Neil Gaiman may have made a speech at the picket lines to outline his support and solidarity with the ongoing writers’ strike, but that hasn’t prevented The Sandman from kicking off production on its second season.
Due to the circumstances, there won’t be any writers present on set so the scripts will be getting filmed exactly as they are on the printed page, but knowing that cameras are rolling will be more than enough to satiate the fandom. After all, Netflix took its sweet time to officially confirm a renewal, leaving many to panic over whether or not it would end up as the streamer’s latest one-and-done fantasy favorite.
Thankfully, though, The Sandman didn’t have to go full Warrior Nun – which did end up working out pretty well in the end, to be fair – and there might even be an entire universe on the cards after DC agreed to sell off Dead Boy Detectives, leading Gaiman to hint there may just be the tiniest sliver of franchise potential on Netflix.
With principal photography only just getting underway, it’ll be a long time before The Sandman makes its way back to our screens considering the extensive post-production and effects work required to bring its many vivid worlds to life, so the summer of 2024 might be the most reasonable expectation to have.
That being said, the fact it’s coming back at all is more than enough given Netflix’s habit of axing episodic originals that cultivate a sizeable and dedicated set of supporters, so a lenghty wait is vastly superior to getting nothing at all.