Regardless of how many Good Omens fans are saying their prayers before bed each night, the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation’s final outing will finally smite its way onto the 2026 TV schedule in May. It’s both a blessing and a curse, since the planned final season was smooshed into a single 90-minute movie, but my angel wings are still aflutter with anticipation. Especially after hearing David Tennant’s latest comments about his beloved demon Crowley.

Speaking with SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend for the latest info-packed issue, Tennant’s update for Crowley admittedly paints a pretty desolate and depressing picture, but I think it’s actually quite delightful for everyone hoping he and Aziraphale head off into the eternal sunset together. Here’s how the actor put it:

I know, I know, it sounds bad. I certainly don't want to celebrate the idea that Crowley is a vapid shell of his former self while sleeping on the street. That part is technically sad to hear. HOWEVER, if the story starts with Crowley at "pretty much rock bottom," that just means he can only go up from there. Maybe not all the way up to heaven, mind you, but at least to a more tolerable level of existence.

Also, even though Crowley was already playing both sides for the sake of his own personal gains, I am excited to see him truly untethered to either Evil or Good or anything in between. Lone wolves can often be the most dangerous, since they can be the most unpredictable. And when Crowley's back is against the wall, I can only feel sorry for whoever gets in the way of him or his Bentley. (Unless it's Az, of course.)

Not that David Tennant was wallowing in misery behind the scenes or anything. The finale, which will continue taking the story far beyond the source material penned by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, was directed by Rachel Talalay, and it wasn't her first time working with the Doctor Who vet. He addressed her addition to the Good Omens-verse with glowing praise, saying:

Talalay told SFX that she was originally tapped for all six episodes of Season 3, and was part of the culling process to get the finale down to 90 minutes. She also spoke very highly about the changes, saying it only made the story better. Maybe it's like the TARDIS, where the smaller story is actually bigger on the inside...or something.

In any case, that's exactly what you want to hear a star say about the directing putting all the pieces together for the screen. Fans have been waiting years and years for this swan song, so it needs to be the best possible version of an ending to justify all the anticipation. I guess the Second Coming of Christ will do that.

Good Omens' third and final season finale will be available to stream on May 13 via Amazon Prime subscription.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article goes deep into a few crucial details about The Sandman Season 2. If you have not yet caught up on the hit series’ return with your Netflix subscription before reading on, may the Endless have mercy on you.

You know, I am not going to lie: I forgot about nearly everything that happened in The Sandman Season 1 before it returned to Netflix after an endless amount of time (OK, it was just three years, but still.) Luckily, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the latest batch of episodes of the new DC TV show, except for just one little detail.

Laurence O'Fuarain, one of several Game of Thrones alums appearing in The Sandman Season 2, portrays the Norse god Thor, who shows up with countless others at Dream’s (Tom Sturridge) realm, hoping to inherit the key to Hell. I was initially excited to see this series’ take on a character whom I most often associate with a different comic book publisher’s cinematic interpretation. That excitement soon turned to simay, however.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have never read the original comic book series, but I can’t say I was too impressed in the end. Allow me to explain.

This Thor Is Not Worthy

Chris Hemsworth's early portrayal of the God of Thunder in the Marvel movies in order – and by "early," I mean in the first third of his self-titled Marvel Cinematic Universe debut – was, undeniably, a conceited jerk. However, he still boasted a certain swagger that made him charming and likable, while O'Fuarain’s Thor does not have that. Not to cast blame on the Irish actor at all, but the depiction came off to me as nothing more than a pathetic douchebag just asking for conflict, and whose ability to wield Mjolnir had me absolutely baffled.

Admittedly, I only discovered after watching and forming my own opinions that this portrayal of Thor is accurate to the interpretation envisioned by The Sandman’s controversial author, Neil Gaiman, in the original comics. If this matching iteration of the godly character works for more experienced fans, then I am totally happy for them.

However, regardless of its faithfulness to the source material, I was not a fan of the overall uneven execution of the character as a misogynistic, ill-tempered ignoramus in a most generic sense, especially when he compared Mjolnir to his own member when hitting on Merkin (Olamide Candide-Johnson). Thus, I personally regard it as one of the season's weaker elements.

I'd Say The Sandman Nails Loki And Odin, Though

Thor is not the only godly character appearing in The Sandman Season 2 that Marvel fans should recognize. He also shows up with his father, Odin (Clive Russell), and adoptive brother, Loki (Freddie Fox, who is also a part of the Game of Thrones universe, having played Ser Gwayne Hightower on House of the Dragon).

If you ask me, Fox captures the God of Mischief's cunning, sinister persona so well that, with all due respect to Tom Hiddleston, I could see him making a great MCU-canon Loki in an alternate reality (or perhaps in a different corner of the Marvel Multiverse, at least). I also very much admired Russell's portrayal of Odin, in addition to the “steampunk” design of his character, which is not what I am used to, having only seen him portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins in traditional medieval warrior garb, but it fits perfectly with the series' aesthetic.

I wonder if we might see any other Marvelous characters when the season’s second volume of eps returns to Netflix's movie and TV schedule later this year. Either way, I am looking forward to seeing Dream’s battle with Boyd Holbrook as a living nightmare known as the Corinthian, so you can count on me to stream The Sandman on Netflix when it comes back.

The next title among returning shows on the 2025 TV schedule I’m excited for is The Sandman for the second and final season. I can’t be the only one who watched the trailer and started drawing a big blank on what happened in Season 1, right? The Sandman is the latest of shows that is coming back after a crazy long gap between seasons, and after a similar wait had me musing over the return of Severance and digging deep into The White Lotus’ past seasons, now I’ve got you covered with an easy guide to refresh both of our memories.

Now, I’m not one of those fans of The Sandman who read the comics before watching the TV show. The series, which has been regarded by fans as a great adaptation, was my first dip into Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed dream world, and I loved falling into it. If you’re also in my position of being a more casual fan of the series, and looking forward to watching the new season with your Netflix subscription, follow along for my rundown of the basics of what we should both know before clicking play on July 3.

The Sandman Follows The King Of Dreams After a Century Of Imprisonment

The Sandman takes place in a world where “dreams” are not simply an occurrence that happen during bedtime but the name of a being named Lord Morpheus/Dream (Tom Sturridge), who is the ruler of something called the Dreaming, where all dreams and nightmares are kept. Dream’s troubles start when he is conjured up by a sorcerer named Roderick Burgess in the year 1916, who hopes to imprison the Angel of Death and strike a bargain with him in order to bring his son back from the dead.

Instead, he captures Dream, strips him of his belongings, which literally includes a pouch of sand, an emerald necklace that can prolong the wearer’s life and his helm. He’s imprisoned for a century, which leaves the Dreaming without someone to rule it. Once Dream finally escapes, his librarian Lucienne (Vivienne Acheampong) lets him know that since he’s been gone, dreams and nightmares have fled to Earth, and the Dreaming is in ruins. So throughout Season 1, Dream is on a quest to bring his realm back to its former glory.

Dream And His Siblings Are Known As The Endless

Dream is part of a family called The Endless, which are representations of natural forces like Dreams. In Season 1, we get acquainted with many of them. We meet three of them: Death (played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste), Despair (Donna Preston) and Desire (Mason Alexander Park).

But in Season 1, Dream suggests there’s one more sibling we haven’t met yet, whom he refers to as “the prodigal,” who has been absent from the Endless family for some time. Apparently Season 2 will illuminate us about who this Prodigal is, along with providing more introductions to other members of the Endless we’ve yet to meet yet. Quite a few new cast members joined the series.

Who The Vortex Is, And How Season 1 Left Her Storyline

Another main element of Season 1 was something called a “dream vortex”, which appears “once every era” for unknown reasons to The Endless. When “The Vortex” appears, it can have some serious repercussions for the Dreaming, such as dreamers becoming trapped in the same dream. A young woman named Rose Walker (Kyo Ra) is revealed to be said to be a vortex in Season 1, who is on a mission to find her missing younger brother.

While on her mission, Dream makes himself known to her and helps her to control her vortex powers. However, she becomes pertinent to the plan of an escaped nightmare named Corinthian, who finds her brother before she can, and uses it to lure her. Ultimately, this leads to Rose and Dream going head-to-head, and Rose decides to sacrifice herself so that “The Vortex” ceases to exist.

That is, until her great-grandmother Unity rushes to offer herself over to get the powers instead and sacrifice herself so Rose can live out her life (Unity was originally supposed to be the vortex). Season 1 ends with Rose having a happy ending of living in New York and pursuing her love of writing. There’s also a whole side plot where Rose’s vortex powers allow for a baby to be conceived in the Dreaming, which Morpheus vowed to come for “one day,” so definitely bookmark that, too.

The Key Villain Of Season 1 Is An Escaped Nightmare Named Corinthian

When I think about my watch of The Sandman back in 2022, I think the most memorable bit was Boyd Holbrook’s Corinthian. Corinthian is a nightmare who escaped the Dreaming and proceeded to go on a killing spree on Earth for his own pleasure. Throughout Season 1, Dream is trying to stop Corinthian’s crimes, which he ultimately does by turning him to sand by the end of the season. However, the trailer for the new season teases the return of Corinthian, so somehow the nightmare will return!

Season 1 Ended With Lucifer Wanting To Raise Hell (Literally) With The Dream World

That brings me to the last piece of The Sandman Season 1 that I think we both need to remember before returning to binge more of one of the best fantasy shows to stream right now. In The Sandman, we get to know the Devil herself, Lucifer Morningstar, played by Gwendoline Christie. During the first season, Morpheus travels to Hell to obtain his lost helm, which he successfully gets back. However, the season itself ends with us as an audience finding out that Lucifer is plotting with her ally, a demon named Azazel, to start a war with Morpheus to conquer the Dreaming and then the entire waking world.

Yeah… that was a rough cliffhanger to leave things on. While I’m kind of bummed the series is ending after only two seasons, after doing the homework, I’m excited to tune into the return of The Sandman on July 3, before the second part arrives later next month on July 24.

Back in August 2022, the TV adaptation of the acclaimed DC Comics series The Sandman was released to Netflix subscription holders and was met with positive critical reception. However, the show wasn’t greenlit for Season 2 until the following November, with most of the filming for the next batch of episodes occurring between late November 2023 and August 2024 following an interruption by the SAG-AFTRA strike. Since then though, it’s been unclear what exactly is the release plan is for The Sandman Season 2 and the show’s overall future. Well, today brings word that while Season 2 will indeed premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, that’ll mark the end of the series.

Per Variety, Netflix, one of the best streaming services, has decided to end The Sandman after just two seasons. This news comes in the wake of the sexual misconduct allegations that have been directed at Neil Gaiman, who wrote the original Sandman comic book series and worked on the TV show as an executive producer. However, the publication’s sources claim that even back in July 2024, before these allegations started making the rounds, The Sandman was already expected to end with Season 2 given how expensive it was to produce.

The Sandman showrunner Allan Heinberg had the following to say about the series ending in the below statement:

While the original Sandman comic book series ran for 75 issues under DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint and spawned various spinoff series, Heinberg is correct that Dream, a.k.a. Morpheus, wasn’t always the center of attention during that run. That said, I am a little suspect that there was only enough material left for a second season, and wonder if Season 3 might have been in the cards if expense and the Neil Gaiman allegations weren’t factors. But it’s a moot point now, so fingers crossed that The Sandman Season 2 can stick the landing with concluding the ruler of The Dreaming’s story.

This is just the latest Neil Gaiman-centric project that’s been impacted as the allegations against the creative continue being discussed. He also departed Prime Video’s Good Omens, which was will now air a one-off finale instead of Season 3; the film adaptation of The Graveyard Book has paused development; the Coraline musical has been scrapped; and he was dropped by Dark Horse Comics. Again though, in The Sandman’s case, the writing was apparently on the wall that it wouldn’t have a long run.

While we wait for The Sandman Season 2’s premiere date, remember that in addition to Tom Sturridge reprising Dream, actors like Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie and Jenna Coleman will also be back. Season 2 additions include Esmé Creed-Miles, Adrian Lester, Barry Sloane, Ruairi O’Connor, Jack Gleeson, Indya Moore and Steve Coogan.

Good Omens fans were already bummed to learn that one of the best comedies streaming on Prime would be ending after three seasons, though I guess we were already lucky for it to have lasted longer than just a single outing. But now even that sense of anticipation has been shattered by the latest update: Good Omens Season 3 isn't technically happening anymore, and the show is wrapping up in a totally different way at some point in the 2025 TV premiere schedule.

Let's take a closer look at what's been reported about the book-to-TV adaptation below, including the latest on creator Neil Gaiman.

Good Omens Will Conclude With A One-Off Finale

Rather than having a variety of episodes to expand their fan-beloved relationship, David Tennant's demon Crowley and Michael Sheen's angel Aziraphale are only getting a single installment to clear up any lingering issues so that they can hopefully spend the rest of eternity together as a far more adorable version of The Odd Couple. That installment will be a 90-minute TV movie, according to Deadline.

While exact dates are yet to be announced, plans are now set in place for Tennant, Sheen, and the rest of the ensemble cast to return to this fantastical universe to film the feature-length finale in Scotland in early 2025.

Neil Gaiman Has Officially Exited The Series Following Allegations

Novel co-writer and now-former showrunner Neil Gaiman has officially stepped down from his various roles behind the scenes of Good Omens, and will not have an active role in the production of the finale movie. At this time, he will likely be credited with writing some of the finale, but will no longer have any input on the final product.

A new writer will reportedly be brought in to finalize the script, but it doesn't appear as if any deals have been made yet. It's also unclear if another production company will be brought in, as Gaiman's The Blank Corporation is also no longer involved.

Production on what would have been a third season was set to kick off earlier in 2024, but was delayed after two women accused him of sexual assault via a multi-part podcast series from Tortoise Media. One claims he assaulted her in New Zealand in February 2022 while she was working as his nanny, and the other says in 2003, he forced her to have rough sex that she didn't want, while engaged in an otherwise consensual relationship. Two additional women subsequently came forward with their own claims.

This Good Omens decision comes a month after Gaiman, who has denied the allegations made against him, offered to step back from his creative role in the show. And it happened just over a year after former co-showrunner and executive producer Douglas Mackinnon, who also directed, exited the series.

Crowley And Aziraphale Deserve More Than Just A 90-Minute Sendoff

While I can 100% understand and support the moves made to sideline Neil Gaiman in the midst of troublesome allegations, and I also understand that he was a major piece of Good Omens' creative backbone, I feel like the show could have still continued for a full multi-episode arc with someone else steering the ship. Even if only to chop out any excess plotting in order to focus entirely on getting Crowley and Aziraphale to a comfortable and shared place.

I'd imagine that it would take at least 90 minutes of storytelling to follow up on the pair parting ways in the Season 2 finale, with Az being tasked with helping bring about the Second Coming. Which is already going to likely be a huge high-stakes story that will require lots of moving parts and angels and demons and so on, without being able to devote nearly enough time to their adorbs relationship.

We can only hope that the revised creative team figures out a way to clear up the Second Coming business in 25 minutes or so, with the last hour filled with snarky witticisms and playful bickering. And obviously smooches galore.

Good Omens Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream in full with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Good Omens arrived on Amazon Prime Video back in 2019 as a fairly faithful adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's novel of the same name and quickly became one of the best Prime Video shows. Following a second season in 2023, the series is set to return for one last batch of episodes. With the 2024 TV schedule approaching its fall leg and the 2025 TV schedule on the way, the wait is on for Good Omens Season 3 to finish the divine comedy/drama, let's look at what we know to this point about the end.

What Is Good Omens Season 3's Premiere Date?

At the time of writing, no premiere date for Season 3 has been set for viewers with an Amazon Prime subscription. Just over four years passed between the premieres of Good Omens' first two seasons, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the soonest Season 3 could premiere is 2027. While Season 2 did launch before the beginning of the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike in 2023, the entertainment industry as a whole was largely at a standstill during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Short of any massive delays, the final season could arrive after a shorter break this time around. Amazon Prime Video renewed Good Omens for Season 3 back in December.

What Good Omens Season 3 Will Be About

Crowley and Aziraphale's Season 2 story came to a heartbreaking end in the finale, with Aziraphale deciding to take Gabriel's place in Heaven to reshape it in a way that he wanted, and the way that he wanted was by restoring Crowley to angel status to work by his side. For his part, Crowley immediately refused and decided to stay on Earth as a demon. Despite a desperate last grand gesture of planting a kiss on Aziraphale, the two parted ways. According to Metatron, there's already a big project for Aziraphale to work on in Heaven: the Second Coming.

It seems like a pretty safe bet that Good Omens' version of the Second Coming isn't quite in sync with the story in the Bible, but Metatron didn't drop any big clues about what to expect, and it's worth noting that Jesus Christ did get a cameo in Season 1 when Crowley and Aziraphale both attended his crucifixion.

Neil Gaiman shed more light than Metatron did on what comes next, revealing at the time of the Season 3 renewal that Crowley and Aziraphale will "deal once more with the end of the world." According to the novel's co-author/Prime Video series' co-showrunner, "only Crowley and Aziraphale working together can hope to put it right. And they aren't talking."

David Tennant And Michael Sheen Will Lead The Cast Returning For Season 3

Details are scarce about the cast of Good Omens Season 3, but David Tennant and Michael Sheen are confirmed to be returning to reprise their roles as Crowley and Aziraphale. Sheen even posted a photo of socks in Aziraphale's signature tartan on social media over the summer, to the delight of fans:

Given how Season 2 ended with the state of Heaven above and the bookshop below, it seems likely that at least Derek Jacobi will be back as Metatron and Quelin Sepulveda will be back as Muriel. Gabriel and Beelzebub were key characters in the first two seasons, but how they were written out for a happily-ever-after in the Season 2 finale may mean that Jon Hamm and Shelley Conn won't make the cut.

Nina Sosanya and Maggie Service both appeared in the first two seasons, but played different characters each time. Whether they'll return in Season 3 remains to be seen, along with the rest.

Production On Season 3 Was Delayed In September 2024

Production for the third season was already in progress over the summer, but work halted in early September. Deadline reported at the time that discussions were happening about possible changes to production, although an official spokesperson did not comment on the situation.

News of the production halt arrived amidst growing controversy surrounding Neil Gaiman due to allegations of sexual assault. Gaiman has denied the allegations and there were reportedly multiple factors behind the decision to pause work on Good Omens.

