After the end of season 1 of Sandman, we are already thinking about season 2. Can the series be renewed? What story arcs could be adapted from Neil Gaiman’s comics?
Neil Gaiman’s comics have been in our bookstores for 30 years and an adaptation was dreamed of. It finally became a reality on Netflix: Season 1 of Sandman has been available since August 5, 2022. And, the success is total thanks to a dreamlike atmosphere, carried by a Tom Sturridge who embodies all the quiet strength of Morpheus.
After 10 captivating episodes, each forming a kind of anthology quest in its own right, the desire for a season 2 is already palpable.
Is the series renewed?
Just days after the show’s release, the status remains uncertain: Netflix usually announces a cancellation or renewal around 1-2 months later. For the moment, it is impossible to know what the claims of the SVOD service are for the future.
However, the series’ critical reception is clearly glowing. The audience score is also correct (86% on Rotten Tomatoes) and as the series remains top 1 for several days in a row, this is a sign that it is having some success with the audience. We are therefore very far from the flop of previous adaptations (like Cowboy Bebop, descended sharply on its exit), even though Sandman was known to be very difficult to adapt.
Is season 2 ready?
If season 2 is ordered by Netflix, almost everything would already be ready for filming. This is what the co-creator of the series, Allan Heinberg, told the American magazine RollingStone.
” We stayed in the writing room for 20 weeks to talk about season 2 and to imagine the stories, generate the outlines and the first drafts “, he confides, adding that preliminary discussions have already been initiated in terms of production design and special effects. So everything will be in place if Netflix gives the green light, “ ideally with the same team that made the first season “.
In any case, it is clear that the material exists to continue a good moment on the screen, because the comics are numerous, so there is enough to extend everything that we could see in season 1.
What will Sandman season 2 be about?
Season 2, if ordered, should further support the anthological dimension of Sandman by adapting “standalone” narrative arcs from the comic book. In his interview for Rolling Stones, showrunner Allan Heinberg talks about an adaptation of volume 4, Season of Mists (The Season of Mists in VF).
In The Season of Mists, we get to know the Dream family better, the other Infinites. But it is also a direct sequel to Stories in the sand, the arc involving Nada. Remember, we met her in season 1: she and Rêve had a love story, in the distant past, in Africa, before he sent her to hell for having “betrayed” her.
Is a spin-off on Constantine with Jenna Coleman possible?
Rêve and Tom Sturridge are not the only ones to have been outstanding in the adaptation. There is Death, played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, but also Johanna Constantine by Jenna Coleman. It’s hard not to imagine that the latter could be the subject of its own narrative arcs.
The show’s crew seem to think the same thing. ” We would love to show more of Johanna Constantine (…) “, dropped Allan Heinberg in RollingStone. And Neil Gaiman himself approves of the idea, as he indicated on Twitter replying to a fan.
It would be presumptuous to already think of a spin-off that could go into production. Netflix must already give the green light to a season 2. But if the success is there, there is no doubt that the SVOD service could start considering an extension of the universe of its adaptation.
