Ever since it made its premiere on Netflix last August, people can't help but talk about The Sandman. One of the things that people can't help but ask is if there will be a The Sandman Season 2.
Since Netflix has a history of cancelling shows after just one season (example: First Kill), many fear that The Sandman will follow a similar fate. And ever since the last episode aired, there have been conflicting reports regarding The Sandman Season 2. So, which is it?
This is what we know about The Sandman Season 2 renewal status as of this writing:
Is The Sandman Season 2 Confirmed?
The first season of The Sandman had a cliffhanger ending. This led many to speculate whether there will be a succeeding season of The Sandman.
And fortunately for fans, Neil Gaiman, the original creator of the graphic novel has been pretty vocal on his Twitter account. The author has been responding to fan queries regarding the fate of the show. So far, these are the answers he has given:
On September 18th, Gaiman shared a link to The Sandman's VFX Supervisor, Ian Markiewicz interview with Screen Rant where they discussed plans for the second season. Markiewicz said in the interview:
"We have a really wonderful framework for what we think season 2 looks like. Allan is still touching up scripts and reworking things, but we have an arc. Up until pretty recently, I think maybe even two weeks or so, Gary, our production designer, myself, and Allan meet over lunch, and we will do a script over that meeting. It's like, 'Okay, let's look at 201,' and we'll do our breakdowns together, where we do page turns on 201, and we say, 'Okay, what do we think? Where can we film this? Can we film this in a real space? If not, what do we need to build, if we need to build it? Are we building this as a physical set, or can it be a building as a virtual set or a combination thereof? Is it physical to a certain extent, and then digital beyond that?' Just trying to break each one down to be like, 'What's the most value for this, what's the most sensible way that covers the need for what we need it to be?' That process is happening now, which is great, and it's really fun and exciting to be able to sort of have season 1 and behind us to know what we feel worked there, things that we wanted to sort of finesse further, and how that impacts our approach for season 2."
Many fans responded to this tweet and thought that Gaiman hinted that the second season is already in place. The author, however, responded to the tweets and clarified that they "don't have a Season 2. But the scripts have been written and the VFX department has been working on it.'
There was also another tweet that said Netflix was cancelling the show. Gaiman responded to this tweet: "Netflix are still crunching the numbers and the algorithms. When there's a decision one way or the other everyone will know."
Gaiman also shared that he is keeping his fingers crossed that The Sandman Season 2 happens.
As of this writing, Netflix has not yet confirmed if there will be a The Sandman Season 2. But if ever Netflix decides to pull the plug on the show, Gaiman has other plans for The Sandman. One Twitter user asked Gaiman whether he can bring the show to other platforms "like Prime, Apple tv, Disney + or HBO Max." Gaiman answered, "Yes."
Gaiman also clarified his previous tweets on September 18th and tweeted this: "We aren’t NOT getting a second season yet. Everyone seems to be jumping the gun on each side. Our numbers were great. @Netflix is examining every number and algorithm to decide if they can make more. As soon as they come to a conclusion we will know."
This keeps us confident that the show will continue, one way or another.
RELATED: Netflix's The Sandman: High Performance Is Not An Assurance For Renewal Says Neil Gaiman
When Will The Sandman Season 2 Release Date Be?
When Netflix worked on the first season of The Sandman, it took them nearly two years to produce. It's possible that the global pandemic played a role in slowing down the shoot, especially since filming started in October 2020. But if there won't be any delays, it's possible that The Sandman Season 2 will not take as long to produce.
The only lengthy part of making the season is post-production, which ensures the visual effects look perfect. If this is the case, it's possible that The Sandman Season 2 could get released by spring/summer 2024. Of course, this will only happen once Netflix confirms The Sandman Season 2 has been renewed.
What Will The Sandman Season 2 Story Be About?
The Sandman first season had a cliffhanger ending that will likely pave the way for the graphic novel's fourth and fifth volumes entitled Season of Mists and A Game of You. It's possible that The Sandman Season 2 will be based on those volumes.
In an interview with Radio Times, Gaiman confirmed this.
"Our plans for the second season is the second two graphic novels, which technically, in this case, will be books four and five, with some bits of the short stories in book three scattered among some other stuff."
If this is the case, we could see Dream (played by Tom Sturridge) return to Hell where Lucifer Morningstar (played by Gwendoline Christie) is waiting for him. His return brings about chaos as Lucifer starts a new life on Earth with her demons in tow.
The other story that could be highlighted in the second season involves a supporting character we encountered in the first season, Barbie (played by Lily Travers).
Again, these are unconfirmed since The Sandman Season 2 has not yet been renewed.
Who Will Be In The Sandman Season 2?
The Sandman universe is comprised of numerous characters throughout its collection. But if there's one thing we can expect from Gaiman, it would be that the vast majority of the cast will be back to reprise their roles if the second season has been greenlit.
This means we can expect to see the following return in The Sandman Season 2:
- Tom Sturridge (as Dream/Morpheus)
- Boyd Holbrook (as The Corinthian)
- Vivienne Acheampong (as Lucienne)
- Patton Oswalt (as the voice of Matthew the Raven)
- Jenna Coleman (as Johanna Constantine)
- Gwendoline Christie (as Lucifer Morningstar)
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste (as Death)
- Mason Alexander Park (as Desire)
- Donna Preston (as Despair)
- Kyo Ra (as Rose Walker)
- Eddie Karanja (as Jed Walker)
- John Cameron Mitchell (as Hal Carter)
- Stephen Fry (as Gilbert)
- Razane Jammal (as Lyta Hall)
- Sandra James Young (as Unity Kinkaid)
- Sanjeev Bhaskar (as Cain)
- Asim Chaudhry (as Abel)
- Lily Travers (as Barbie)
- Richard Fleeshman (as Ken)
- David Thewlis (as Doctor Destiny/John Burgess/Johnny Dee)
- Mark Hamill (as the voice of Mervyn Pumpkinhead)
- Lenny Henry (as the voice of Martin Tenbones)
- Roger Allam (as the voice of Lord Azazel)
Of course, there's also a slew of new characters we'll get to meet in the second season. In the same interview, Gaiman said: "Part of the fun of Sandman is, if we get to season 2, you're going to meet a whole lot more people. And by the way, in season 2, you're also going to re-encounter pretty much everybody that you knew and loved in season 1."
Is There a The Sandman Season 2 Trailer Out Now?
As of this writing, there is no trailer yet for The Sandman Season 2. We'll continue to monitor the developments of the show and update this post when necessary.
In the meantime, here's a look back on everyone's favorite scene from The Sandman Season 1: The Oldest Game between Dream and Lucifer:
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