The team behind the scenes had already gone through a major change for Season 3, as executive producer and co-showrunner Douglas Mackinnon confirmed on Instagram that he has "moved on front Good Omens" and had "no information regarding the status of [Season] 3."

Neil Gaiman Offered To Step Down Over Misconduct Accusations

Days after the news that production had halted on Season 3, Deadline reports that Neil Gaiman offered to step down from Good Omens. This would be a significant shift, as he penned the original novel with the late Terry Pratchett, wrote or co-wrote every episode of the first two seasons, and served as executive producer and co-showrunner.

According to the outlet, Gaiman made the offer to step down to Amazon as well as other producers on the show to allow work to continue rather than remain stalled. The author/EP/co-showrunner's offer reportedly is not an admission of guilt regarding the allegations of sexual assault.

While Amazon was said to be considering the offer in early September, no decision has since been announced. The series is still in early stages of pre-production, with filming originally not expected to begin until January 2025 in Scotland.

What Neil Gaiman Previously Said About Good Omens Season 3

When Good Omens was renewed for Season 3 in December 2023 to guarantee a future for the angel and demon, Neil Gaiman shared his thoughts via this statement:

The renewal announcement also revealed that the third and final season will bring to life a conversation between Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett that occurred nearly 35 years ago about what would happen next for Crowley and Aziraphale. Gaiman previously stated that the "biggest challenge" of adapting the Good Omens novel was "the absence of Terry Pratchett from this world."

Where To Watch Good Omens Seasons 1 And 2

Fortunately, it's not hard to find the first two seasons of Good Omens to watch and rewatch. Both seasons, each of which runs for six episodes, are available streaming with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. If the wait for Season 3 is anywhere near as long as the four years between Seasons 1 and 2, then there should be plenty of time to rewatch the highs and lows of Crowley and Aziraphale's journey so far.

Listen, after learning that Dead Boy Detectives was canceled, I just was bummed as the next fan. However, thankfully, there is a way that Edwin, Charles and co. could return to the TV universe inspired by the DC comics from Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner.

Dead Boy Detectives Was Canceled After One Season 

Dead Boy Detectives' cancellation was reported by Variety four months after its premiere on Netflix’s 2024 release schedule. Let me tell you, as a big fan of the supernatural show, I was very sad about it. 

This news comes after the supernatural mystery about two teenage ghost detectives went on quite the journey to even be released. Initially, the series got a pilot order from Max in 2021, and a series order from in 2022. However, in 2023, Max sold Dead Boy Detectives to Netflix, reportedly because it wasn’t in line with James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new vision for DC.

While a reason for the cancellation wasn’t listed, Variety did note the views the show received. In its first full week, Dead Boy Detectives got 4.7 million views. It then dropped off, as it got 1.8 million views during its third week on Netflix. 

To put this into perspective let’s look at viewership for some of Netflix’s best shows that have dropped on the 2024 TV schedule. When Season 1 of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – another established IP in its first season of an adaptation – came out, it got 7.4 million views in its first week. Then, it went up to 8.4 million during its second week per Netflix. And if we want to add a Netflix behemoth into this comparison, Bridgerton’s third season got 45.1 million views in its first week.

So, Dead Boy Detectives’ viewership numbers simply weren’t as high as they probably needed to be. While there’s no official reason for its ending, this likely played into it, considering its numbers were a lot lower than other shows like it. 

How The Dead Boy Detectives Could Return Despite Their Show Getting Axed 

However, while all this devastated me, I quickly remembered that this series is within the universe of The Sandman. That means there's potential for the Dead Boy Detectives to appear in the other Netflix series based on the beloved DC comics.

This isn’t a far-off dream either, a crossover between the two shows has already happened. In Season 1 of Dead Boy Detectives, Kirby Howell-Baptiste reprised her role as Death, who she played in The Sandman’s first season too. 

Also, if you look back at the history of Charles and Edwin, they were introduced in The Sandman comics, before getting their own run. 

Notably, the series was adored by critics and fans alike too, with it getting a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, so there is for sure a fanbase that would love to see these characters again. 

While it took a while, The Sandman got renewed back in 2022, Season 2 is on its way. And during July this year, it added Game of Thrones alums to its Season 2 cast. We know that iconic characters like Orpheus, Loki, Thor, Odin and more will appear. So, why can’t the Dead Boy Detectives? 

At the moment, we don’t know if the Dead Boy Detectives will appear in The Sandman, we also don’t know when that show’s second season will premiere. However, I don’t think we should give up hope! 

While it sucks that Dead Boy Detectives was canceled, thankfully, it's part of a greater universe, which means we might get to use our Netflix subscriptions to see Edwin and Charles back in action, even if it's on a different show. 

We’re coming up on two full years since The Sandman premiered to Netflix subscription holders, but fans of the show can take comfort knowing that progress on Season 2 is coming along nicely. Back in May, we learned that Adrian Lester, Esmé Creed-Miles and Barry Sloane had come aboard to respectively play Endless members Destiny, Delirium and The Prodigal. Now even more castings have been announced, including some notable Game of Thrones alums. Additionally, Neil Gaiman, creator of the original Sandman comic book series and an executive producer on the show, has also shared which of these characters he’s “thrilled” to see in live-action.

First, let’s go over who will be joining Lester, Creed-Miles and Sloane in The Sandman Season 2, which was ordered in November 2022:

• Ruairi O’Connor as Orpheus
• Indya Moore as Wanda
• Ann Skelly as Nuala
• Douglas Booth as Cluracan
• Freddie Fox as Loki
• Laurence O’Fuarain as Thor
• Clive Russell as Odin
• Jack Gleeson as Puck
• Steve Coogan as the voice of Barnabas

Game of Thrones fans will, of course, immediately recognize Jack Gleeson from his time as Joffrey Baratheon, and Clive Russell also appeared in the popular HBO series (which can be streamed with a Max subscription) as Brynden Tully. Interestingly, The Sandman is the second Netflix show that Russell has recently joined, as he’s also among the key castings for One Piece Season 2. I’d be remiss if I also didn’t mention Steve Coogan lending his vocal talents as Barnabas, The Prodigal’s dog companion.

However, when it comes to what Neil Gaiman’s looking forward to most from The Sandman Season 2, that honor belongs to Indya Moore’s Wanda, who, as described by Tudum, is “a professional driver and security agent for an exclusive travel firm. Wanda proves herself to be an indispensable guide on an Endless road trip to the waking world.” Like in the source material, Wanda is a transgender woman, as is Moore, whose credits include Pose, Nimona and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Here’s what Gaiman had to say about Wanda being depicted in live-action:

It’s worth mentioning that Netflix’s The Sandman appears to be merging its version of Wanda with a comics character named Ruby DeLonge. In the Brief Lives story arc, Ruby worked for Farrell Travel, a travel agency run by the old god Pharamond, who lived on Earth as Mister Pharrell and catered to both worldly and otherworldly clients. Ruby accompanied Dream and Delirium on their road trip to find their lost brother Destruction, i.e. The Prodigal. Meanwhile, the original version of Wanda was the roommate and close friend of Barbie, who was played in The Sandman Season 1 by Lily Travers.

Given the changes being made to Wanda, it’s unclear what this will mean for The Sandman show’s take on the A Game of You story arc, where Barbie has moved to New York and finds her imaginary world called being threatened by an entity called The Cuckoo. Wanda played an integral role in that arc, so will she simply be substituted with another character? Or is it possible that The Sandman will skip over that arc for the sake of streamlining Morpheus’ saga?

We’ll find out once The Sandman Season 2 premieres on its yet-to-be-revealed date. Meanwhile, feel free to revisit Season 1 alongside the other best shows on Netflix, and use the 2024 TV schedule to learn what’s currently airing.

Spoilers for Dead Boy Detectives are ahead! If you haven’t seen the series, you can stream all of Season 1 with a Netflix subscription.

The series Dead Boy Detectives – which is based on Neil Gaiman’s DC comics of the same name – is mostly about two ghosts, Edwin and Charles, solving crimes with their new medium friend, Crystal. However, their personal journeys of self-discovery and improvement play a vital role in their success, too. For Edwin, the brains of the operation and a teen who died in the early 1900s, that means exploring his sexuality and coming out to his dearest friend (and love). 

Overall, the way the show handled this tender storyline was beautiful, and the story behind its development makes it even better.

How Edwin Comes Out In Dead Boy Detectives

While chatting with HuffPost, co-showrunner Steve Yockey explained how important it was to represent Edwin’s story as he worked to understand himself and his sexuality in the show. As a boy who died in the early 1900s, his internalized homophobia is present and impactful, and as the show goes on he breaks that down, especially when Crystal is introduced. He has to face his feelings, as the showrunner said:

While Crystal is a love interest of Charles’, she’s also Edwin’s friend. Between her, Niko and Charles, of course, they’re able to support Edwin while he figures things out.

The show does a beautiful job of showing how Edwin’s friends support and educate him. Eventually, not only does he feel comfortable enough to come out, but he’s courageous and tells Charles (his best friend for literal decades) he loves him romantically.

Rather than dismissing Edwin because Charles’ feelings aren’t the same, he hugs his friend, tells him his true feelings, and reassures Edwin that his feelings are valid and accepted. 

They don’t fight, they don’t get awkward, they simply exist in the moment and love each other completely, and that’s the kind of energy we need in this world.

The Story Behind Developing Edwin's Plotline 

Along with this being a lovely story generally, it’s also a fantastic expansion on the Dead Boy Detectives canon. The characters come from Neil Gaiman’s comics, and Yockey wanted to pay homage to the source material while also making it even more inclusive, which is done (in part) through Edwin’s coming-out story. The showrunner elaborated on this goal, telling Out:

Overall, the goal of this show, and Edwin’s story specifically, is to show a complex human who is simply trying to figure himself out. There’s a lot more to him than his sexuality, but, as Yockey told HuffPost, this coming-out story also helps add a “richness” to Edwin. He said:

Thankfully, Edwin’s story, this message and adaptation made its way to streaming when Dead Boy Detectives moved from Max to Netflix to be with DC shows like The Sandman and Sweet Tooth, and millions are able to watch it!

This show is well-developed, incredibly heartfelt and three-dimensional. Edwin’s coming out story is simply a small piece of a grand puzzle, and it’s treated with care and normalcy. Dead Boy Detectives proved itself as a worthy entry among not only Netflix’s best shows but also the best LGBTQ+ shows through his lovely story, and hopefully, we'll get to see it continue. 

While we wait for more news on a second season of Dead Boy Detectives, make sure to check out the 2024 TV schedule to see what other shows are coming to the small screen, and go back to watch Edwin and Charles do what they do best on Netflix.

It’s time to rejoice and cry both tears of happiness and sadness for the beloved Amazon Prime series Good Omens. Following the tragic events of Season 2, David Tennant and Michael Sheen will return one final time as the demon Crowley and angel Aziraphale in the third and final season of the book-to-screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s beloved book. 

Like the title Good Omens implies, this Season 3 news is both good and bad. However, all things considered, we need to take a minute to celebrate Crowley and Aziraphale's final adventure.  

The Good News For Good Omens 

Neil Gaiman, who co-wrote the novel and serves as executive producer, writer and showrunner on the series, broke down why he’s so excited for Season 3 of Good Omens, and it’s got me all kinds of hyped. He said, via press release:

Considering Season 2 of Good Omens ended with the tragic separation of Crowley and Aziraphale, I think we were all hoping Season 3 would happen. However, a backup plan was in place if Amazon didn’t pick it up. No matter what happened at Prime Video, Neil Gaiman was ready to “write a novel” so our favorite angel and demon could get the ending they deserved. However, luckily, it got renewed, and Tennant and Sheen are returning as their iconic characters!

One word that was used over and over again in the press release from Amazon was “joy.” The people behind the show and those who watch it really, really love it, and they can’t wait to bring the conclusion of Crowley and Aziraphale's story to life.

However, all good things must come to an end, which brings us to the bad news.  

The Bad News For Good Omens 

Even though this conclusion was expected, and it’s good in the sense that Gaiman and co. will tell the exact story they want to, there’s no denying how sad this news is. Good Omens has proven to be one of Prime Video's best shows, and I could spend an eternity watching Aziraphale and Crowley’s adventures.  

David Tennant and Michael Sheen have undeniable chemistry, and Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s world is so creative and beloved, it’ll be tough to see the show come to an end. 

However, as I stated, all good things must come to an end, even for immortal beings. Hopefully, this bad news will end up actually being good, because the show will come to a close on its own terms. Sheen and Tennant said Aziraphale and Crowley got “everything” they wanted after Season 1. However, the end of Season 2 set the stakes for an epic finale that will hopefully, ultimately bring the angel and demon back together. 

At the moment, we have no idea when Good Omens Season 3 will drop. There was a four-year wait between Seasons 1 and 2, so who knows how long we'll have to wait for Season 3. However, the release stated that production is set to begin soon in Scotland. So, maybe we’ll get the next (and final) adventures of Crowley and Aziraphale on the 2024 TV schedule. 

No matter what, we’ll be sure to keep you posted on the third and final season of this fantastical comedy, and in the meantime, you can stream Seasons 1 and 2 of Good Omens with an Amazon Prime subscription. 

Warning: Details from Good Omens’ Season 2 finale are about to be spoiled. If you haven’t caught up with this round of apocalyptic comedy, you’ve been warned. 

Good Omens Season 2 dished out an ending that was the antithesis of everything we saw at the conclusion of the first season. With Aziraphale and Crowley set on separate paths in angelic life, the downbeat ending for the second bunch of episodes puts a pretty huge cliffhanger -- one that people are probably begging to see resolved. Thankfully, even if the hypothetical third season isn’t picked up by Prime Video, author and co-creator Neil Gaiman already has a backup plan to deliver that closure to his loyal fans.

When questioned about whether he would release the scripts to future installments of the David Tennant/Michael Sheen comedy in a published form, the Sandman creator offered another solution. Here’s how Neil Gaiman stated he’d close the loop for the story at hand, when responding to that fan inquiry on Tumblr:

As someone who has just recently completed the show using their Prime Video subscription, I’m glad there’s a plan in place for the future. Though as it turns out, this twist of fate is only because of Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett having drafted an unrealized sequel to their source novel. As Gaiman revealed to our sibling publication, SFX, Season 2 was always meant as a way into that potential novel's revelations.

I’ve delayed talking extensively about the Good Omens Season 2 ending, but it’s time to get into the particulars. So this is the last call for anyone trying to avoid having this surprising twist ruined, before watching for themselves.

In the final episode of the latest season, “Chapter 6: Every Day,” it seemed like romance won out, with happy endings arriving for both Gabriel (Jon Hamm) and Beezlebub (Shelley Conn), as well as Nina (Nina Sosanya) and Maggie (Maggie Service). And that’s exactly when Heaven turned everything to Hell, as Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) is recruited to become the new Supreme Archangel. After failing to convince Crowley (David Tennant) to come back with him to Heaven, the two finally share a kiss before going their separate ways.

As if the first season of Good Omens hadn’t already teased us all with that beautiful champagne toast at the end, Season 2 went and gave us this more recent ending. And Amazon totally knows what sort of effect this has had on the fandom, as it tipped its hand in that respect with a particularly targeted social media post. The title of the short clip presented below says it all:

That lingering sight of Aziraphale and Crowley moving away from each other during the Season 2 finale’s credits is still a huge downer to think about. It’s a perfect set-up for Good Omens to move into its next chapter with but, as the world of streaming entertainment is fickle, there’s a chance that fans may not see Michael Sheen and David Tennant revisit their beloved characters. So seeing Gabriel and Beelzebub sharing that happiness is a double-edged sword at the moment. 

Though perhaps that's Prime Video's way of getting the crowd going, before potentially announcing a Season 3 pickup somewhere down the line. If that fails, then perhaps there’s hope that the band can get back together for an audiobook/audio drama adaptation, should Neil Gaiman opt to translate the episodes into a new novel.

Unsurprisingly, the show is currently in limbo, with only those with omniscience and/or privileged Amazon information knowing where the situation stands. However. if you feel like getting hurt again in a well-executed fashion, the first two seasons are currently available to stream through Prime Video. Plus, don't forget to check out our Good Omens Season 2 interviews with the cast and to take a look at what the 2023 TV schedule has to offer throughout the rest of the year.

Good Omens returns to Prime Video for Season 2 on July 28 in the 2023 TV schedule with plenty of familiar faces, of course including David Tennant as the demon Crowley and Michael Sheen as the angel Aziraphale. There are a few returning cast members who will be playing completely new characters, however, who were neither in the first season nor the book co-written by Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett. Nina Sosanya and Maggie Service have new roles for Season 2, and the actresses spoke with CinemaBlend prior to the SAG strike about how Gaiman created their characters. 

Nina Sosanya, Maggie Service, and Miranda Richardson all returned to Good Omens for the second batch of episodes without reprising their roles from Season 1. Sosanya and Service both played Chattering Nuns in the first season, with Service's Sister Theresa Garrulous dead by the end and Sosanya's Sister Mary Loquacious moving on to less Satanic exploits. Their new characters – fittingly named Maggie and Nina – certainly aren't nuns. When I spoke with the returning actresses about playing different roles in the same show, I asked what kind of conversations they had with Neil Gaiman about the change, and they shared:

• Nina Sosanya: "Well, I mean, one of the things that he was sort of trying to tell us was that even though these characters were named after us, they were not us, but he was trying to sort of draw a little bit on sort of what we are, but not what we are. [laughs] He was trying to explain the sort of line that he was walking."
• Maggie Service: "I mean, I just said, 'Neil Gaiman's had an idea and he's a really clever man. Yes, please, that's great.’"
• Nina Sosanya: "Just do it, and then we'll turn up."

Neil Gaiman not only co-wrote the Good Omens novel (and has been open about missing Terry Pratchett as his co-author during the adaptation process), but he is also a co-showrunner, executive producer, and script writer on the series. In fact, his script book revealed that one element of Season 2 was originally meant for Season 1! According to Nina Sosanya and Maggie Service, they were on board for whatever Gaiman had in mind, and he had a "line" that he was walking to create the Nina and Maggie characters. The actresses continued:

• Maggie Service: "Because, I mean, you utterly trust him, and you trust the story, and you trust the universe. Literally, trust the universe."
• Nina Sosanya: "I mean, he clearly had a very distinctive idea. We weren't privy to that beforehand. We just... We were in."

