the series in the form of a teaser trailer released in November 2023. Honestly, it looks to share a lot of vibes with sadly short-lived 2023 series Lockwood and Co. so anyone missing that will definitely want to give this one a go.

When does Dead Boy Detectives hit Netflix? 4h2h3i

Your new favorite spiritual sleuths are all set to spook their way onto streaming with an eight-part first season on April 25.

Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Alan Moore; these are just a few of the most well established sci-fi authors to win a Hugo Award, (legend has it that Alan Moore turned his trophy into a bird table in his garden). A Hugo award is a true accomplishment for any author, think of it as the Oscars, but for science fiction and fantasy writers, it really is that big of a deal.

The awards are presented at Worldcon, an event run by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), which was held in October last year in Chengdu, China. On the day the whole thing went pretty smoothly, there was a minor controversy regarding the location but overall everything seemed fine. Ursula Vernon took home the best novel award for Nettle and Bone and that was the end of that. Or was it? Judging by the length of this article you can probably assume the answer is no.

The dreaded vote 315n36

So most literary ceremonies like to keep things hush hush, and the awards are decided by a team of judges. I don’t know how they do it but in my head I like to imagine someone wheels out a book on a little pedestal and the judges hold up boards with a score like on Dancing With the Stars. Anyways, that isn’t how it’s done at Worldcon; it’s more democratic, so long as you’re a paying member of the society. But hey, that’s much more reflective of what the people enjoyed reading, we don’t need those snooty judges with their little scoreboards.

So people cast their votes, and the winner was announced. Historically the statistics for voting are made available the same day or within a few days. However, days turned to weeks which turned to months and people were starting to get a bit suspicious. The WSFS has a constitution which lists out all the rules, it one of the rules states that they’re supposed to make the voting statistics public within 90 days. But it wasn’t until 91 days after that the votes were made available for all to see and it wasn’t pretty.

Was the vote rigged? 723x42

The issue was pointed out by Xiran Jay Zhao on X (formerly Twitter) who had been in the running for “The Astounding Award for Best New Writer” but had not received enough votes to be a finalist, or so they thought. When they looked at the votes they were shocked to discover that they had received enough votes. But they’re entry had a little asterisk next to it, meaning it had been marked as ineligible.

Jay Zhao wasn’t the only victim of this apparent random exclusion, popular fantasy writer R.F. Kuang had also missed out on a chance to be within the finals and thus a chance at winning the award for “Best Novel.” Jay Zhao pointed this out as well, sharing the image of the voting statistics and revealing Kuang had actually received the third highest amount of votes. Kuang had also just won a Nebula award and Blackwell’s “Book of the Year” for her book Babel so it would have been logical to think she could have pulled a hat trick with the Hugo had she not been disqualified for mysterious reasons.

A closer look at the vote reveals that this problem was more prevalent than previously thought, as fan writer Paul Weimer and even Neil Gaiman, of Sandman fame, were made ineligible despite receiving enough votes. Needless to say fans were pretty flummoxed, so they started investigating.

Why were certain author’s works made ineligible? 1p2g29

First port of call would be to check the WSFS constitution to see if there are any rules that would make these works illegitimate. As expected, nobody found anything, so the next thing to do was ask somebody in the know. We haven’t talked about Dave McCarty yet, but he’s a pretty big figure in the science fiction community. He was at Worldcon to present the awards, and it was on his Facebook page that the voting statistics were published. So some people decided to ask him which was a big mistake. Those who had the gall to ask were met with hostility from McCarty, who thought it was a good idea to just start hurling insults at those who dared to question the validity of the results. Jay Zhao shared some of his responses in a tweet.

This wasn’t a good look for the WSFS or the Hugo awards in general, and what’s more frustrating is that there was still no clear answer as to why these authors had been excluded. According to Esquire, McCarty only continued his hostilities, although in a statement he cited the constitution as the reason.

“The only statement from the istration team that I can share is the one that I already have, after we reviewed the constitution and the rules we must follow, we determined the work was not eligible.”

With a lack of answers, people began coming up with their own theories, with some suggesting that it was censorship in an attempt to avoid upsetting the Chinese government. Kuang is Chinese American and a lot of her work deals with Chinese history and politics, covering topics such as the Opium Wars and Chinese Civil War. 

Jay Zhao has also been pretty outspoken against the Chinese government according to Polygon, which would also explain why their work was also censored. As for Paul Weimer, he expressed concerns over the attention the event would get from the government. Whilst the evidence isn’t 100% bulletproof, the lack of a better explanation from Worldcon has led many to believe that censorship could be the reason. As for Neil Gaiman, he has yet to be given a reason why episode six of Netflix’s Sandman adaptation did not make it into the finals.

Responding to a Facebook post made by McCarty, Gaiman and Weimer would attempt to find answers whereas Kuang would respond a day later in a post to Instagram. These pleas would fall upon deaf ears.

