‘Sandman’ SDCC Trailer & New Death Clip – Everything We Saw
A little more than a week before the series premieres on Netflix, we got a final ‘Sandman’ trailer at SDCC and a new look at Death.
Fans of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series have been waiting for many years to see the Endless come to life on screen. And just because we’re only a week or so away from the premiere doesn’t mean we’re not thirsty for more sneak peeks. And Netflix did plenty to provide at San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend. We got a brand new trailer packed with details from the comic book. After watching it repeatedly for a few days and cracking the spines on our old trade paperbacks, we’re ready to pick out our favorite moments.
But First, Death Comes Calling
In this scene, Death and Dream have met up at a park to have a little chat after his imprisonment and quest to retrieve his talismans. Death is giving him a good big-sisterly chiding when she asks Dream to accompany her as she ushers people to “the sunless lands”. The first man, named Harry, is a little modernized from his portrayal in the comic – but he still says the Shema, a prayer believed to be the last thing a Jew should say before they die.
Oftentimes, it feels like the final trailer and clips before a release is full of retooled moments from previous trailers. Not so with Sandman, which premiered with several new shots that are easily recognizable to fans of the source material, even if some conceptual adjustments had to occur to get it into the screen.
The Threshold of Desire & the Three Sisters
The trailer gives us two very opulent shots of Desire and their home, called The Threshold. Mason Alexander Park can be seen in a vividly red room, draped across equally red furniture. I don’t think I have to explain to anyone why they were cast as desire. I mean –
Courtesy of Netflix
The Threshold in the comics and the show, courtesy of DC Comics & Netflix
One (or three) of the most frightening and influential characters in the Sandman universe are the Three Sisters – the Mother, the Maiden, and the Crone. When he’s freed, Morpheus consults them in order to find his three items of power. This very brief flash of their entrance is a panel pulled right from the comic. It will be really exciting to see them in their three changing forms.
The Triple Goddess in the comics and in the show, courtesy of DC Comics and Netflix
Fan Favorite Appearances
This trailer featured quite a few snippets of some fan-favorite characters from the comics. Of course, the unfortunate brother Cain (of Biblical lore, played by Sanjeev Bhaskar) gets a rare moment of reprieve when he snuggles up to Gregory, his pet gargoyle. Get ready to have your heartstrings tugged, people.
Courtesy of Netflix
While we’ve seen a peek at Gilbert, who’s one of Rose Tyler’s unforgettable cast of roommates, we haven’t quite seen the others yet. But this time around, we see Hal in all her glory. Played by Hedwig and the Angry Inch creator and star John Cameron Mitchell and giving us old Hollywood glamor, we can’t help but wonder if this is Hal taking his own journey into the Dreaming.
Courtesy of Netflix
And of course, Lucienne (Vivienne Acheampong) makes several appearances in the new and previous trailers. Her ability to keep the ever-aloof Dream connected to the function of the Dreaming. And here alongside her is our first look at good ol’ Merv Pumpkinhead, who will be voiced by the legend himself, Mark Hamill.
Courtesy of Netflix
John Dee, the Corinthian, & Lucifer
The first volume, and therefore the first season of Sandman will feature villains of various sorts, some monstrous and terrifying, and some who are sad and twisted. John Dee is one such villain, and we get a few more glimpses of David Thewlis in the role. Unlike some characters who look uncannily like their comic book counterparts, Thewlis is much more put together than the comic book version of John Dee.
We also get another clearer look at the Corinthian, played by Boyd Holbrook, who looks to be absolutely terrifying. It’s hard to tell exactly just how much of the “Cereal Convention” we’ll get to look at. But Sandman isn’t shying away from John Dee in the diner, so I don’t expect they’ll leave out a murderers’ convention.
Courtesy of Netflix
And of course, it was our pain and pleasure to behold the Morningstar. Gwendoline Christie gives young David Bowie androgyny realness as Lucifer, Lord of Hell. We also get several looks at Hell itself, including the gates made from bodies and souls.
We can see some of the outlines of bodies through this silhouette of Dream entering the realm. Personally, when I first heard the comic book was coming to life, I was very excited to see the landscape of Hell in live action. The animated versions are beautiful and gory and twisted, and they’re so detailed. I’m eager to see if the live-action images carry the same gravitas as the illustrations.
And So Much More
You could spend an – Endless – amount of time picking through this trailer for details to be compared to the book. It’s truly a joy to see all these peeks of a story that’s been so influential in my life. Vanity Fair had the master of ceremonies himself Neil Gaiman do his own breakdown of the trailer. I was very impressed to learn that Patton Oswald actually wore a raven suit for this filming. It’s amazing what they can do with SFX makeup these days!
‘Sandman’ comes to Netflix on August 5th.