While Good Omens fans will to have to wait until July 28 to get a good look at coffee shop owner Nina and record shop owner Maggie in action, it seems safe to say that we'll see more of them than we saw of Sister Theresa Garrulous and Sister Mary Loquacious, and more of them interacting with other main cast members. It just remains to be seen how they'll connect to Crowley and Aziraphale, who – according to David Tennant and Michael Sheen in an interview with CinemaBlend – got "everything" they wanted after Season 1. The Easter egg-filled opening sequence can only give away so much about what's in store!

Maggie and Nina also aren't the only new characters coming to Good Omens Season 2 played by a returning star. Miranda Richardson, who played Madame Tracy in Season 1, returns as a demon by the name of Shax. Newcomers to the cast include Quelin Sepulveda as the angel Muriel, Liz Carr as the angel Saraqael, and Shelley Conn as Beelzebub after original actress Anna Maxwell Martin had to be recast due to scheduling conflicts. Jon Hamm will be back as Gabriel as well as Doon Mackichan and Gloria Obianyo as Michael and Uriel, respectively.

Meet Nina Sosanya's Nina and Maggie Service's Maggie when Good Omens returns to Prime Video on Friday, July 28. All six episodes of Season 2 will drop on the same day, so be prepared to either binge-watch or dodge spoilers that weekend!

Prime Video will make this summer a little more heavenly with the premiere of Good Omens Season 2, which will once again star Michael Sheen as the angel Aziraphale and David Tennant as the demon Crowley. Based on the newly-released trailer, however, the similarities to Season 1 may be pretty limited! Jon Hamm’s Gabriel may not be the nemesis that he was the first time around, and Crowley and Aziraphale are in a sticky status quo after alienating themselves from both Heaven and Hell. The footage also features something that was cut from Season 1, so check out the new trailer and then keep on reading for what was cut and what it could mean!

What Was Cut From Season 1

If you’re anything like me, you were expecting to hear a song or two from Queen cut into the footage of the trailer, after how Season 1 included plenty of Freddie Mercury’s vocals and the running Queen joke from the book penned by Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett. Instead, an instrumental version of “Everyday” played before Buddy Holly’s version picked up. 

While it could have just been a fun choice for a trailer that fans with an Prime Video subscription have been waiting many days for, “Everyday” also happens to have been planned for Season 1 before being cut, as Neil Gaiman revealed in 2019 in The Quite Nice and Fairly Accurate Good Omens Script Book. The co-author, who also is a showrunner, executive producer, and writer for the show, wrote this about Season 1: 

Apparently, “Everyday” was planned for the first season of Good Omens, based on a suggestion from Terry Pratchett nearly two decades prior at the time. The scripts in the book continue to feature scenes where a version of the song would play, and it’s easy to understand why Gaiman described it as a “thread” through the whole season in the script stage. It seems unlikely that the trailer was scored with this song merely as a nod to the original plan for Season 1 and Pratchett’s pitch, based on a blink-and-you-ll-miss-it moment from the trailer. 

What The Trailer Says About The Song

Less than ten seconds into the trailer, there’s a shot of Aziraphale reading a newspaper clipping, and that shot lingers long enough without panning to the newly-arrived Crowley that it’s bound to be significant. As somebody who was willing to pause and squint, I can say that the text of the article that Aziraphale is perusing can be read, and the introduction says:

The article goes on to say that the jukebox engineer said that “it’s never been tampered with and can’t explain it either.” On the one hand, this sounds pretty similar to the book’s explanation for how Queen is always playing in Crowley’s car. On the other hand, the only element from the article that was even mentioned in Season 1 was Edinburgh, which Crowley and Aziraphale briefly discussed twice, most notably in their Shakespeare era (in a scene that almost couldn’t happen) when they flipped a coin for who would have to go to Scotland for a temptation and some blessings. 

So, what does the use of “Everyday” in this trailer mean for Crowley and Aziraphale? Does the reference to Edinburgh actually mean anything? Will there be any Queen in Season 2, or more of Buddy Holly’s discography? We can only speculate on those fronts for the time being, just as we can only guess about the Easter eggs in the opening credits sequence released by Prime Video. The good news is that the days are ticking down until the end of hiatus, and Season 2 of Good Omens will premiere in the 2023 TV premiere schedule on Friday, July 28. 

Between the DC shakeup following the hiring of James Gunn and Peter Safran and HBO Max moving shows off its platform left and right, another series has been caught in the crossfires of this big shift. However, this time it’s luckily not bad news, because rather than being canceled altogether like Titans and Doom Patrol, the upcoming DC drama Dead Boy Detectives will be moving from HBO Max to Netflix, joining the ranks of other DC properties like The Sandman and Sweet Tooth. 

Netflix has picked up Dead Boy Detectives according to THR because the show reportedly didn’t fit into the plan for upcoming DC shows and HBO Max wouldn’t have been able to market the show until 2024. So, now, the series based on comics by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner will make the move over to the streamer that houses the adaptation of Gaiman’s seminal work The Sandman, which Dead Boy Detectives is a spin-off of, as well as another DC property Sweet Tooth. 

The series centered around the story of teenage ghosts Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland is executive produced by Greg Berlanti, and it will be the second show of his to make the jump to Netflix. While the producer is known for his slate of extremely popular DC shows on the CW, he also serves as an executive producer on You, which made the move from Lifetime to the legacy streamer a few years ago, and has since become an extremely successful series for Netflix. 

Along with the success of Berlanti’s shows, the other two DC shows that are Netflix Originals are both loved by audiences and have been renewed. The Sandman was picked up for Season 2 months after its very successful first season, and Sweet Tooth received renewal last summer, meaning there's likely already an audience ready to take in Dead Boy Detectives. 

So, considering Berlanti’s track record with You moving to Netflix, the streamer renewing multiple DC shows in the last year, and the fact that this series is a spinoff of The Sandman, it seems like Dead Boy Detectives is in good hands. 

While this move is good news, it also emphasizes HBO Max’s decision to move quite a bit of its content to other streaming platforms. Along with canceling Titans and Doom Patrol, the streamer also nixed the reboot of Gossip Girl, canceled Minx (which is now moving to STARZ), and moved a slew of shows, including Westworld from HBO Max to third-party streaming platforms. 

Considering the two DC shows that got canceled and the new direction the studio is moving in, it makes sense that this adaptation of Gaiman and Wagner’s work is moving platforms. Also, knowing the shared comic history between Dead Boy Detectives and The Sandman it feels fitting that the two series will live on the same platform. 

Be sure to stay tuned to the 2023 TV schedule to see how the DC shakeup impacts the future of various shows, as well as news about when Dead Boy Detectives will make its debut on Netflix. In the meantime, while you wait for this ghostly adaptation helmed by The Flight Attendant's Steve Yockey and Arrow's Ben Schwartz, you can watch The Sandman and Sweet Tooth with a Netflix subscription. 

Fans of Neil Gaiman’s seminal work The Sandman had to wait literal decades to finally see the comic book series on screen. Then when they finally got the first season of the Netflix series on the 2022 TV schedule they fell in love. However, following Season 1’s success viewers once again had to wait longer than the average fan to find out if the fantasy series would get a Season 2. Turns out Warner Bros. boss David Zaslav may have had something to do with it. 

Neil Gaiman did offer an explanation as to why fans hadn’t heard about Season 2 about a month after the show’s release on Netflix, noting that The Sandman is “a really expensive show” to make. He said for Netflix to greenlight Season 2, the first season needed to perform “incredibly well.”

Well, it did perform well, but fans still had to wait until November to find out that Netflix had finally renewed The Sandman for Season 2. 

According to Deadline, Zaslav had become unhappy with how Netflix structured their deals with producers because they would pay them over the course of 18 to 24 months, even though this is not a new payment plan. However, Warner Bros. Television is one of the biggest external suppliers for the streamer, producing Netflix Originals like The Sandman, You and Sweet Tooth. Incredibly popular WBTV's shows like Supernatural, Riverdale and The Flash are also available to those with Netflix subscriptions, meaning some of Warner Bros. most popular TV shows all reside on Netflix. And Zaslav had apparently made his frustration about the payment plan clear to many at Warner Bros. Discovery. 

A Warner Bros. Discovery insider explained to Deadline Zaslav's frustration with the payment terms between WB and Netflix, saying he told employees to pause selling completed series to the streamer for weeks, saying: 

According to the article, Zaslav’s frustration with Netflix comes directly after the renewal of The Sandman, which is a high-budget series. 

I know I was shocked when it took almost three months for the Season 2 announcement, because the show had been a massive hit that wracked up 200 million hours of views within its first ten days on Netflix. Learning this information about Zaslav makes the reasons behind the wait a bit clearer. 

The Sandman is a beloved DC property from Neil Gaiman, who has been very open about his love for the adaptation. Plus the show was not only watched by millions but praised by critics, some saying it was one of the best adaptations they’ve ever seen. From a viewer’s standpoint it seemed like a show that would have been renewed immediately, but learning this insider information, it seems like this business deal may have been a contributing factor in the amount of time it took to renew Gaiman’s series. 

Sitting down and writing a book tends to be the hardest part for many authors, but the art of publishing said book and promoting it isn't something many speak about. It can be difficult to connect with readers as authors travel from state to state and city to city to promote their books. Unfortunately, this can lead to a less-than-stellar reception from the reading public. While readers might think that only happens to lesser-known writers, even celebrated writers have experienced failed promotional appearances, as Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood and more shared funny promo stories.

The renowned authors were prompted to share their sad promo experiences after independent author Chelsea Banning took to her Twitter account to share a recent story about a promotional stop for her debut novel. The up-and-coming author revealed only two people showed up out of 37 whom RSVP’d to the event. Banning explained in the tweet below how the lack of support made her feel.

Banning’s feelings were completely valid after thinking she was going to meet her readers in person for the first time. Book promotions require a lot of time and money to pull off, so only having two followers show up was just disappointing for her. It’s already hard for lesser-known writers to put themselves out there, so the lack of support can be a major blow to them.

But Banning’s unpleasant signing story found its tribe as her tweet went viral. The story connected with some notable authors who spilled about their failed promo appearances. The King of Horror himself, Stephen King, was up first, as he hopped on his Twitte page to comfort the young author with a recount of his first signing for his classic novel Salem’s Lot.

Some customers mistake authors for bookstore help. Not to be outdone, The Sandman creator Neil Gaiman didn’t hold back talking about a New York signing experience with fellow author Terry Pratchett on his Twitter account.

Even someone as renowned as Gaiman can miss a time or two with readers. The Handmaiden’s Tale author Margaret Atwood had the same experience as the Coraline author as she spilled on her Twitter that she was mistaken for store help.

The theme of being mistaken for a store worker continued, as The School for Good and Evil creator Soman Chainani responded to Banning’s post with his lonesome book signing at a Costco.

There’s nothing more humbling than directing customers to toiletries and meat products. But it wasn’t just fellow authors who comforted the independent author, as legendary rap hype man Flavor Flav got on his Twitter to reply to her post with a promise for her next signing appearance.

If getting a shoutout from Flavor Flav wasn’t enough, Banning got another boost from another legend – beloved Barry star Henry Winkler. Winkler took to his Twitter account to lift her spirits as he replied to her story.

There’s nothing like an inspirational word from the Fonz to keep you going! He gave Banning the fatherly love viewers have seen from Winkler in his interviews.

Having the interaction between Banning and these notable figures can only help raise her profile and help her sell more books. All she had to do was look at these famous authors' careers to see where her future could go. In King's case, he has countless movies and TV projects based on his best-selling novels with a Salem’s Lot remake on the horizon.

Just like King, Gaiman has numerous films and TV adaptations, with the recent success of the Netflix series The Sandman proving his staying power as Season 2 has been confirmed. Atwood’s work followed the same path as the Emmy-winning The Handmaid’s Tale just aired its fifth season finale. Chainani got his just due as Netflix plans on adapting The School for Good and Evil series into a film franchise, with the first movie currently available for Netflix subscribers. If you want to see what other book adaptations are on the horizon, check out our 2023 movie schedule.

There are a lot of opinions about the Amazon Video series Rings of Power. That’s fine, that’s to be expected. However, there are also some facts about the show that should not be in dispute, and chief among them should be the fact that Neil Gaiman did not write the show or have anything to do with it. Some people have made that mistake, and it’s led to some fantastic responses on Twitter, but Jo Hill may have beat them all.

To be clear, Neil Gaiman does have a new fantasy series available on a streaming platform, but it is not Rings of Power on Prime Video, it’s actually The Sandman on Netflix. The two shows did come out close together, so perhaps confusion was inevitable. Writer Joe Hill decided that if he was going to get it wrong, he was going to get it as wrong as is possible, with a hilarious tweet that brings one area Gaiman has written on, Norse mythology, and also get that confused with something else.  Gaiman clearly appreciated the joke as retweeted it out to his own followers. 

Actual Norse mythology and Marvel’s version of Thor, of course, have next to nothing to do with each other, Marvel's Norse pantheon is only loosely inspired by the real thing, but since Gaiman has written on the subject, clearly that means he’s to blame if you feel like Marvel’s Thor doesn’t stay properly true to the original myths. 

How Neil Gaiman Got Involved In The Rings Of Power Blowback 

The whole issue actually stems from Elon Musk. The Tesla founder and possible future owner of Twitter recently posted to the platform that he was thoroughly unimpressed with Rings of Power, saying that he thought author J.R.R. Tolkein would be “turning in his grave” over the series.

A fan asked Neil Gaiman, who had previously praised Rings of Power’s early episodes, what he thought of that, and Gaiman was critical of Musk saying he was not somebody that Gaiman would likely go to for literature criticism. This then resulted in somebody else, who defended Musk on Twitter, because that’s a thing people feel a need to do for some reason, to attack Gaiman over the show as if it were his show, which of course, it was not.

Fans Had a Blast Over The Rings Of Power Mistake 

This has now led to fans all over Twitter attributing basically the entirety of all media, good and bad, to Neil Gaiman. Every book, movie and TV show ever created is now Neil Gaiman’s fault, at least every vaguely fantasy story. Joe Hill’s response may be the best of all, because it has elements of the truth in it, which the initial criticism did not.

It will be interesting to see just how long this joke lasts. It’s been a few weeks since this whole thing got started, but it doesn’t look to be dying out quite yet. 

Lord of the Rings' new series may have been expensive to produce, but it's certainly gotten people talking, including popular author Neil Gaiman. After being an absolute savage in his response to Elon Musk’s Tweet about the Lord of the Rings prequel Rings of Power, the author was blamed by a confused person for some problems they have with the LOTR prequel. The issue here is Gaiman is not behind the new Amazon series and never has been; this Twitter troll simply got his fantasy authors mixed up, and subsequently, fans were having a field day over it.

For some backstory, Rings of Power has been positively reviewed by critics and viewed by 25 million. However, there is a group bombing the LOTR show's reviews, criticizing the casting of people of color and women. This has caused an outcry on social media from both sides. While people continue to hate on the show, some of the original Lord of the Rings movies cast have spoken out in support of the new series' choices. 

What started this pocket of mostly confusion and a bit of drama over the Amazon Prime Video series was the tweet from the billionaire and Tesla CEO that said “Tolkien is turning in his grave,” noting that every male character is a “coward,” “jerk” or “both” in the prequel. That triggered a response from the popular author. 

After this, Twitter users grew a little louder and, in some cases, more confused. From this came the tweet from Henrik Anderson blaming Gaiman for ruining Lord of the Rings. 

Being blamed for dream-crushing is a pretty serious claim, but this user is also blaming the wrong person. Neil Gaiman is the creator behind the Netflix show The Sandman, and while he may have seen some Rings Of Power episodes early, he didn’t have a say in how it was made. This was made abundantly clear by fans of Rings of Power, as well. In fact, another fan, Minerva Blex, responded on Twitter with an equally confused response: 

That poor Twitter user was so confused! Luckily, Gaiman was able to provide some clarity, with a healthy dose of humor. 

Meanwhile, Cory Barlog, a video game designer best known for God of War, jokingly mocked the Twitter user by citing his own project as something he will never “forgive” Gaiman for.

Other fans of Gaiman tweeted back by mocking and joking about The Sandman creator not being involved in projects that he would never, in a 1,000 years, be involved in. For example, dorotheasvintage referenced a soap opera: 

Some are confused by the joke – one person asked if this was true to which the user who tweeted about Passions said “Sarcasm, love.” Others jokingly blamed Gaiman for the Game of Thrones ending, Supernatural, and mike m. blamed him for War and Peace, you know the book by Leo Tolstoy from the mid-1800s.  

While fans are having fun with the topic, the trolling of Rings of Power has been a serious issue for Amazon. Among this fall’s TV shows, it has been highly viewed and scrutinized. Gaiman has been a big advocate for diverse casting and has stood up for Rings of Power on social media, along with many others, to fight off the trolls hating on it. He has also implemented diverse casting in his own shows, especially in his newest one The Sandman. 

Rings of Power drops new episodes every Friday and can be watched with an Amazon Prime subscription. With all the support for the Rings of Power cast from many and Gaiman’s presence on Twitter battling trolls, the discourse surrounding the next few episodes of the prequel is bound to be interesting. 

Neil Gaiman has been making TV headlines again thanks to the debut of The Sandman on Netflix, and didn't hold back from calling people out for their critical and rude comments regarding casting. Now, he's doing the same thing for Amazon's Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and he's not just calling out any old random fan. No, he's (quite savagely) calling out billionaire Elon Musk for his comments.

There has been a lot of criticism toward Amazon Prime’s newest show. It was being review bombed so much that Amazon had to take action, despite the show being positively reviewed by critics and viewed by 25 million people. One of the major reasons for the review bombing revolves around The Rings of Power cast (which has many people of color in it) and the depiction of female characters. Musk’s comments also have to do with the way women and men are represented on the show and Gaiman was having none of it, posting on Twitter: 

This response comes after Gaiman was tagged by a fan asking his thoughts on Musk’s post, and he didn't hold back in his commentary of what Elon Musk had to say.

