Neil Gaiman and Joseph Gordon Levitt Collaborate on Sandman Film

Rumors about the upcoming “Sandman” film have been abound throughout 2014. Fans of the DC Comics series are finally starting to get some answers. During a recent conversation with Moviefone, Hollywood star and filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt confirmed that he is collaborating with the mysterious “Sandman” author, Neil Gaiman on a script for the film adaptation. It doesn’t sound like fans will be enjoying cinematic portrayals of Dream and Death in theaters anytime soon, since Gordon-Levitt describes that there is currently no script for the film. However, this is the first time Gaiman has officially worked with anyone on a film adaptation of the immense “Sandman” chronicles.

Shrouded in Mystery

There’s little to be known for sure about the film, much like its central protagonist. On IMDB, “The Sandman” is currently listed as “In Development,” demonstrating that details of this project remain in flux. However, Gordon-Levitt’s name continually appears as a point of contact for this project, and it sounds like he’ll be taking a major role in its creation. He has been known to step outside his acting capacities to direct tv episodes and films. Whether Gordon-Levitt will be participating as a director or an actor in “The Sandman” is continually up for debate. However, he has given us some details about the creative team behind the script collaboration.

Very little of Neil Gaiman’s input has been revealed so far, however the additional scriptwriting support sound extremely promising. “It’s a lot of the same people who worked on the Nolan ‘Batman’ movies,” explained Gordon-Levitt during the Moviefone interview. This seems appropriate, considering the gritty, violent, and haunting tones of the Dark Knight features. Screenwriter David Goyer was also mentioned during the conversation, and he has been linked with a number of comic and horror scripts, including the upcoming Constantine tv series, Batman Begins, Man of Steel, and DevilDolls.

Extensive “Sandman” Lore

It is extremely unlikely that the upcoming “Sandman” film will incorporate all of the characters, especially since Gaiman’s comics was released over the span of seven years with 75 issues. It is likely that the film will highlight key storylines and characters. Gordon-Levitt describes what a struggle it is, working with such an extensive world. “It’s such a complicated adaptation because ‘Sandman’ wasn’t written as novels … there’s a reason people have been trying and failing to adapt ‘Sandman’ for the past 20 years.” However, it seems like Gordon-Levitt’s team combined with the creative input of Neil Gaiman might be the winning combination. In addition to the main comic book lore, there have been multiple spin off series focusing on Dream’s other omniscient siblings, such as the infamous Death.

If you haven’t checked out “The Sandman” comics, then now is your chance to catch up on this goth culture staple before the film details are announced. It is exciting to imagine how Gaiman and Gordon-Levitt will capture occult adventures, multi-dimensional travel, and dangerous magic use on screen within a single feature film. However, it is likely that this is the closest a project will get to authenticity, especially if Gaiman continues to take an active role in the production.