The leaked emails 3z6j1l

Well we now have our answer as to whether it was censorship or not. It was. In an exposé posted by Chris M. Barkley and Jason Sandford on File770 would examine internal emails sent between s that confirms the authors were disqualified for political reasons. An email from McCarty outright says that any political works need to be determined as to whether they can be put on the ballot.

“as we are happening in China and the *laws* we operate under are different…we need to highlight anything of a sensitive political nature in the work. […] if the work focuses on China, taiwan, tibet, or other topics that may be an issue *in* China…that needs to be highlighted so that we can determine if it is safe to put it on the ballot.”

As a quick side note, McCarty stepped down before these emails were leaked. 

The emails show that it was indeed censorship, although it doesn’t look like the Chinese government actually got involved. All of the discussions occurred between western s who seemed to be preemptively trying to prevent upsetting the Chinese government.

Whilst it’s a bummer that these talented creatives missed out on the chance of winning an award at least they now have the answers they were looking for. That’s a very, very thin silver lining, I know, but the organizers for this years Hugo awards (which will take place in Glasgow) have assured fans that released a statement promising not to make the same mistake as their predecessors.

Today’s carefully assorted platter of Netflix news is heavy on the TV side of things, with updates from Sofía Vergara’s new Cocaine drug lord show, the second season of the best DC Comics show everyone forgets is actually DC Comics, and a raunchy action series from the makers of Cobra Kai.

What readers might not expect from a Netflix news round-up, however, is a trip to the world of gaming. We were just as surprised as you will be to hear that a massive gaming franchise is ing the TUDUM platform’s gaming catalog with three classic titles available to play without extra charge for all subscribers.

Sofia Vergara looks unrecognizable in the first official trailer for Netflix cartel drama Griselda 5d5u73

The first trailer for Griselda, the Netflix mini-series about the infamous Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco, dropped Thursday, revealing a completely transformed Sofía Vergara in what is her biggest role since Modern Family. “Quinnpin. Innovator. Mother. Killer. Griselda,” the trailer flashes in big bold letters, just as big and bold as the show’s protagonist.

The 6-episode-long series from the creators of Narcos and Narcos: Mexico Doug Miro and Eric Newman, has a release date set for January 25 on Netflix. Miro wrote all six episodes, while Andrés Baiz, who also worked on the duo’s two cartel-world shows, comes back to direct. Vergara is a producer in addition to her starring role, and will share the screen with Martín Rodríguez, Rosa Ochoa, Desiree Alexandra Estrada, Juliana Aidén Martinez, and a number of other actors.

Season 2 of The Sandman is finally back on track after strikes 2k6t66

The Sandman author Neil Gaiman announced Thursday that the second season of the live-action adaptation of his comic book series was resuming filming after it had been halted by the Writers and Actors strikes. Gaiman praised “genius” showrunner Allan Heinberg for his vision for the show and teased new settings for the season, including Ancient Greece and revolutionary .

The first season was a huge hit on Netflix in 2022, receiving praise for successfully adapting the notoriously tricky source material, and topping the Nielsen streaming charts. The Sandman follows Morpheus, who is the personification of dreams and also known as Dream, after he breaks free from captivity and attempts to restore his powers. Season 2 has not been given an official release date by Netflix yet.

Your time won’t be “Wasted” playing GTA on Netflix yt3u

The biggest streaming service in the world is pairing up with Rockstar Games to bring one of the most famous video games ever into its gaming fold. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will be arriving on Netflix, available to play on mobile and free of any extra charges for subscribers.

Netflix has been developing its gaming strategy since 2021, which is now comprised of more than 80 games including ones related to famous shows produced by the platform like Shadow and Bone and Money Heist. Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will be available to via Apple’s App Store, Google Play, and the Netflix mobile app from Dec. 14. Netflix s can pre- now.

New show from Cobra Kai creators, Obliterated, fails to impress in early reviews 1kf1t

Obliterated, an action dramedy by Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, arrived Thursday on Netflix and despite its best attempts, it didn’t quite hit the spot for critics. The 8-season-long series follows a seven-member elite force tasked with stopping a terrorist attack in Las Vegas, but the real threat comes after they’re all too drunk and high from celebrating their first big win to stop a second threat.

The Hollywood Reporter‘s Daniel Fienberg calls the show “rambling and digressive,” critiquing its dragged-out jokes and lengthy fight sequences, while Aramide Tinubu of Variety bashes Obliterated as a “nearly unwatchable hodgepodge of nonsense littered with penises and explosives.” In fairness, we do have a feeling that Hurwitz, Schlossberg, and Heald will take that as a compliment. It’s not all bad, though. For Collider, Nate Richard highlights the first four episodes of the season as “a lot of fun,” despite it “peaking too soon” and dragging in the end stretch. Still, knowing Netflix s, poor reviews won’t stop them from making this sausage bomb fest a Top 10 resident.