Musk wasn't the only billionaire to share thoughts on the new fantasy show, as Amazon owner Jeff Bezos gave notes on The Rings of Power, although he was self-deprecating about it. Musk, however, was not as self-aware about it. He tweeted about the male characters being cowards and that because of this adaptation “Tolkien is turning in his grave.” Take a look:

It’s no surprise that the author clapped back with such force. Gaiman is an advocate for diverse casting, doing so in the adaptation of his seminal work The Sandman. In his show, Death – who is white in the comics – is played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, a Black actor. Gaiman said she gave a performance that moved him to the point of tears. He has also praised the performances of Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar and Jenna Colman as Johanna Constantine, both of whom play characters that were men in the comics.

Gaiman has been very involved in the adaptation of his works from page to screen. He made it very clear to the Tesla CEO that he would not ask him how to do his job, therefore Musk should not make comments on a job he doesn't know how to do. 

Earlier, Gaiman posted about his approval of the LOTR series, saying it was what he had hoped for since he was a child and that he would watch the series “with enthusiasm.” So adding up his love for Lord of the Rings, his appreciation of its new prequel, and his disapproval of people who complain about diverse casting, his passionate response should have been expected. 

Many have since clapped back at trolls who bombed the show’s score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a recent op-ed published in THR has been widely shared saying the widespread criticism “misses the spirit of the author entirely.”

According to the 2022 TV schedule, new episodes of Rings of Power come out every Friday and can be watched with an Amazon Prime subscription. It will be interesting to see how fans react to the show moving forward and if it will continue to be bombed by trolls. If so, hopefully Neil Gaiman has some more clapbacks ready in his arsenal. Who am I kidding? I'm sure he does. 

While David Bowie was the inspiration for the suave, fallen angel and ruler of Hell Lucifer Morningstar in the DC comic The Sandman, the King of Pop Michael Jackson was attempting to become the King of Dreams. Neil Gaiman has spoken for years about the difficulty of creating an adaptation of The Sandman for the screen in a way that would live up to the comic, and in the process, he entertained some wild ideas, including Michael Jackson playing the title role of Dream. 

On the podcast Happy, Sad, Confused Gaiman told host Josh Horowitz all about the countless attempts to get The Sandman made. One of the most shocking of these stories was that, apparently, in the mid-’90s Michael Jackson put himself up for the role of Morpheus. As he put it: 

 The King of Pop as the King of Dreams? Now that’s an idea. The popular author said in the podcast he thought casting this character would be easy. They just needed “an English-speaking actor with great cheekbones.” Michael Jackson met these two criteria--he did speak English and had some stellar cheekbones. Personally, I think he also would have looked iconic in the all-black get-up that Dream travels through the realms in.

Despite this being a really cool concept, it’s a little hard to imagine MJ as Dream. He probably could have pulled it off, but it feels like this show was meant to come out now in 2022, with Tom Sturridge in the title role. Especially seeing the positive feedback for the show, with some even saying The Sandman is one of the best adaptations ever, I think Gaiman was right to take his time in getting this show off the ground. 

While speaking about the show Gaiman said he saw about 1500 actors ultimately audition for the role of The Sandman. Tom Sturridge was one of the first they saw, and while they really liked him the creatives involved wanted to see who else was out there. After weeks of auditions, Sturridge remained their top choice and was hired.

Along with Sturridge, the show has been praised for its diverse casting, even though Gaiman has had to fight off a few trolls on Twitter. He said that Kirby Howell-Baptiste was the only person who could play Death, citing Episode 6 of The Sandman as so moving it made him cry twice. Jenna Colman has spoken gleefully about her role as Johanna Constantine, formally John Constantine in the comics. Gaiman also praised both women for their performances and showed a clip of Gwendoline Christie’s take on Lucifer, saying she is perfect for the role. 

While Michael Jackson may have made for a fun Dream; however, it’s for the best the show waited so long to come out so it could live up to fans’ astronomical expectations. It landing as a show on Netflix has given it the space and budget needed to create the world of the dreaming without sacrificing much. It’s seemingly paid off too, as the show has been popular on the streamer's Top 10 list. And while we patiently wait for the show to be renewed for Season 2, it’s fun to hear all the stories of what could have been, what are now simply lost dreams, and what dreams have become a reality.   

Doctor Strange has become a center stone for the MCU’s Phase 4 (and possibly 5?), especially following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But Marvel’s favorite magician’s road to dominance originally lived in developmental hell for decades before finally reaching the big screen. This led to big-named figures pitching their ideas for a film adaptation. One of those pitches came from Sandman creator Neil Gaiman and Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro. Gaiman spilled on the scrapped plans for del Toro’s Doctor Strange movie, which sounds truly wild.

The Sandman creator spilled details on the unknown Doctor Strange pitch to the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast (via Insider). Neil Gaiman revealed he and Marvel CEO Kevin Feige had spoken about teaming up for a Marvel film based on the mystic wizard before Scott Derrickson hopped on board to helm the first film. The talks between the men went back to 2007 before the first Iron Man film even hit movie theaters.

Neil Gaiman and Kevin Feige spoke about the possibility for years. At the time, the Avengers, including Captain America, were the primary focus of Feige and Team Marvel. Talks got far enough that he and Guillermo de Toro presented their take on Doctor Strange. According to the multimedia icon, his and de Toro’s idea for the Marvel magician would’ve been a far departure from the doctor audiences have come to love.

It seemed like Neil Gaiman and Guillermo del Toro wanted to give Dr. Stephen Strange a blend of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers’ storylines. Given Iron Man and Captain America were either filming or in development at the time, the duo’s take may have conflicted with those stories.

But Neil Gaiman and Guillermo del Toro’s sci-fi and fantasy pedigree might’ve given audiences a cosmic spectacle for the ages. Of course, the two-time Oscar winner had already dabbled in the superhero genre with Blade II and the Hellboy franchise. Not having the event-changing car accident in the film would’ve been an interesting move. Seeing an ageless and alcoholic Stephen Strange living through multiple centuries would’ve been a different take on the beloved magician. Gaiman’s storytelling and de Toro’s direction would’ve been a treat to see as the duo wanted to pay homage to Strange creator Steve Ditko’s original mystical vision.

While the duo’s vision never came to life, Doctor Strange has affected the MCU since making his debut in the 2016 namesake film. Along with its blockbuster sequel, Benedict Cumberbatch has appeared as the world's greatest magician in multiple Marvel outings, including Thor: Ragnarok and the Infinity Saga finale Avengers: Endgame.

Both Neil Gaiman and Guillermo del Toro have moved on since then. Gaiman is currently experiencing tremendous success with the much-loved Netflix series The Sandman. Del Toro is tapping into the fantasy world with his Netflix adaptation of Pinocchio, which will arrive on the streamer in December. If you want to watch Dr. Stephen Strange in action, get a Disney+ subscription to watch Doctor Strange and its sequel Multiverse of Madness. You can watch the best movies on the streamer while you’re there.

Fans of The Lord of the Rings, either the books or the movies or both, are somewhat torn when it comes to the new Amazon series The Rings of Power. The show will give fans more of Middle-Earth, which is wonderful, but since these aren’t based on actual novels written by J.R.R. Tolkien, there is still a lot of concern. However, one Tolkien fan, Neil Gaiman, has seen some of the show, and he’s on board, calling it the prequel he always wanted.

Neil Gaiman has a working relationship with Amazon Video through the Good Omens adaptation,  which is probably how he scored screeners to the upcoming Rings of Power. In response to a fan who asked what he thought, Gaiman responded on Twitter that he found the series to be a lot of fun, and exactly what the stories he wanted from another Tolkien classic, The Silmarillion. Gaiman says…

Most fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's work seem to work through it in a similar way. We find The Hobbit as kids, then when we get a little older, we give The Lord of the Rings a try. After that, if you’ve become absolutely obsessed with Middle-Earth, then you have probably picked up a copy of The Silmarillion.

The problem is that, if you’re looking for another adventure with elves and hobbits and dragons and rings of power, The Silmarillion is not that. It’s closer to a text book about the land of Middle-Earth than it is a story like Lord of the Rings. The book deals with a lot of the history and lore that makes up the land that all the characters we love inhabit. The Silmarillion is certainly being used to inform the new show, but it’s not a narrative adventure in the same way.

The Rings of Power, according to Neil Gaiman, is what he wanted when he first picked up that book. It’s a prequel that tells the story of what happened before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but in a more traditional way, more like the way those other stories worked. For the most part Gaiman’s response to the show matches the critics that have seen The Rings of Power, as most find the show to be promising.

This is almost certainly what everybody else wants The Rings of Power to be, and coming from as respected a source as Neil Gaiman, these words will likely carry a lot of weight. The fact that he plans to enthusiastically watch the rest of the series when he can, will probably increase the enthusiasm that a lot of people, who have been less sure of the show, will have. 

After years and years and years of anticipation, Netflix finally released the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s seminal work The Sandman to the world. The show about the King of Dreams swept us away on a journey through consciousness and unconsciousness, and to realms all across The Sandman universe. It also introduced us to the personifications of Death and Desire as well as the ruler of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar. 

The Sandman has its naysayers, but the overwhelming response to the show has been positive, with some saying it’s the greatest adaptation they’ve ever seen. While some major casting changes have been praised by many, like hiring Kirby Howell-Baptiste to play Death, there are some trolls who don’t seem to like these new versions of the characters. Well, Neil Gaiman posted an epic clap back on Twitter saying: 

Gaiman got them with that one, so much so that he asked if it was too much. The people of Twitter agree with him though. There was a consensus that this person deserved Gaiman’s comeback. @NerdvanaCTG responded with “Not far enough, I’d say…” and @touchthesun responded with “Nailed it. No notes.” Others thanked Gaiman for dealing with “trolls and racist haters.” 

The user who was angry about the casting was mostly fed up with Howell-Baptiste’s casting as Death. In the comics Death is a white woman, and she is a Black woman and in the show. However, Howell-Baptiste has had one of the most praised performances in the show. Gaiman has talked about his love for Death at length, saying her performance in Episode 6 (IYKYK) had the biggest payoff and made him cry. 

The Sandman has been praised for its active work to diversify its cast and change parts of the comic book to be more inclusive and representative. Along with Howell-Baptiste’s performance, some of the other characters receiving the acclaim are the characters that don’t match the original gender or race of their comic book predecessor. Gwendoline Christie is the show’s Lucifer Morningstar, a character normally portrayed by a man. 

Coming off of her iconic role in Game of Thrones, she continued to steal every scene in The Sandman. Her casting caused a lot of buzz and now she is receiving all the praise. Jenna Coleman has also spoken gleefully about her take on Johanna Constantine (who is John Constantine in the comics) and how refreshing it was for her to take on such a distinct character. 

While Season 2 has not been confirmed, Gaiman has responded, saying since it’s such an expensive show that Netflix needs to wait and see how it performs long-term and whether it will rank as one of the best shows to binge on Netflix. It can be expected that the casting of Delirium, Dream’s youngest sibling, will live up to the high and inclusive bar set by Season 1. 

One of the most highly anticipated comic book adaptations of all time hit streaming in early August, as Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman entered live-action to unleash its deep and emotional storytelling on Netflix subscribers. By and large, viewers seem to agree that it was more than worth the wait to witness Dream’s journey as a full-blown episodic spectacle, as opposed to more limited feature-length approaches in the past. And given how popular it has been since first debuting, an increasing number of fans are wondering why the streaming service has yet to officially commit to renewing The Sandman for Season 2. Gaiman himself isn’t confused or surprised by the wait, though.

When a fan on Twitter offered up compliments about The Sandman going beyond expectations, and pondered why a Season 2 renewal wasn’t more of a sure thing at Netflix, given its success so far, Gaiman responded with:

Such is the somewhat disheartening world of high-profile media, where more eyeballs is the most important metric possible. And for all that Neil Gaiman may have been optimistic and hopeful about Season 2 plans going into the first season’s release, it’s possible that he’s gained a renewed understanding of just how hard it can be to secure a future at Netflix despite having a big and devoted audience. Or maybe he’s just being deviously coy and feeding into his Desire-esque qualities.

Any way it goes, The Sandman absolutely needs to continue crushing out with Netflix viewers in order to fully convince the company’s execs that it deserves the funding to bring more comic issues to life in all their magical and demonic glory. It’s obviously still too close to call, and probably will be until at least its first four weeks of release can be measured, but if the numbers stay as solid as they are, we can all dream a little dream of Dream’s return.

The Sandman quickly hit the #1 stop in Netflix’s Top 10 TV charts the day after it premiered, and stayed in that slot for a full week until the final season premiere of the coming-of-age comedy Never Have I Ever. The star-studded epic stayed affixed to that second-place slot for around a week before retaking the top ranking for two days, after which it was overtaken by Michelle Monaghan’s thriller Echoes. While it’s not necessarily a rare event for a Netflix series to bounce back up to the top after falling to #2, it happens less than one might think, especially as streaming audiences find newer projects to binge through over time.

Someone well aware of how viewership can affect the fate of a high-budget comic book adaptation is Locke & Key co-creator Joe Hill, who celebrated the third and final season of the dark fantasy horror this month as well. (Though it never topped The Sandman.) Hill shared Gaiman’s response on Twitter and advised anyone on the fence to hop off and dig in, saying:

Neil Gaiman shared with CinemaBlend that he was most affected by filming Episode 6 of the first season, with Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s performance as Death winning him over immensely. And I think we can all agree he and the show’s co-creators Allan Heinberg and David S. Goyer all deserve to deliver more awe-inspiring moments through adapting the next 2 Sandman comic collections. So keep watching and keep telling Netflix how much you love it!

The Sandman is available to stream again and again and again on Netflix, and head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what else is on the way after you’ve watched The Sandman at least a dozen more times. Two dozen?

The cast of Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” including Tom Sturridge (Dream/Morpheus/The Sandman), Gwendoline Christie (Lucifer Morningstar), Stephen Fry (Gilbert), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Death), Jenna Coleman (Johanna Constantine), Vivienne Acheampong (Lucienne), Vanesu Samunyai (Rose Walker), Allan Heinberg (showrunner) and Gaiman himself, joined CinemaBlend to discuss the masterful adaptation on Netflix. Watch as they discuss the incredible set pieces, translating characters from page to screen, the scenes that made the comic creator cry, and so much more.

Video Chapters: 

00:00 - Intro

00:32 - Tom Sturridge Explains The Most Common Misconception About Dream

01:36 - Jenna Coleman Compares Working On ‘The Sandman’ To ‘Doctor Who’

02:54 - Why Stephen Fry Didn’t Hesitate To Say Yes To Joining ‘The Sandman’ Cast

03:56 - Creator Neil Gaiman Recounts The Episode That Made Him Cry… Twice

06:19 - Kirby Howell-Baptiste Explains Why Every Character In ‘The Sandman’ Is Important, No Matter Screen Time

07:08 - Why Gwendoline Christie Loved The Opportunity To Portray Lucifer

08:30 - ‘The Sandman’ Cast’s Favorite Sets To Work On During Production

11:12 - Outro

During The Sandman’s journey toward its Netflix debut, fans not only learned that Game of Thrones vet Gwendoline Christie was taking on the role of Lucifer in a way that is completely distanced from Tom Ellis’ titular TV role, but that former Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman would deliver her own gender-swapped role in the streaming fantasy series. Coleman portrayed the role of Johanna Constantine, both as the present-day comic book occultist and her 18th-century ancestry, which had previously been portrayed in live-action by Keanu Reeves on film, and by Matt Ryan for the small screen’s Arrowverse. And you better believe she was extremely pumped to get the opportunity to play a character outside of her traditional wheelhouse.

Ahead of Netflix subscribers digging into The Sandman, which has been at #1 on the streaming service’s most-watched shows ever since, CinemaBlend and other press spoke with the gothic fantasy’s star Jenna Coleman, who sat alongside the aforementioned Gwendoline Christie and fellow co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste. When I asked the actress how joining this highly anticipated adaptation as Johanna Constantine compared to all things Doctor Who, Coleman had nothing but happy and positive things to say. Here’s how she started off, as seen in the video above:

Though it’s not clear if Jenna Coleman would have been just as excited to join The Sandman if Neil Gaiman hadn’t been so involved in co-developing the meticulous adaptation, we thankfully don’t need to worry about such hypotheticals, since his fingerprints are all over the whimsical ten-episode series. One of the bigger changes that Gaiman and showrunner Allan Heinberg (as well as EP David S. Goyer) made from the comic book source material was John Constantine becoming Johanna Constantine, and though it was mildly surprising that it happened, it’s easy to understand why. Not only did it give The Sandman an opportunity to stand apart from previous live-action takes on the Hellblazer grump, but it also gave Jenna Coleman more chances to shine within this fantastical universe.

The Sandman’s narrative flow intentionally takes Tom Sturridge’s Dream on a location-jaunting journey throughout the course of Season 1, as it goes in the comic, which meant fans didn’t get a huge abundance of Johanna Constantine. But what’s there is worth savoring, both for viewers and for Jenna Coleman herself, who spoke further about why she dug the roles so much.

The way she talks about the character, it seems clear Jenna Coleman took the time to figure out what made John Constantine tick, and how that would work with a different kind of energy. (Although with the same bi-friendly vibes as the male version of the DC character.) And just as clear is how much of a hoot it was for Coleman to play.

Johanna Constantine definitely held her own in the annals of Constantine performances, though the only version that Jenna Coleman was familiar with going into The Sandman was Keanu Reeves’ film. Elsewhere in the interview, she and Christie were asked about their engagement with previous iterations of their characters, to which Coleman said:

Interestingly enough, former Legends of Tomorrow star Matt Ryan, whose Constantine was written off of the show ahead of its final season, actually reprised the role in animated form for the latest episode of HBO Max’s Harley Quinn, after having voiced the detective in both features and TV projects over the years. Will Jenna Coleman’s version live on beyond The Sandman? One can only…dream. (Sorry, I had to.)

The Sandman is currently available to stream in full on Netflix, with hopes for a Season 2 renewal presumably strong within most people who’ve watched. While waiting, head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way.

Spoilers below for The Sandman, so be warned if you haven't yet watched!

The Sandman quickly shot to the top of Netflix’s Top 10 rankings upon its long-awaited release, with the streaming adaptation at last bringing Neil Gaiman’s seminal DC Comics series to life after years of unsuccessful attempts. The well-deserved attention stems in large part from Gaiman himself co-developing the series alongside fellow executive producers David S. Goyer and showrunner Allan Heinberg, with all the attention possible dedicated to preserving as much of the source material as possible in the transition from page to screen. And for the award-winning comic writer and novelist, one episode in particular stood out as the biggest payoff in finally bringing The Sandman into live-action. 

