Why will Dream have a new look in Netflix’s “The Sandman” adaptation? Tom Sturridge explains. The first Neil Gaiman comic book series, which was released by DC Comics, is the stuff of ethereal goth mythology. The series, which aired from 1989 to 1996, centers on Morpheus (also known as Sandman and Dream), who breaks free from a long-term prison sentence and makes amends and rebuild his kingdom. Warner Bros. had a movie adaptation planned for the 1990s, but it was never made. The series was ultimately chosen for a Netflix television adaptation in June 2019 and is scheduled to debut on August 5 after more than a decade in development hell.
With wild raven hair, dark starry eyes, gaunt features, and paper white skin, Morpheus stands out in the comics’ modern environment and immediately identifies himself as a supernatural figure. The cast of “The Sandman“ series, which features English actor Sturridge in the title role, was largely revealed in January 2021. Dream requires Sturridge to portray an intricate and delicate blend of ethereal power and human weaknesses; therefore, the position is not easy. Meanwhile, early pictures of Netflix’s “The Sandman” showed the legendary character in a more restrained outfit.
Gaiman himself played a significant role in the decision to change Dream’s appearance for the program, according to Sturridge in a recent interview with Fandom. Check out what he said below:
As an enormous fan, the first thing I wanted to do was completely, literally recreate the Morpheus that’s on the page. And we did that, we did loads of camera tests, we painted my skin as white as an A4 piece of paper, I had black contacts with stars in them, I had huge, wild hair, and it was amazing. It really did look exactly like the Sandman we know, but what Neil said, which was so important, was that if Morpheus walks amongst the world, walks down the streets of New York, no one should bat an eyelid. He should have a presence, but no one should think that this endless being is amongst them. And if I walked down the corridor of Shepperton Studios dressed as I was then, people would be like ‘Woah! Dude, where are you going?’ So it just didn’t work, and I know that one of the things that fans will question is some of the changes in the way he looks. And that really all came from Neil and his advice. And we slowly whittled it down to ‘wait a second, Tom, you’re sickly pale anyway, and your hair is always a mess, and when I look at your eyes I can see the cosmos.’ So, we were fine.
It’s fascinating to hear Sturridge talk about perfectly duplicating the iconic Morpheus appearance and how the developers ultimately chose to take a different route. However, Gaiman’s justification for the choice is essential to the character’s main struggle. Morpheus is one of The Endless, yet his humanity and activity in the contemporary world are what propels him forward. The tale will be even more rewarding if the character is portrayed in a more humanoid way, and Sturridge’s revelation that he is a huge comic book fan will undoubtedly strengthen his commitment to portraying the role accurately.
The actor’s remarks ought to calm viewers who had doubts about the show’s fidelity to its enormously popular source material after seeing preview images. Since shoddy comic book-to-movie adaptations are nothing new to contemporary viewers, it always hurts when a highly anticipated adaptation doesn’t work in a unique setting. The program is in good hands now that Gaiman has joined the team and taken the lead in the production. Setting the bar even higher for Netflix’s “The Sandman,” the adjustments to “Sandman’s” appearance were made to maintain the narrative as comic-accurate and realistic as possible.