Neil Gaiman and Allan Heinberg spoke with CinemaBlend and other press ahead of The Sandman’s debut for Netflix subscribers, and they both had much to say about the streaming series being an idealized iteration that likely couldn’t have been accomplished in past years, given the scope of it all. As seen above, when I asked Gaiman what the biggest payoff was for him from the start of the process to seeing it in its finalized form, he didn’t hesitate before explaining why the sixth episode, “The Sound of Her Wings,” had such an emotional impact. In his words:

As comic readers are aware, Episode 6 is an astonishingly faithful combination of issues #8 and #13 of the comics, and it’s one that absolutely tugs at one’s heartstrings throughout, though in ways that weren’t so much soul-crushing as soul-uplifting. Which isn’t necessarily what one might expect from an installment that’s half-filled with Death, Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s empathy-oozing Endless, delivering final moments for a line of one-off characters. 

Meanwhile, the other half of the episode focused on a centuries-strong friendship between Tom Sturridge’s Dream and Ferdinand Kingsley’s Hob Gadling, whose everlasting survival was spawned by him just outright refusing to succumb to death. (Or Death, as it were.) Neither case is an exact recipe for how to create an unforgettable slice of entertainment, but such as it goes with any Neil Gaiman project.

Neil Gaiman praised the attention to detail given to the “Men of Good Fortune” side of the episode, which balanced the real world of Death’s journey with a constantly changing setting that spanned hundreds of years. Here’s how he continued:

It'd be one thing if The Sandman's production process involved tons of CGI work for its settings, but just about every location that viewers see on the screen is completely authentic and created for the show, with digital effects kept to a minimum. But just as impressive than any of the settings, if not more so, is the wildly calming performance from the always excellent Kirby Howell-Baptiste.

On that note, Neil Gaiman continued with much high praise for how Howell-Baptiste embodied Death for the series, particularly with her soothing portrayal in Episode 6. Here's how the comic co-creator described her work:

Rarely have I agreed with anything as much as I side with Neil Gaiman's belief that Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Death is what should be there at the end of the metaphorical road for everyone. (Not to mention that it was worth all the efforts to make sure she ended up in The Sandman’s ensemble cast.) That might not be the takeaway that fans go into The Sandman looking for, but it's certainly there in full when all is said and done, as is the desire to see way way more of Gwendoline Christie’s superb take on Lucifer.

The Sandman’s 10-episode first season is currently available to stream in full on Netflix, and comic fans have no doubt been rewatching to catch all the awesome details. Head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see everything else popping up on the small screen in the months to come.

Fans of author Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman comic book series have been hoping, praying, and waiting for Dream’s story to be adapted for many, many years now. After decades of false starts, we’ll finally be able to watch an actual television show based on the ever-popular property once The Sandman can be viewed with our Netflix subscriptions in the near future. While we were all waiting for The Sandman, though, a little show called Lucifer became quite popular, with Tom Ellis’ portrayal of the titular character being based in Gaiman’s Sandman lore. Now that a Lucifer fan has asked why Ellis won’t be reprising his role for the new series, Gaiman has responded, and in a way that all Sandman fans will likely agree with.

What Did Neil Gaiman Say About Why Tom Ellis Isn’t Playing Lucifer In The Sandman?

For those who never got on the Lucifer train when the show was either on Fox or after its move to Netflix after a cancellation that upset many viewers, the supernatural police procedural starring Tom Ellis as the Devil himself, was based on The Sandman spinoff comics by Neil Gaiman. So, it makes a lot of sense that Lucifer fans would want to know why Tom Ellis has been replaced as the mischievous character by Game of Thrones alum Gwendoline Christie. After one fan asked that very question on Twitter, Gaiman responded:

Speak. The. TRUTH, Neil Gaiman! Alright, Lucifer fans, do not come for us! We love Tom Ellis and what he brought to the character on his show. Truth be told though, Gaiman is completely correct. The Lucifer that you got on the Netflix series (which wrapped things up nicely when it ended in September of 2021) was very different from the one in the comics, with his story also being very different. Ellis’ version of Lucifer, if you take away his angelic powers, is basically a really naughty Bridgerton-style rake, while Gaiman’s Lucifer is…way fucking scarier because he cares little for humanity, despite the fact that he also doesn’t make anyone commit evil acts.

As mentioned, the storylines for these (not really) competing Lucifers also diverge quite a bit. Both abandoned Hell to live in Los Angeles and run a nightclub / piano bar called Lux with Mazikeen, but that’s about where the similarities in plot end. So, even though Gaiman (and some comic book fans) still have respect for Tom Ellis’ "lovable" Lucifer, what The Sandman series needed was to create a character more in line with the one seen in those original Neil Gaiman stories and surprise Lucifer viewers.

Hopefully, it won’t be long now for The Sandman (which also stars Tom Sturridge, Jenna Coleman, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Patton Oswalt, Charles Dance, David Thewlis, Joely Richardson, and many more) to debut as part of the 2022 Netflix TV schedule. When it does, you can bet that millions of people will be there to take in all of the supernatural drama, as well as Gwendoline Christie’s Lucifer in all of the character’s dangerous glory.

Two months after Whoopi Goldberg’s suspension from The View, she’ll once again be stepping away from the desk. Unlike her first absence, however, this absence is due to a new opportunity. 

According to the show’s Instagram, the EGOT will take another hiatus from The View in order to work on a new TV project that's sure to get fans excited. Check out ABC’s message below: 

The longtime morning talk show host will be jetting across the pond to Scotland, where she will film a role in Anansi Boys (which fans will be able to check out with an Amazon Prime subscription). Based on the book by acclaimed fantasy author Neil Gaiman, the series will follow Anansi, the Trickster God of Stories. Whoopi Goldberg will play the Bird Woman, the God of Birds and the series’ main antagonist. The alphabet network's statement confirms that she will return to the Hot Topics table on May 2. 

Earlier this year, the actress and TV personality was suspended from her role on The View after making on-air comments about the Holocaust while discussing the banning of the graphic novel Maus in a Tennessee grade school. Her remarks claimed that the Holocaust was a “white on white” conflict that was not “about race.” She attributed the historical event to “man's inhumanity to other man.” 

While Whoopi Goldberg did not deny the tragedies of the event, her comments ignited fierce backlash from the Jewish community across social media. Organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center issued responses. The talk show host apologized shortly after the broadcast via her social media accounts and on the next day’s episode of the talk show. 

A day later, ABC President Kim Godwin announced that the star would be suspended from series for a period of two weeks, a decision that she allegedly felt was mishandled. Her absence led to a huge ratings drop, yet it's unknown if her upcoming sojourn to film the upcoming fantasy series will have the same results. 

Anansi Boys is a companion novel to Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, another fantasy epic that was previously made into a television series for the Starz network. Most of the characters in the former do not appear in the later novel, save for the titular trickster god Anasi. Played by Orlando Jones on the live-action Starz show, the new series will feature Delroy Lindo in the role. Whoopi Goldberg’s additional co-stars include Malachi Kirby, Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn, CCH Pounder, and Fiona Shaw. 

New episodes of The View are currently air on ABC on weekdays at 11 a.m. EST. You can also watch past episodes with your Hulu subscription. There’s no release date for Anansi Boys yet, so be on the lookout for more info on that front. In the meantime, take a peek at these upcoming TV releases to plan your 2022 viewing experience. 

Lucifer has a pretty devoted fanbase. After the series was canceled by its parent network Fox, the outraged viewer response helped convince Netflix to renew Lucifer for three more seasons, before the show wrapped things up in September 2021 with its sixth and final season. The series has topped the Netflix 2021 chart, and comic creator Neil Gaiman has only one protest group to thank: 1 Million Moms. 

Neil Gaiman did not have much involvement in the creation of Lucifer, but he did create the character the series was based on. Upon discovering the fan-favorite show's prime streaming chart status, the bestselling fantasy author, who's also the mind behind Good Omens, took to Twitter to thank a certain organization. Check out his post below: 

Per the latest Nielsen streaming chart, the DC Comics-connected adaptation was the most-streamed original series in 2021. It even beat out the history-making Squid Game, the dystopian Korean drama that became a huge breakout hit for the streamer. The comics legend took the opportunity to thank the conservative group 1 Million Moms for their original boycott of the show, claiming that their chagrin was the top reason he knew the show would do well. He even responded to a fan tweet that questioned the group’s boycott with the following maxim: 

It’s fairly clear that Neil Gaiman is not a fan of the organization. Although, considering his support of LGBTQ+ causes in the past, that’s hardly surprising. 1 Million Moms has been advocating against pro-LGBTQ+ and seemingly "anti-Christian" content for years. With this, Lucifer has received significant attention from them over the years. Later seasons of the show also included queer relationships, and even found characters Maze and Eve getting married, a development that seemed to be well received by viewers. 

1 Million Moms’ lack of sympathy for the devil also previously extended towards Neil Gaiman’s comic series The Sandman. The books contained positive portrayals of queer and trans characters, a fairly revolutionary feat during the '90s. Another similarity? Like Lucifer, The Sandman is also slated to become a television series for Netflix, although it remains to be seen whether or not 1 Million Moms will have something to say about it. Satan has been confirmed to appear in the series (played by Gwendoline Christie from Game of Thrones), so we'll have to see if the conservative organization rallies against the otherwise highly anticipated series. Regardless, given Gaiman’s reaction to their boycott of his devil-centric series, he's likely not phased by the notion of backlash to the upcoming show. 

You can currently stream all six seasons of Lucifer on Netflix. The Sandman is scheduled to release on the streamer sometime in 2022. In addition to Gwendoline Christie, the series will star Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Jenna Coleman. 

As Netflix’s Lucifer is nearing the end of its run, cast and crew are sharing emotional tributes after the final table read. Neil Gaiman, the original creator of the comic book the series is based on, is thanking one particular group of people for speaking out against the series: moms.

Emotions were set on high earlier this week when the cast and crew of Lucifer had their final table read. Co-showrunner Joe Henderson shared a photo from the first table read after the pilot in honor of the occasion, and while he got emotional about the milestone, Lucifer comic book creator Neil Gaiman went in a different direction. In a quote reply to Henderson’s tweet, Gaiman thanked the One Million Moms Twitter page for trying so hard to get Lucifer banned. The page is a network of Christian moms and grandmothers who have banned together to share their thoughts about today's entertainment climate.

In this case, those complaints had the opposite effect, though the series has not always had the easiest trajectory on the air. Lucifer is a show that is notorious for being canceled, then uncanceled, then canceled again and so on. The series was first canceled by FOX after the third season before it found its new home on Netflix for Season 4. The streaming service then renewed it for a fifth and what was supposed to be final season. However last summer before the first half of Season 5 released, Netflix announced it had renewed the dramedy procedural for a sixth and final, final, season that will consist of 10 episodes. Even though Season 5B has yet to receive a premiere date, the cast and crew are wasting no time completing the series.

The move to Netflix was brought on by fan campaigns after Fox had initially canceled the show. It wouldn’t mark the first series that was saved by fans, and it most likely won’t be the last. After Fox canceled Brooklyn Nine-Nine, fans poured in with tweets and posts and campaigns to save the 99th precinct and 24 hours later, NBC had saved the show. Campaigns go a long way, even if it’s for the opposite reason. Neil Gaiman thanking a group of moms who tried so hard to get the series banned and saying that them boycotting and speaking out against something will magically guarantee a long run is hilarious.

Maybe that’s what needs to happen for all shows. As long as you complain enough, the opposite will happen. Despite Lucifer’s end still being quite a long time away, it’s bittersweet seeing all the posts now that the cast is starting production on the final episode. Although it will be hard to say goodbye to the sassy Devil, the fact that the series was able to run three seasons longer than initially intended says a lot.

My first date with my then-girlfriend-now-wife was to a comic book shop called Fortress of Solitude (How romantic, right?). I took her there because she had told me that she was deeply into Neil Gaiman and his Sandman series, which I had never heard of at the time. Once at the shop, I bought her one of the graphic novels—It was The Doll’s House, in case you were wondering—and she accepted it to be polite. But, she already owned it. In fact, she owned the whole series. So, I read it myself, and I was hooked! When news broke that Netflix settled upon a deal to make a TV series of The Sandman, both my wife and I jumped for joy.

That’s because its transition to live-action has been less than dreamy, so to speak. There was hope when Joseph Gordon-Levitt got involved with the project and wanted to make a movie adaption that he would even star in. But when those plans fell through, depressed fans just had to sleep off (Sorry!) their depression. Besides, Neil himself wanted an English actor to play Morpheus. And, he's gotten his wish, since we now know who will play Sandman in the new Netflix series. I have seven other quick things that I know, as well, that I’ll be happy to share with you. So, get ready and I’ll take you there. You are getting sleepy. Sleeeeeepy...

Tom Sturridge Will Be Playing Morpheus

English actor Tom Sturridge is set to play the lord over all dreams and stories. You may have seen him in Pirate Radio as Carl or as Sergeant Francis Troy in Far from the Madding Crowd. Or, if you’re the romantic type, then Falling for Forever as Will Donner.

Dream, on the page, is a mostly stoic figure who kind of looks like the lead singer of The Cure. He is one of the seven Endless (more on them later), and existed before even the gods. Morpheus even worked with Cain and Abel and had them living side-by-side in the House of Secrets and the House of Mystery. So, yes, Dream is definitely a more cerebral character. He’s not Superman or anything like that. I’m looking forward to seeing what Tom Sturridge can do with the part.

The Show Will Star Two Game Of Thrones Alums

If you’re still sad because Game of Thrones is over, I have good news! Two of its former castmates will be together again in Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) and Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister).

Gwendoline Christie is set to play Lucifer, the Ruler of Hell (This arc in Vol. 4, Season of Mists was actually one of my favorites in the entire comic series!), and Charles Dance will play Roderick Burgess, a blackmailer and magician. Trust me on this one: Charles Dance is PERFECT for this role. With just the casting alone, this series is already shaping up pretty well!

One Of The Antagonists Will Be An Escaped Nightmare Played By Boyd Holbrook

Logan and We Can Be Heroes actor Boyd Holbrook is set to take on the role of The Corinthian, an escaped nightmare that likes to get himself into trouble.

The Corinthian is one of the reasons I got so deeply into The Sandman, becausehe’s introduced in The Doll’s House. His most notable feature is having teeth for eyes. While I won’t spoil what he does in the story, just know that he is a formidable character, indeed. In The Sandman universe, anyway. Don’t expect to be unaffected by this character.

The Show Will Be A Mix Of “Modern Myth” And “Dark Fantasy”

What really drew me to The Sandman series was that it was like nothing I had ever read before in comic form. It’s not about action, nor is it more based in reality like American Splendor or Persepolis. Like its namesake, it’s a lot more like a dream, as it weaves in and out of reality and the subconscious. There’s a reason why this series has taken so long to be adapted.

While the story does follow The Endless (Again, I’ll get to them!), there are bits where it’s just little short stories that don’t really seem entirely connected, but are in the grand scheme of things. How Morpheus will sift in-between these stories is what really interests me, as it presents the kind of show that we’ve never really seen before on TV. It will be amazing if they can pull it off.

As Of Now, We’re Not Sure If Other Members Of The Endless Will Be On The Show

Okay, so now for the Endless. My favorite part of the whole comic series is the seven Endless, which are the embodiments of powerful…I guess ideas? They’re siblings, and they consist of Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium…which later becomes something else, but again, I don’t want to spoil anything.

As of right now, the cast does not include any of the other Endless. But…looking at some of the other cast members, including the characters Roderick Burgess and Cain and Abel (who are going to be played by Sanjeev Bhaskar and Asim Chaudhry, respectively) I am going to assume that Death somehow plays a part in all of this. Whether she will just be mentioned or will actually be featured is up for speculation, but it’s Death we’re talking about here. It would really be a shame if she’s not in this series.

The Show Is Going To Be Pretty Expensive

The Sandman is rumored to be the most expensive DC show ever. This is not surprising, as this is Netflix, which has a tendency to dump a lot of money into a project.

But honestly, if any series needs it, it’s The Sandman. One thing that really sticks out in the comic is the art style and the representation of dreams and other concepts. Hell is definitely going to be featured on this show, and that segment of the comic was extremely detailed and wonderful. I can only imagine how cool it’s going to look on my television screen.

Neil Gaiman Is Looking Forward To The Netflix Show

Possibly the best news of all, though, is that Neil Gaiman himself is excited for this project. This might not seem like a big deal, but it actually is. Even though Gaiman isn’t exactly like Alan Moore (who scorns anybody touching his properties), Gaiman does want his stories to be in the right hands, and apparently, Netflix has the right hands for this project. In an interview with RadioTimes, Neil Gaiman had this to say:

But, apparently, this time is different. And, If Neil Gaiman is enthused, then I think the fans can be enthused as well.

So those are seven quick things you might not have known about the Netflix Sandman series. What do you think? Are you excited for this new show? Sound off in the comments section or in the poll below.

This poll is no longer available.

For a while now, the only news coming out of Neil Gaiman's highly anticipated The Sandman TV show has been that the beloved author is extremely excited about how things are shaping out. As cool as that has been to witness, it's far more exciting to know that the Netflix fantasy series has finally revealed its first set of cast members. We've got two major fantasy winners on tap by way of Game of Thrones veterans Gwendoline Christie and Charles Dance, who join a handful of other solid actors in filling out The Sandman's ensemble cast.

After Starz's American Gods, The Sandman will be the second Neil Gaiman adaptation currently on the air (unless we hear about Good Omens Season 2 in the near future). And this cast is already stacking up pretty well in comparison. Joining Gwendoline Christie and Charles Dance are Tom Sturridge, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Asim Chaudhry and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

Gwendoline Christie, whose Sandman casting was previously rumored, was officially announced as The Sandman's Lucifer, which technically makes her the second UK actor to play Lucifer on a Netflix-produced series. (Can we get a crossover with Tom Ellis' Lucifer character, please?) Within the Sandman storyline, Lucifer grows tired of the stereotypical afterlife and heads to Earth. And it's gonna effing rock to see Christie take on this snazzy role in live-action, since it will be much closer to the source material than Ellis' version.

On the Road and Sweetbitter star Tom Sturridge is tackling the lead role of Dream, one of the most powerful beings in all of reality, as well as everything outside of reality. Dream, who goes by many names across the comic's storylines, is also one of the most unique and distinctly Neil Gaiman-esque characters in comic book history, so there's a lot riding on Sturridge's shoulders to bring this performance to life.

Like Lucifer, The Sandman's Lucien is getting gender-swapped for the Netflix TV show. Taking on the role of Lucienne is The Witches and Famalam actress Vivienne Acheampong. Lucienne watches over Dream's home realm known as the Dreaming, which contains a library housing all the books that have ever been written, as well as those that haven't been written. (I have always wanted to live in the Library.)

Boyd Holbrook, whose other major Netflix projects include Narcos and We Can Be Heroes, is taking on one of the most visually bizarre characters in The Sandman. He's portraying The Corinthian, an unintended serial killer who has two small additional mouths in place of his eyes. And he also eats other people's eyes. I hope they don't alter that much.

Former Game of Thrones king Charles Dance has been busy with his own Netflix projects in The Crown and David Fincher's Mank. For The Sandman, Dance will play Roderick Burgess, who rocks the nickname the Dæmon King, if that tells you anything. He's basically DC Comics' take on the esoteric magick man Aleister Crowley, and it's a role that Dance should excel at.

UK comedians Sanjeev Bhaskar (The Kumars) and Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing) are taking on the Biblically inspired roles of Cain and Abel, respectively. Within The Sandman, Cain and Abel live as neighbors within the Dreaming, and they largely adhere to stereotypes, with the bullying Cain murdering the genial Abel several times throughout the course of the series.

Neil Gaiman created The Sandman based on his acclaimed comic book series of the same name, and also serves as executive producer and co-writers. The showrunner is the talented Allan Heinberg, whose wide-spanning career includes writing for Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy, co-writing the Wonder Woman script (and the pilot for the unproduced Wonder Woman TV show), and co-creating the Young Avengers comic book line, which may be getting its own MCU introduction soon.

The world, right at this very moment, kind of seems like Hell, with isolation keeping friends and family apart, and leaving the world in need of entertainment. And, that same sentiment applies to the Good Omens team of Michael Sheen’s Aziraphale and David Tennant’s Crowley, as they too are locked down with the rest of the world.

But, that hasn’t stopped them from celebrating the 30th anniversary of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s seminal fantasy novel, with a video aptly titled “Lockdown.” Watch this short, but sweet, addition to the Good Omens canon, below:

Don’t worry, your sense of time hasn’t been skewed that badly in quarantine. While the Prime Video series debuted last May, Good Omens the novel was released on this very day in 1990. That makes today the perfect time to overhear a phone call between Michael Sheen and David Tennant’s protagonists as they ponder what they’ve been up to in their respective domiciles.

After saving the world from the young Antichrist in their six episode spree, both the angel and his demonic counterpart are… actually staying put. Believe it or not, David Tennant’s Crowley doesn’t even want to go out, despite being a natural fit for violating social distancing regulations in the name of chaos.

Which leaves him bored and in need of a phone call with his dear friend, who’s been keeping busy himself. In his own version of lockdown fun, Michael Sheen’s Aziraphale has been living up to his angelic nature, as the Good Omens bookshop proprietor actually fended off a robbery in a way that only he would dare to set about. Which means he sent his would be thieves home with tons of cakes, after a stern talking to.

Obviously, through the use of voice-over technology, and fantastic still shots that border on the pornographic (especially that split pastry filled with clotted cream and jam), Michael Sheen and David Tennant were able to reprise their roles as the memorable saviors of society. But this Good Omens short totally gets the job done, as even with just a radio show style performance, you can see their characters in your head.

Hearing how Crowley misses his dear friend is heartbreaking, as well as Aziraphale’s hopeful message about seeing him “when this is all over,” which just shows how Sheen and Tennant are still locked into the nature of these Good Omens characters. Collaborating with Neil Gaiman to write this short, series director Douglas Mackinnon guided the fun, and even show composer David Arnold lendt some music to the proceedings, so it almost feels like another episode of Good Omens exists!

While we’d love to hear more Good Omens shorts like this in the future, it’s still a cause for celebration to hear Aziraphale and Crowley tend to their celestial friendship as only they could.

Good Omens is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video; and from all of us at CinemaBlend, a happy 30th anniversary to the world that Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett gave us all to enjoy.

Hollywood (namely Disney) has found itself in a bit of a rabbit hole exploring live-action adaptations of animated classics in recent years. In a matter of less than five months, three Disney remakes have hit the big screen, and buzz about the studio’s upcoming new take on Mulan, as well as The Little Mermaid casting news, has also been in full swing. Now another animated favorite, Laika’s Coraline, has become the center of live-action discussion.

Coraline’s original writer, Neil Gaiman, quickly put the rumors to rest on Twitter Tuesday by bluntly assuring fans it “isn’t happening.” He followed up his comments with these words:

Have no fear! Buttoned eyes are for Laika’s carefully sculpted faces for stop-motion animation and will stay that way. The writer also known for his work on Amazon’s Good Omens, Lucifer and American Gods quickly observed all the pushback toward a live-action remake of his dark family fantasy about a young girl’s journey through a door where an idealized parallel world of her life exists. The movie is based on Neil Gaiman’s 2002 children’s novella. He continued with this:

It’s not easy to break down the mess of the internet (or Twitter for that matter), but my best guess is the rumor stemmed from a piece of innocent fan casting posted earlier this week. Check it out:

A fan account of Stranger Things’ Nancy Wheeler actress, Natalia Dyer, published an edit of her as Coraline and she certainly is an inspired choice! However, Coraline is said to be an 11-year-old girl and Dyer is 22. Maybe in a theoretic sequel she’d be a great choice!

The tweet went viral, sparking some discourse among fans about whether a live-action version of Coraline was a good idea. When it became a trending topic, some mistook the conversation for a reaction to actual news. Here’s one bit of enthusiasm about the non-existent project:

While the animated film is a modern animated classic, not everyone was satisfied with how it turned out. Book adaptations are no stranger to angering fans and the idea of a live-action version got this fan excited about a movie closer to Gaiman’s original story. On the other hand, another user pointed out all the work that went into the Laika film. Take a look:

Live-action adaptations have been big money-makers for Disney, and that’s probably the main reason why they keep updating their classic animated films. The fanbase is already there and they’re curious about another take when the studio goes the live-action route. As The Lion King approaches theaters this weekend, it’s expected to make a ton of money despite lukewarm reviews.

Would you see a Coraline live-action remake? Sound off in the comments!

Welcome to HeroBlend #62! This week, Adrienne, Gabe and Eric will be talking all about Spider-Man: Far From Home spoilers! First, though, we've got a lot of wonderful superhero news to bring to you. So, we'll be discussing Far From Home's big opening in China and how it did in previews domestically, giving you the details on the new director and writer that the Flash movie is looking at and breaking down the messy history of people who've worked on (and abandoned) the project over the years.

We'll also be going over what we know about the possibility of Killmonger coming back for Black Panther 2, Neil Gaiman's Sandman finally getting a TV show on Netflix, as well as reviewing the added footage of the Avengers: Endgame re-release and more!

Next, we'll get to the reason you're all here: Spider-Man: Far From Home spoilers! The last effort of the MCU's Phase 3 packs a major punch and offers up a lot of surprises, so we will get into what you can expect from the new movie and where all the big reveals might take the MCU as it moves into the future.

Now, sit back and relax, folks, because this is one chat you're not going to want to miss. Ready to dive in? Great! Listen for yourself above!

1:43 - News

5:48 - Flash Movie Updates

39:33 - Spider-Man: Far From Home

Now, get in on the superhero-filled fun and have a listen to the HeroBlend Podcast #62! And, be sure to subscribe to the HeroBlend Podcast on iTunes, right here, follow us on Twitter @HeroBlend and follow our hosts @eeisenberg and @HeyAJ74.

Neil Gaiman has had a big couple of years when it comes to TV adaptations of some of his most beloved works. American Gods debuted on Starz back in 2017, and Good Omens took the world by storm as an apocalyptic comedy on Amazon Prime earlier this year. Now, his long-running comic series The Sandman will become a TV show thanks to Netflix. Some official details were announced when the big news first hit, and Neil Gaiman came out to answer some specific fan questions.

Let's start with the big news. Netflix ordered The Sandman as a show based on Neil Gaiman's comic series of the same name. It will follow the people and places impacted by the Dream King, known as Morpheus, who mends the cosmic and human mistakes that he has made over the many years of his existence. Gaiman himself is on board as an executive producer, and he'll co-write the first of the 11 episodes in the initial series order.

Allan Heinberg of Wonder Woman and Grey's Anatomy is showrunner, and David S. Goyer of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Krypton joins Neil Gaiman and Heinberg in an executive producing capacity. The three will collaborate for writing the first episode. The Sandman movie may not have happened, but it already sounds like there's a lot to look forward to with the TV show.

Although the info released by Netflix is certainly interesting, it's somewhat short on details. Neil Gaiman took to social media to answer some fan questions about what's to come. Considering Gaiman was on board Good Omens as showrunner, executive producer, writer of all six episodes, and co-author of the source material, one natural question was whether he would take on a similarly huge role for The Sandman. Here was his response:

Neil Gaiman will not run or co-run the show for The Sandman. In fact, it sounds like fans can count out Gaiman running the show for any and all future adaptations of Gaiman's works, at least at this point. Good Omens was a big job that Gaiman tackled to honor his late friend and co-author Terry Pratchett; he won't need to tackle the same job for the Netflix adaptation of The Sandman.

The author went on to clarify his Sandman involvement compared to his other two big TV shows:

Neil Gaiman is credited as an executive producer on American Gods and co-wrote the Season 2 premiere, but his involvement has been relatively minimal beyond penning the novel that started it all. It's interesting that Gaiman noted "much" more involvement than American Gods but not "much" less than Good Omens.

Considering how significantly involved he was with Good Omens (and the angel/demon dynamic that grabbed the attention of viewers everywhere), perhaps we can expect him to be fairly involved with the new project.

When news first broke of the Sandman series this week, some reports were "filled with errors," according to Neil Gaiman himself. So, he took to Twitter to clarify what has and has not been written at this point:

He also confirmed that he will be co-writing the pilot, so Sandman comic fans can count on the mind that created that universe having a heavy hand in crafting the very first episode. (Casting has not begun either.) Of course, those fans will know well that the comic series that launched in 1989 doesn't exactly match the current day in age, leading to the question of how The Sandman would handle the comic setting.

According to Neil Gaiman, the solution is simple:

The Sandman TV show simply won't be set back in 1989! That should simplify things for the production team and won't necessarily require younger viewers to sign on for a show taking place three decades ago. An update to 2019+ also allows for a fresh take that could delight longtime readers, even if it would be a notable departure.

When one Twitter user stated that she "would have been very interested" in seeing The Sandman as a period drama, Neil Gaiman elaborated on why an update should work:

The Good Omens novel, published in 1990 and partially set more than a decade previous, was very much the product of a Cold War era. That did not stop Neil Gaiman and Co. from updating it for 2019 while keeping the key elements and characters of the story intact. If Good Omens can get away with an update, so can The Sandman, right?

The Sandman has been running off and on as a comic series since 1989, so the idea of Netflix telling a complete Sandman story in the span off 11 episodes feels all but impossible. Fortunately, Neil Gaiman agrees. On Twitter, Gaiman referred to the 11-episode first season as "the start of it all," covering the initial Preludes and Nocturnes collection and "a little bit more."

Neil Gaiman went even further on Tumblr. When a fan on that social media platform said that while Good Omens worked as a six-episode limited series, Sandman would take "something like fifty hours at least," Gaiman shared this promising response:

Wow! Neil Gaiman's suggestion of a Sandman series that runs for more than 50 hours is wild even by Netflix standards. The streaming giant may have looser rules than allow for more nudity and F-bombs than you'll find on broadcast network television, but most Netflix seasons run for 13 episodes at most in recent years, and few series seem to last long enough to hit 50 episodes. If The Sandman sticks with 10- or 11-episode seasons, it would need at least five.

A lot could change in the next five years. Netflix gave the axe to several of its hit comic book-based properties not too long ago, which at first seemed like a bad sign for future comic series on the streaming giant. but the orders for shows like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Umbrella Academy, and Lucifer Seasons 4 and 5 showed that Netflix was willing to invest in the right comic projects.

Interestingly, Neil Gaiman created the Lucifer character for the Sandman comics before the Tom Ellis-starring adaptation, and he even voiced God for the series back when it was still on Fox.

You can catch the first four seasons of Lucifer streaming on Netflix now, and it's likely that the fifth and final season of that series will premiere before The Sandman does. After all, none of the Sandman scripts have been written yet and casting hasn't begun. There are plenty of Netflix options now and in the coming weeks as well.

If you want to experience Neil Gaiman's magic touch streaming on TV, you can find all six episodes of Good Omens (with an awesome abundance of Queen songs) on Amazon now. In a twist that Gaiman was very much enjoying, a Christian group tried to get Good Omens cancelled... by petitioning Netflix. At least now we know that Gaiman really does have a Netflix project in the works!

The long-awaited adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens finally debuted on Amazon back in May, with Gaiman himself penning the scripts and serving as showrunner. Gaiman created the show to honor his late friend, as Pratchett requested a Good Omens TV show prior to his death. Countless viewers responded well to the new show, but some weren't too happy about the show's take on Biblical themes. The Christian campaign known as "Return to Order" began a petition for Good Omens to be cancelled... by Netflix.

Yes, the petition asked people to sign so they could tell "Netflix that we will not stand silent" about the "blasphemous" TV show. The problem? Good Omens is currently available exclusively on Amazon. As one might expect of the man who co-authored the apocalyptic comedy and then adapted it for television, Neil Gaiman is very much enjoying the petition. His social media response to the petition is proof enough that he's definitely not offended. Take a look!

Neil Gaiman's initial response to the petition comes across as amused but not too invested in the effort to get Good Omens cancelled, which makes sense. For one thing, Good Omens has never been presented as an ongoing series that will run for multiple seasons. For another, how is he supposed to take it seriously when the petitioners are trying to appeal to the wrong streaming service?

Of course, the post that Neil Gaiman reacted to already did a pretty solid job of making fun of the petitioners. The person who wrote notes on the petition defending the show is all-in on Frances McDormand voicing God, pointed out that the petition got a very key part of the plot 100% wrong, and noted the popular belief that Crowley and Aziraphale are more than just supernatural BFFs. Something tells me Gaiman's response didn't deter the group, though, as the petition stayed up.

That wasn't Neil Gaiman's only response, though, as he weighed in again only a couple hours after first becoming aware of the petition via Twitter.

The petition has since been taken down from the Return to Order website, but when Neil Gaiman saw the screenshot on June 19, there were more than 20,000 signatures from folks who want Netflix to cancel Amazon's series. For his part, Gaiman hoped that nobody would tell the petitioners that they messed up about the platform. I'm just going to go ahead and guess that most of the people who signed -- and perhaps some of those behind the petition -- didn't actually watch the show.

If anything, the petition may have guaranteed that more people check out Good Omens on Amazon. The effort gained a lot of attention after people realized there was a group targeting Netflix for an Amazon show, and it's entirely possible that some folks who may not have heard of Good Omens before (presumably having missed all the Queen-tastic trailers) decided to check it out after all the buzz. Unfortunate for Return to Order if that's the case!

Neil Gaiman restrained himself from posting more of his own tweets regarding the petition, but he wasn't done poking fun at it after just those two. In the day since he first posted about the fiasco on his Twitter, he's been retweeting comments mocking the petition, supporting the show, and just sharing thoughts on what happened.

Clearly Neil Gaiman isn't the only person amused by the petition, and one Twitter user took the joke even further and suggested punishing HBO for Netflix's failure to cancel Good Omens should be the next course of action. Considering this tweet gained upward of 1,200 likes since Gaiman retweeted it, I'd say plenty of people are with the original poster!

Another Twitter user pointed out that the petitioners may have had reason to believe their efforts were successful. Here's how he put it:

Is it a coincidence that Good Omens can't be found on Netflix following the launch of the petition?! I think not! Mostly because it was never on Netflix, but it's definitely worth imagining the reactions of any petitioners who checked Netflix and seemed to discover their success.

Some other Good Omens viewers found they could sympathize with the petition against the show, but not because it was "blasphemous." Here's how one person feels about it:

Personally, I can relate to Sarah Parcak's stance. With the series only running for six episode, I wish I could un-watch it and then experience watching it for the first time all over again. That Neil Gaiman retweeted a post that featured "More plz" could give reason to hope for more, but I'm guessing the forces of Heaven and Hell in the Good Omens universe are done on the small screen. Only time will tell, though!

Another viewer does seem to believe that Good Omens is blasphemous, but for non-Biblical reasons. Check it out:

In response to the fact that it was members of a Christian campaign that kicked off the petition, others of the Christian faith reached out to share their very different feelings about Good Omens. Not everybody considered the riffs on Bible stories to be blasphemous, but rather entertaining and substantive in other ways.

For one person, the relationships between unlikely characters were overwhelming in a good way:

A Christian pastor who identifies as "theologically conservative" weighed in as well, and Neil Gaiman was apparently so pleased with the comment that he felt it merited a retweet. It certainly was a kind and encouraging message:

If you're not one of the 20,000 who signed the Good Omens petition but also haven't watched it yet, you can find all six episodes streaming on Amazon. You can check Netflix all you want, but you definitely won't find the shenanigans of the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale as they try to avert the apocalypse!

Actors David Tennant and Michael Sheen were 'dancing together' for the show, according to Neil Gaiman, and Sheen himself shared why he sees the Crowley/Aziraphale relationship as like The Beatles. Be sure to check it out! If you share your feelings about it on Twitter, maybe Gaiman will see what you have to say!

Since the first time I laid my hands on it, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's 1990 novel Good Omens has been one of my favorite pieces of (arguable) fiction. Its imaginative characters, sweeping drive, and robust humor stood tall against the best of both authors’ works then, and it continues to do so today. Unsurprisingly, no one had to twist my arm to convince me to frolic through the entirety of Amazon’s new Good Omens limited series multiple times. And guess what?

It. Is. Ma. Gi. Cal. No, it’s not “magi, Cal.” It’s magical, with a capital Yes Please and Thank You.

I can’t properly elucidate how Good Omens might work on anyone who is unfamiliar with the novel, though I can’t imagine it’s the most undemanding plot to follow. However, for anyone who’s been waiting eons (literal or otherwise) for Good Omens to make it to live-action, the Amazon and BBC Studios co-production is a most triumphant achievement, and is a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Maybe even three hells of a lot of fun. Now let’s dig into why it’s the best.

Good Omens Was Adapted By Neil Gaiman Himself

The fantastical Terry Pratchett sadly passed away in 2015, and with his dying request to Neil Gaiman, he asked for Good Omens to get a proper small screen adaptation. Pratchett understood that there could be no one else beyond Gaiman who could dependably and obsessively whittle the apocalyptic book down into an episodic format.

After seeing Good Omens in its entirety, fans will likely agree. While bits of storytelling favoritism no doubt crept into the project, only Neil Gaiman was capable of capturing the true heart and spirit of the epic tale and he and Terry Pratchett conquered nearly 30 years ago. It feels unmistakably like a Gaiman project through and through, which I wish was the case with so many other TV shows these days.

Michael Sheen And David Tennant Are Beyond Perfect As Aziraphale And Crowley

When they’re apart, Michael Sheen and David Tennant are extremely talented, successful, award-winning actors. But when they’re together for Good Omens, there is no “Michael” or “David;” there is only the rule-supporting angel Aziraphale and the caution-evading demon Crowley, who truly feel as if they were ripped off the book pages and molded into living and breathing TV characters. High school science departments don’t have this much chemistry.

I’d love to be able to go back in time to see the mental images I had of Aziraphale and Crowley, so that I could bypass whatever those horrible ideas were and just jump straight to Michael Sheen and David Tennant, who own every moment of the characters’ unique friendship-kinship. They’ve stalked the planet for thousands of years, and yet never bothered to make any other friends beside one another, and the actors make it feel completely believable.

It’s Clear How Much Time And Money Went Into Making Good Omens

Because Good Omens takes place across different eras of history and incorporates biblical characters from differing sides of the afterlife, the risk of the project looking like a hellacious failure was potentially as high as Heaven’s gates. However, seemingly no cost was spared in bringing the end of days to life (and Death), and everything from the simplest cafe set design to the most complicated special effects looks downright glorious. You gotta love an apocalypse story that mostly takes place during sunny afternoons, too.

Beyond the snazzy costumes and the boffo set pieces, a godly spotlight needs to shine on the myriad other cast members portraying Good Omens’s quirky inhabitants. Jon Hamm brings his endless pizzazz to the role of the archangel Gabriel, and the great Frances McDormand serves as the narration-friendly voice of God. A shortlist of other familiar faces includes Better Call Saul’s Michael McKean, Blackadder vet Miranda Richardson, Eastenders’ Josie Lawrence, The Killing’s Mireille Enos, Bad Education’s Jack Whitehall, The Walking Dead vet David Morrissey and many more. Keep an ear out for Brian Cox and Benedict Cumberbatch, too.

Good Omens Still Has Fun Surprises For Longtime Fans

The creative minds that develop many of the novel and comic book adaptations out there tend to change up the material so that storylines and characters are recognizable but still refreshing for those most familiar with the source material. Given the death of the novel’s co-writer, Good Omens’ team had a sub-mission to honor the original work with as much faithfulness as possible. Thankfully, though, Neil Gaiman still peppered the show with an assortment of surprises and unexpected moments.

For one, Jon Hamm’s Gabriel became a more fully rounded character in the Amazon miniseries, reflecting how the character was meant to get expanded in Good Omens’long-rumored novel sequel. As well, an early episode does the remarkable job of showcasing Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship throughout the ages, which fully fleshes out certain elements only hinted at on the page. (The entire series could have subsisted of just those scenes, and I would have been sated.) As well, the live-action story also replaced quite a few of its real-world references to reflect the 29-year gap between the developments of the novel and the show.

For the completely uninitiated, Good Omens may very well come off looking like a wild-minded, high-falutin and overwrought tale of “good vs. evil.” Its pacing and exposition employ no learning curves in telling a story that revels in wordplay, world-building, and religious subtext. It’s as dense as TV comedy gets, but that that’s hardly a bad thing.

For me, Good Omens is like a classic Simpsons or Arrested Development episode that justifies, rewards and possibly requires multiple viewings to make sure audiences have ingested everything that the creative team packed into it. (Such as an appearance from Neil Gaiman’s own American Gods novel.) As a fan who holds the book in the upper echelon of fictional storytelling, I don’t think a single of of my expectations was dashed, and my only true complaint is that Amazon’s Good Omens doesn’t last as long as Aziraphale and Crowley’s friendship.

All six humor-filled episodes of Good Omens are currently available to stream in full on Amazon Video, so don’t waste another sinful moment doing anything but taking it all in. Keep rewatching it over and over all summer long and maybe everyone involved will figure out a way to return to that universe in the future.

Good Omens has finally premiered on Amazon, and the six-episode series delivered an adaptation of the immensely popular novel of the same name. The novel, penned by Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett, tells the story the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale as they work together to prevent the end of the world. There are plenty of other quirky characters in the mix as well, but it was really the dynamic between Crowley and Aziraphale that needed to be something truly special for Good Omens to stand out.

David Tennant and Michael Sheen were cast as Crowley and Aziraphale, respectively, and it was difficult to guess going into the show whether they had the right kind of spark together to portray two characters who spent six thousand years rubbing off on each other and becoming an oddball sort of angelic/demonic unit.

Fortunately, David Tennant and Michael Sheen nailed the dynamic from start to finish. Neil Gaiman, who wrote the scripts and ran the show on top of his role as one of the authors of the original novel, recently spoke at a press junket attended by CinemaBlend and other outlets, and he described Tennant and Sheen's dynamic from early on:

David Tennant and Michael Sheen were cast for their roles without a chemistry read that revealed how they would build their characters around each other before the table read, but Neil Gaiman explained that it was as if they began dancing together, and they didn't stop until the very end.

The read-through happened without all the TV magic of makeup and costuming and set pieces, so David Tennant and Michael Sheen must have been truly remarkable together to make such an impression as a demon and angel. Neil Gaiman wasn't the only one immediately impressed, either. (More on that lower.)

Honestly, if one half of the writing team who created the characters nearly 30 years ago is enthusiastically on board, there can be no doubt that these were the right actors for the job! Considering that Neil Gaiman has said many times that the goal of Good Omens on Amazon was to create something for his late writing partner that Terry Pratchett would have been proud of, his comments about David Tennant and Michael Sheen are high praise indeed.

Director Douglas Mackinnon, who helmed all six episodes of Good Omens, weighed in on the dance between the two lead actors, as well as what they brought to the show as their characters in their funny little relationship. Mackinnon said this:

The actors playing Crowley and Aziraphale needed to sell their separate sides of the story while still coming across as two halves of a whole. Luckily, David Tennant and Michael Sheen had a lot to work with thanks to the original Good Omens novel and the new sequences Neil Gaiman crafted for the show. Although Tennant hadn't actually read the book, Gaiman was a resource for clarifying what Crowley and Aziraphale did and why they did it.

Interestingly, one of the most entertaining new sequences for the show almost didn't happen thanks to some filming complications at one iconic London location. If not for Neil Gaiman and Douglas Mackinnon improvising, the Globe Theatre scene could have been a disaster.

That scene and many others proved Crowley and Aziraphale are the real heart of Good Omens. Not just because Good Omens delivered a distraught Crowley leaving Aziraphale's burning book shop to the tune of Queen's "Somebody To Love," and not just because Aziraphale was willing to go against every instinct and give Crowley some holy water because he was afraid Crowley would get himself killed attempting to steal it.

Thanks to the combination of Neil Gaiman's writing, David Tennant and Michael Sheen's performances, and Douglas Mackinnon's filming, Good Omens is in many ways a love story between an angel and a demon that is just open enough to interpretation that everybody should be able to enjoy it.

David Tennant and Michael Sheen also spoke at the press event about crafting the Crowley/Aziraphale dynamic:

Even the actors didn't know what they had together until the read-through! Fans can argue until the end of time about whether the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale is platonic, romantic, familial, or just undefinable (or perhaps ineffable) as an angel and a demon who bonded through a unique shared experience, but I think all viewers can probably agree that David Tennant and Michael Sheen brought something remarkable to their scenes together.

Despite the fact that I'm guessing plenty of fans would give their right arm -- or somebody's right arm, anyway -- for another batch of episodes with David Tennant and Michael Sheen as Crowley and Aziraphale, we'll probably just have to content ourselves with pitching spinoffs and imagining what came next for them after the final credits rolled. The Good Omens novel didn't have a sequel, and Neil Gaiman is looking forward to getting back to writing novels rather than crafting shows.

You can catch the six episodes of Good Omens streaming on Amazon now, and check out our summer TV premiere schedule for what you can watch in the not-too-distant future.

Spoilers ahead for Amazon's Good Omens.

The long-awaited Amazon adaptation of Good Omens has finally made its streaming debut, and the six-episode series was a wild ride through history, the apocalypse, and literal planes of existence as an angel, a demon, and a handful of humans tried to avert the apocalypse.

Based on the book of the same name by showrunner/writer Neil Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett, Good Omens stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen as the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale, respectively. The show actually fills in some blanks in the characters' histories from the book.

In fact, the whole first half of the third episode is devoted to showing some pivotal scenes of Crowley and Aziraphale's relationship through the millennia. The scenes ranged from hilarious to heartfelt to downright goofy.

As it turns out, one of those scenes wouldn't have happened at all if not for a certain twist in the production process. Good Omens director Douglas Mackinnon and writer/showrunner Neil Gaiman spoke to CinemaBlend and other press outlets at a recent junket, and they said this about one of the best scenes of the series:

The Globe Theatre is an iconic location in London thanks to being featured in various high-profile productions as well as the history books. While many projects have at least had characters visit the Globe (or a set constructed to look like the Globe), filming at the actual Globe Theatre is clearly still a very big deal.

In the third episode of Good Omens, Aziraphale and Crowley visit the Globe circa 1601. Despite modern expectations that a show like Hamlet would draw huge crowds, Good Omens revealed a reality in which folks of 17th century England didn't care for Shakespeare's tragedy. Crowley, for one, was not a fan of the "gloomy" plays and preferred Shakespeare's comedies.

As originally scripted, the scene was evidently packed with people dying to see the young Prince of Denmark, whereas the finished product had only Shakespeare, an actor playing Hamlet (and feeling unappreciated), Aziraphale, Crowley, a concessions seller, and a few random and bored theater-goers.

Packing the Globe with more than a thousand people in period costume for a 21st century production in less than five hours just wasn't going to be possible. So, we didn't get Crowley and Aziraphale blending in with the packed house at the Globe Theatre in the first week of Hamlet.

Instead, we got Hamlet as a flopped production, with pretty much only Aziraphale as a fan. If the production was allowed to continue without any supernatural interference, the Hamlet of the Good Omens universe might have been one of Shakespeare's least memorable plays.

Instead, after Aziraphale lost a coin toss that meant he had to go to Scotland to do a blessing for Heaven and a temptation for Hell to spare Crowley the trouble of riding north, Crowley agreed to perform a miracle and turn Hamlet into a hit while the angel was away. The Arrangement saved Hamlet in a very unexpected (and quite hilarious) way. Can anybody really argue that the original scripted scene in the Globe Theatre would have been better than the finished product?

Neil Gaiman went on to explain why the scene was such a success and why his late Good Omens co-author Terry Pratchett would have been pleased with the adaptation that never quite got off the ground before he passed away. Gaiman said this:

Not many shows have the advantage of the same writer and the same director handling every single episode, to the point that it feels more like an extended movie split up into sections rather than a season made of disparate parts. Neil Gaiman was clearly pleased with what Douglas Mackinnon brought to the table as director of all six episodes, and the Globe scene is an example of a potential disaster turning into something wonderful thanks to some tweaks.

It was a collaboration between the two, and it resulted in one of my favorite scenes of an episode packed with wonderful sequences developing Crowley and Aziraphale. Of course, for fans who have already watched all six episodes of the season, it may come as a surprise that the show had to stretch to stay within its budget. After all, everything from David Tennant's supply of wigs (which can be terrible on TV) to Heaven and Hell to the literal apocalypse looked great.

Douglas Mackinnon and Neil Gaiman weighed in on the challenges of putting together such an ambitious series as a Good Omens adaptation with the available resources:

Fortunately, Neil Gaiman, Douglas Mackinnon, and the rest of the Good Omens team were able to figure out ways to adapt without entirely altering the message and plot of the source material. Of course, it had to help that the co-author of the source material was literally on board as showrunner and writer, so even tweaks to scenes like the Globe sequence felt like they fit the tone and flow of the rest of the series.

Did everything go as originally planned? No. Did that make the show any worse? Definitely not. If you haven't caught Good Omens yet (or just want to rewatch), you can find all six episodes streaming on Amazon now.

With the new Muppet Babies rolling strong on Disney channel and Netflix's Dark Crystal series looking extremely promising, it's a great time to be a Jim Henson fan. It's going to continue to be too, as a recent announcement has revealed The Storyteller is coming back with a reboot, and has a very famous name running things. Science fiction legend Neil Gaiman will be in charge of the new series, and put his personal flair on an acclaimed classic.

Gaiman and Lisa Henson (who will executive produce alongside Gaiman) were somewhat cryptic on what the rebooted version of The Storyteller will entail, but the acclaimed author did tell Deadline he'd like to further explore the mythos of the Storyteller as a character. In addition to honoring The Storyteller's original format of telling a different anthology tale, Neil Gaiman hopes to expand the story by exploring the origins of The Storyteller himself.

The Storyteller will still focus on stories as well, and bring tales of obscure and popular folklore to a television audience. Neither Neil Gaiman nor Lisa Henson tipped their hand on what tales are being eyed for the reboot, but they might have some ideas given Gaiman's prior statements on where The Storyteller will start off. Both have a good eye for tales, as Jim Henson was inspired to create the series after observing Lisa's studies in folklore at university.

Neil Gaiman takes the reins of The Storyteller and will attempt to live up to the original series that was painstakingly created by men that have since passed. Besides Jim Henson, the world has lost the original Storyteller (played by John Hurt), and Anthony Minghella, who wrote the episodes. With that said, Lisa Henson confirmed she has faith Gaiman will do justice to the rebooted series, thanks in large part to his love for the series and folklore mythology in general.

The Storyteller reboot hails from The Jim Henson Company, but also Fremantle who works with Neil Gaiman on the Starz's American Gods. That, paired with the fact that the original Storyteller series is available to stream on Starz makes it feel like this is heading there, although an official home for the series has not been announced. The Storyteller franchise has continued in recent years via graphic novels, for those who can't wait for this one to hit television.

Everyone else can stick with CinemaBlend for updates on the upcoming reboot, or hop on over to Starz to watch the original series on demand. There's plenty of other things to enjoy on television at the moment as well, so be sure to keep up to date with the latest premieres and returns by visiting and bookmarking our midseason premiere guide.

Just a few weeks after Bill Gates showed up on The Big Bang Theory, the show kept the celebrity guest spot train rolling with an appearance from renowned fantasy author Neil Gaiman. And, we're here to tell you how it all went down. It turns out that the popular writer is a big fan of Stuart's comic book store, and his words to that effect led to some nice consequences for Stuart and Sheldon.

The gang is up on the roof of their apartment building for a celestial viewing party with the help of Raj's fancy telescope one night, when Stuart gets a ping on his phone. When he looks, he notices a Twitter notification that tells him Neil Gaiman has actually sent out a very nice tweet about his store, which includes telling folks that Stuart "really knows his stuff" and that they should stop buy if they're in the area and want a cool comic store to shop in. The guys all think they missed Gaiman's trip to the store, but a flashback shows that they were too busy arguing over the relative strength of comic book metals to look up and pay attention to Gaiman when he offered his opinion.

The tweet causes Stuart to immediately get more followers on social media, but the bigger impact is shown the next day, when Howard and Sheldon stop by the store and business is booming. For the first time, possibly since we started seeing the store on the show, there are actually a lot of people milling around checking out the merchandise. Stuart, of course, is ecstatic, since his store has always been on the brink of failure up to this point. But, as you can imagine, Sheldon is none too pleased to find one of his favorite spots nearly filled to the brim with folks.

Sheldon is completely shocked and horrified at all the people in the store, and tells Howard that he liked it before because it was "perfect, like a funeral home that sells Pokemon cards." When Sheldon asks Stuart how he's supposed to sit down and read a comic now, and Stuart notes that there's still room even though a woman is in the sitting area, Sheldon balks because "If I'm gonna sit, read and ignore a woman, it'll be my fiancee."

After a few days, the store is still hopping, but Sheldon has decided that he can accept change and heads there anyway. Once he's picked out a comic and goes to pay, though, we can see that's not totally true, because when Sheldon is confronted with Denise, the new assistant manager that Stuart had to hire, behind the counter, he mumbles a terrified "nope" and leaves the store without his selection.

When Sheldon goes back to the store he decides to actually talk to Denise, assuming that she won't be able to help him pick something new because she doesn't know him like Stuart does. But, she manages to nail his taste in comics just by looking at his classic Green Lantern t-shirt, and she suddenly becomes his favorite store employee. As he and Denise are talking, Neil Gaiman comes over and tries to sell Sheldon on one of his own comics, but Sheldon is unimpressed with his suggestion and blows him off.

So, Gaiman's tweet looks like it's going to lead to some big business for Stuart (at least for a while), and Sheldon also now has someone else he can talk to about comics. All in all, that's not a bad reach for Neil Gaiman's first appearance on the show.

You can keep up with all the shenanigans of The Big Bang Theory when the series airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS. For more on what you can watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our midseason premiere guide and summer premiere guide.

Arguably the headiest show on television in 2017 has been Starz's American Gods, which interweaves a timelessly relatable narrative with the booming personalities of mythological gods. Perhaps this ceaselessly unique drama's headiness isn't surprising, since its source material was created in the ceaselessly unique brain of author Neil Gaiman. Watch the brilliant storyteller discuss the historical seedlings behind the epic novel's concept in this exclusive clip from American Gods' Season 1 Blu-ray and DVD, which comes out on October 17. (It's out on Digital HD on October 6!)

In some ways, it's strange that American Gods was originally published in 2001, with all of Neil Gaiman's idealogical clashes and impending war scenarios being conceived before 9/11 came and changed the United States in a dramatic way. Of course, the story Gaiman tells is not exactly one of the real world -- although we do have suspicions that Ian McShane actually could be Odin -- and its metaphors go far beyond modern conflicts and sensibilities. If the gods of elder civilizations were brought into present-day existence, it probably wouldn't be as cool as either Gaiman's original tale, or the touched-up version that Bryan Fuller and Michael Green crafted for Starz.

Something that does seem fitting is that Neil Gaiman first broke American Gods' central story open to others via email, as opposed to a written letter or a phone call or in-person meeting. We're pretty sure Technical Boy wouldn't have allowed it to happen any other way. It was also a nice (if maybe unintentional) touch for him to say that part when the visuals are showing physical writing taking place.

Plus, don't you just love a lovingly crafted behind-the-scenes feature like this? I mean, one should expect nothing less when it comes to Neil Gaiman, whose imagination is considered royalty in the world of fiction. One could not and should not be made to watch the author in a talking-head interview interspersed with low-grade B-roll goofs from the set. I'm sure it's happened, but let's celebrate a Blu-ray features taking a moment to focus on a quill pen slowly being dipped in ink, and Neil Gaiman looking at a model ship.

Even though there are lots of TV shows that are based on books, American Gods is on another level than most, because of all the complexities, specificities and fantastical elements involved. (Easily in the same conversation as Game of Thrones, but Gods is still far more nuanced in the curiosities department.) And Neil Gaiman has been a big part of partially reinterpreting some of the story to give Bryan Fuller and Michael Green a pathway to extending the tale into future seasons. How many other novel-based TV shows can seamlessly insert a novel-centric scene like this into an episode?

Anyone who watched American Gods during its initial run on Starz is likely anxious to get into some binge-rewatching, as expanded upon by the extra information that home entertainment releases offer. Season 1 hits Digital HD on Friday, October 6, and it'll be out on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, October 17. There are lots of equally classy extras on this set, too, with the premiere getting two different commentary tracks, one from the creators and director David Slade, and one from Ian McShane and Ricky Whittle; the finale also boasts a cast-heavy commentary. As well, there are two docu-features -- "The Road to American Gods" and "The God Squad Video," -- and a half-dozen different featurettes that showcase all the New Gods and Old Gods and more, topped off with a fun "Book vs. Show" extra.

To see what other shows are coming to Starz and beyond, head to our fall TV premiere schedule.

As fans of author Neil Gaiman know, it's almost impossible to fit his many works into specific genres, with most falling under the catch-all of "Imaginative fiction." Though it has been done, successful adaptations of his stories are exceedingly hard to pull off, and Starz was looking danger right in the eye when the network ordered up American Gods to series. Thankfully, and perhaps a little miraculously, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green's incredibly gorgeous American Gods is a profound and magical experience that is unlike anything else in TV history. This is storytelling at its most affecting.

There are many avenues by which to enter American Gods, and the series itself kicks off with a prologue of sorts, explaining the hidden history and mythology of pre-America as if Zack Snyder were directing an episode of Vikings. (Which I mean in the best possible way, sincerely.) Skip forward to the present, where viewers are introduced to the exquisitely named protagonist Shadow Moon, as played by The 100 vet Ricky Whittle, whose brood-heavy performance is fitting here. Days before his planned release from prison, Shadow gets out early over the tragic death of his wife Laura (Emily Browning). The fact that she died alongside her lover, who also happened to be her husband's best friend, certainly doesn't help Shadow properly deal with his readjustments back to outside life.

Not that Shadow's outside life can possibly resemble the one he knew before heading to jail. Everything changes with he meets Ian McShane's shrewd manipulator whose ad-libbed name, Mr. Wednesday, is merely a cover for his true identity as the Old God of knowledge, Odin. A being whose beguiling approach is often balanced by his archaic social etiquette, Mr. Wednesday has a daunting mission ahead of him that aims to bring a resurgence of attention back to his fellow Old Gods by waging a ware against the New Gods. To do this, he enlists Shadow as his bodyguard and driver to take him around the country in an attempt to round up as many of the powerful beings as he can.

In Mr. Wednesday's corner, at least somewhat, we have the chain-smoking god of darkness Czernobog, played with world-weary disdain by a filth-ridden Peter Stormare. There are the once-respected Zorya Sisters: the outspoken cosmos-watching guide Zorya Vechernyaya, played by Cloris Leachman; the quieter seeker of doom Zorya Utrennyaya, played by Martha Kelly; and the youngest and possibly least prophetic sister Zorya Polunochnaya, played by Erika Kaar. Orange is the New Black's Pablo Schreiber is excellent as the seemingly invincible drunkard Mad Sweeney, who always gets the short end of the stick. We're also introduced to the storytelling trickster god Mr. Nancy (or Anansi), brought to life with devilish glee by Orlando Jones. Not last and not least, we have Bilquis, the goddess of love who wishes to once again become a target of worship in others, and she has a particularly wicked way of making that happen.

Team New Gods is led by Crispin Glover's all-knowing and egotistical Mr. World, at least to the point where all of these cocky bastards can be led by someone. Perhaps the most interesting in the pack is Gillian Anderson's persuasion-minded goddess Media, who is able to take on different and interesting forms in order to sway people, and her introduction will be a hoot for fans of golden age television. Technical Boy, played with nerve-crushing aplomb by Bruce Langley, works as a stand-in for the Internet's most petulant side, and his bitchy need for attention and power doesn't make him an easily conquerable adversary.

All of those characters, and we barely touched upon Emily Browning's Laura, who doesn't get to enter the spotlight for a few episodes. But when she does, Browning gives an all-too-realistic portrayal of a woman unable to attain happiness through mediocrity. And then there's Chris Obi's haunting god of the dead Anubis, Mousa Kraish's fire-eyed Jinn, Omid Abtahi's discontented immigrant Salim, Demore Barnes' story keeper Mr. Ibis, and somehow many more surprises. What's more, because Bryan Fuller likes to appeal to as many of his fans' senses as possible, the sound design team used just about everything under the sun to craft a slew of different sound cues and themes for many of the aforementioned characters. It adds a nice layer of distinction, even if one isn't immediately aware of why it's happening.

Given its abundance of fantastical elements and dense population of characters, American Gods required a mountainous effort to bring its expansive narrative to episodic form. Which is where the superstar creative team of Bryan Fuller and Michael Green come into it, along with the plethora of talented artists putting their all into everything we're seeing and hearing. Fuller is famous for whimsical series with superior storytelling and memorable characters, such as Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls and Hannibal, and American Gods works as a spectacular amalgam of everything he's worked on in the past. Meanwhile, Michael Green's career flourished on shows such as Smallville and Heroes -- where he and Fuller met -- before partly branching out to fanbase-friendly features like Green Lantern and Logan, as well as Alien: Covenant. He's clearly familiar with putting complex mythologies into script form.

In less capable hands, American Gods could have been a complete mess, and it might still have been had it gotten made even a decade ago. Like Hannibal, American Gods is rife with symbolism, with its central war of natives vs. new arrivals only vaguely masking the actual history of this great nation of ours, and as any recent headline with the word "immigrant" lets us know, that war hasn't ended on an idealogical level. And considering how tethered we are to the Internet and TV, antagonists like Technical Boy and Media only get more relevant with each passing year.

But even beyond the themes and subtext, the utter magnificence of American Gods' constantly changing visual aesthetic needed the most powerful technology possible, requiring its now-ness. With the help of talented directors like David Slade, Craig Zobel, Vincenzo Natali and more, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green exceed expectations in making Neil Gaiman's novel an eye-popping (sur)reality. From trippy dream sequences to brutal and bloody fights to otherworldly creatures to comedian Dane Cook's presence as the aforementioned best friend Robbie, American Gods never fails to deliver something to watch, something to marvel at, something to find meaning in. And for fans of the novel wondering if Bilquis' infamous manner of "feeding" on her worshippers is intact, it certainly is, and it's super fucking weird.

On that note, I'll make a brief but probably necessary concession that American Gods is going to be too weird for some people. And considering its high-impact serialization doesn't reach out to hold confused viewers' hands, even the ones who desperately want to understand, there are definitely going to be some who can't keep up or plain don't care to. The unencumbered nudity and bloodshed will piss off the usual suspects, and it definitely won't sit well with anyone who wants TV to evolve .

As a huge fan of just about everything Neil Gaiman and Bryan Fuller have been a part of, I was basically tailor-made to love Starz's American Gods with every stitch of my Made in the U.S.A. skin. However, I've had pre-presumed love for plenty of TV shows and movies that failed to measure up to any form of scrutiny. No god of guarantees exists that could have ascertained American Gods' greatness, so it came down to the work of a lot of dedicated men and women from all different backgrounds to amaze us. (America!) And by the light of Ian McShane's hair, American Gods not only takes Starz to new heights with its original programming, but it sets a new bar for what television is capable of providing. Neil Gaiman hopefully couldn't be more proud.

American Gods makes its mind-altering debut on Starz on Sunday, April 30, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see when everything else is heading to the small screen in the near future, head to our midseason TV schedule and our summer premiere guide.

Because every popular comic, superhero or not, is fodder for a big screen adaptation these days, Neil Gaiman’s cult favorite, Sandman, has been in the conversation for years. Recently the project appeared to take a step forward, hiring a writer to pen the script, but almost as quickly it took a huge leap backwards, as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who had long been attached to star and direct, exited the project. Gaiman took to social media to share his feelings on the matter, and made his stance and his loyalties abundantly clear.

This Twitter post certainly makes it seem like Neil Gaiman isn’t all that broken up about a Sandman movie not happening at the moment. And as excited as some fans were to see the beloved comic on the big screen, there were likely just as many, if not more, who took a deep breath now that the notoriously "unfilmable" project has been taken back to the drawing board.

The chief reason why Joseph Gordon-Levitt abandoned ship was because Sandman recently moved homes from Warner Bros. to their subsidiary New Line. As he was also in line to direct and produce, he was unhappy with the creative direction that the project was moving, and stated that he and the studio no longer saw eye to eye on what makes Sandman special and how to proceed.

For his part, Neil Gaiman also reiterated that he has little to no creative control over what DC and it’s imprint Vertigo, which published Sandman, does with the comics. That includes writing, casting, and all the rest. Watching other people go in and muck with something you created must be a surreal and difficult thing for a writer to experience.

And despite the fact that Joseph Gordon-Levitt left Sandman without a star, director, or producer, Neil Gaiman has nothing be love for the 35-year-old multi-hyphenate.

The writer even hopes that he has the chance to work with Joseph Gordon-Levitt sometime in the future.

Despite the fact that we won’t see them work together on Sandman, we still have plenty to look forward to from Neil Gaiman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt separately. Bryan Fuller’s adaptation of Gaiman’s novel American Gods is still rolling right along at Starz, and we’ll see Gordon-Levitt later this year as he plays the lead in Oliver Stone’s Edward Snowden pic Snowden.

While there exists little doubt that we are living in the golden age of superhero films, sometimes great ones simply don’t get made. For every legendary Iron Man or The Dark Knight, there is a Superman Lives that never came to fruition – for better or for worse. One such superhero movie that never made it to the silver screen was a version of Doctor Strange created by legendary writer Neil Gaiman and visionary director Guillermo del Toro.

According to Slash Film, Gaiman recently took to Twitter to talk about this early version of Doctor Strange, and the reason the film ultimately never went into production:

So it looks like before Marvel began production on their current iteration of the Sorcerer Supreme with actor Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaiman and del Toro had pitched the idea to the studio. Gaiman expresses particular interest in writing the role of Clea, who in the comics is a fellow sorcerer and love interest to Stephen Strange.

Rumors about this project have persisted for quite some time, but this is the first indication that Marvel Studios definitively passed on the project. Given the pedigree for both Neil Gaiman and Guillermo del Toro to create projects that delve deeply into the world of the mystical and the absurd, we can only imagine that the project would have been the stuff of legends.

This is not the first time that del Toro has run into trouble while trying to get a superhero comic book adaptation off the ground. Just a few months ago the director opened up regarding his experience with the Justice League Dark movie that has found itself in perpetual development hell. Despite spending years in development, when Warner Bros. finally came around to liking the script and the central idea behind the film, they wanted production to coincide with the production of Pacific Rim 2. In the end, del Toro opted to continue work on his kaiju sequel rather than persist with Justice League Dark – to the chagrin of comic book fans all over the world. Despite the fact that the genre seems right up his alley, the closest del Toro has gotten to a mainstream superhero film is the often underrated Hellboy franchise.

We cannot exactly say we are disappointed. What little we have seen of Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange looks promising, but at the end of the day we will always wonder what the film would have looked like if Gaiman and del Toro had gotten their way. Doctor Strange is expected to come to theaters on November 4, 2016.

While comic book fans wait with bated breath to see if Joseph Gordon-Levitt will ever get his Sandman adaptation off of the ground, another one of Neil Gaiman’s most popular works is definitely moving forward. The amazing premium cable network Starz has given the greenlight to a small screen take on American Gods from Hannibal’s Bryan Fuller and Green Lantern scribe Michael Green. I’m about to become the New God of Squee.

While the details about the series are pretty scarce – we don’t know how many episodes there are or if they’re treating it as a limited series or a multi-season show – there’s a soundly optimistic factoid in the announcement: the beginning of the production is based mostly on the producers casting the lead role of Shadow Moon. Considering how insanely well-cast all of Fuller’s other projects have been over the years, I can’t imagine they’ll find anyone less than amazing to take the part. But it would be nice if they could have already had a handful of people in mind so that this process could be sped up. To help things along, the hashtag “#CastingShadow” is being used.

In American Gods, Shadow Moon is an ex-con who gets out of jail soon after a family tragedy. He gets hired as a bodyguard by a strange man named Mr. Wednesday, who is the modern version of Odin, one of the old gods that also includes Anansi, Thoth, Anubis and more. Wednesday is on a quest to bring all of the old gods together for an epic confrontation with the new gods, including TV, the Internet, credit cards, etc. Shit gets real.

Fuller and Green will serve as showrunners for the series, and they’ll be writing the scripts. I’d be excited to see this story come to life in anyone’s hands –and was jazzed when Tom Hanks wanted to produce it for HBO some years back – but to have Fuller involved is like a visionary dream come true, especially when thinking about some of the more imaginatively visual aspects of the novel. Neil Gaiman doesn’t know how to write boring scenarios.

Speaking of the author, who won a ton of awards for American Gods, here’s how he reacted to the news.

It’s so interesting that he brings up casting Laura, who is Shadow’s wife in the novel. Her lack of presence is actually what plays more into Shadow’s life. I wonder if she’ll have a bigger part to play here, or if they have to find just the right actress for THAT scene.

With American Gods and Ash vs. Evil Dead coming in the future, Starz just bounded past almost every other network on its way to becoming the most exciting channel on TV.

Apparently Sandman just can’t catch a break. The movie that has been in development hell for years still hasn’t made it out. Now, the one character from that world who is making it off the comic page, Lucifer, is dealing with a petition to keep him off of Fox. Neil Gaiman’s response? Good luck with that.

Gaiman posted a story to his Tumblr this week about a petition set up by the organization One Million Moms attempting to prevent the release of the upcoming Fox show Lucifer this fall. Here's his response to it.

Good stuff, right? And if you remember, Gaiman did not write such a letter, and due to the ensuing protest, Sandman was never published. Oh, wait, that’s not what happened at all. It’s one of the most popular comics of all time and won enough Eisner Awards to fill several bookcases.

The current issue for the AFA is that the upcoming show Lucifer, which is based on a character from the Sandman comics, depicts the lord of Hell in too positive a light. He’s a nightclub owner in Los Angeles who ends up working with an LAPD detective to solve crimes (because of course he does). To be fair, an image like this looks like show is a bit more Castle and a bit less Dante's Inferno.

Much like the original Sandman controversy, this appears to be an issue of perception more than anything. The CMA didn’t like the idea that Wanda, a trans woman, was in the original comics. At this point, we have little information on who the character of Lucifer Morningstar really is. All that we have to base our opinion of Lucifer on is a three minute trailer which has obviously pulled all its footage from the pilot. While it’s safe to say the lead character falls into the anti-hero category, we don’t really know how he'll be depicted. There have been plenty of lead characters in TV and movies who have been downright evil, and it appears that if that were the case here, none of the Million Moms would have an issue.

It’s unlikely anything will come of the petition. These days, dealing with issues like this is the cost of doing business. Although if the show gets cancelled early, expect the AFA to take credit. We’ll deal with a much more important issue with Lucifer - whether or not the show is any good - this fall.

Neil Gaiman's Sandman was first published by Vertigo back in 1989 and apparently he's spent the years since imagining who would be the right actor to play his lead character, Morpheus, in a film adaptation. Some names have come and gone, and some are no longer available, but he does now have one particular actor in mind for the version that is currently in development: Tom Hiddleston.

Gaiman recently revealed his thoughts about the Thor star to Radio Times, speaking about the Sandman film that is currently in development at Warner Bros. with Man of Steel screenwriter David S. Goyer and Joseph Gordon-Levitt attached to produce. But while Hiddleston was the name that he ultimately highlighted as a choice pick, it was only after noting another big star who could have been perfect. The famed author noted that he has had many thoughts on the subject over the years, and even at one point thought that Johnny Depp would have been a good fit (though he's "too old" now, and "it's fine"). More recently, though, he was struck with a bit of inspiration while watching Sherlock, and determined that Benedict Cumberbatch would make a great big screen version of the comic book character. Said Gaiman,

Of course, comic book fans will note that Benedict Cumberbatch recently signed on to play Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that role will likely keep him away from doing Sandman. It was at this point in the conversation that Neil Gaiman threw out the name of another Marvel star (albeit a non-hero one) and noted that he isn't overly concerned about the casting of Morpheus. Said the author,

For those unfamiliar with the source material, Sandman tells the story of Morpheus, who is the personification of dreams. An occult ritual leaves him imprisoned for 70 years, and by the time he escapes he discovers that the empire that he has built has been destroyed. With his freedom, he plots to take revenge on those who locked him away and rebuild what he has lost. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is reportedly attached to direct the film as his follow-up to his 2013 debut Don Jon, though the status of the project is currently unknown, as Warner Bros. has not yet announced a release date.

Do you think Tom Hiddleston would be a good choice to play Morpheus in a Sandman movie, or is there another actor who would be better suited for the part? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.