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Neil Gaiman Explains Why The Sandman Season 2 Renewal Is Taking So Long
Despite its immense popularity, Neil Gaiman explains why Netflix hasn't given The Sandman a season 2 renewal yet. The comic book genre has exploded on the small screen in the last couple of years, and 2022 marked the long-awaited arrival of The Sandman, one of DC Comics' most critically acclaimed series. Originally developed as a live-action movie, the project got retooled as a live-action television series, bringing Gaiman's beloved characters to life from panel to screen.
The Sandman follows the story of Dream, a.k.a. Morpheus, as he escapes his prison after having been trapped for 106 years. Throughout The Sandman season 1, the series chronicles Dream's adventures in trying to restore his realm, the Dreaming, while engaging with various powerful beings in the universe. Since its debut on Netflix, the DC drama received a strong reception from critics and fans alike, with an 87% score among reviewers and 80% by audience members on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its strong ratings, though, Netflix has still not picked up The Sandman for season 2.
Ever since The Sandman season 1 was released in early August, Gaiman, who works as one of the executive producers, has been asked countless times why Netflix hasn't announced season 2. Now asked once again what's taking so long, Gaiman explains that since it has barely been two months since The Sandman dropped on Netflix, "the data harvesting" was only recently completed. Gaiman also mentions that one of the complications is that more viewers prefer to spread out their episode viewing rather than binge-watch the entire season. Check out Gaiman's full response below.
Gaiman brings up a valid point relating to a potential change that Netflix could make. While the popular streaming service has been infamous for producing shows that are specifically made for binge-watchers, there's been some talk of whether this model is beneficial to the streamer in the long run. Some have even begun to suggest Netflix should consider weekly releases. If the streamer does, it's unclear whether or not they would do that with every show they produce. In the case of The Sandman, which is one of DC's most conceptual TV shows ever made, a weekly model is something that could benefit it, especially if it gets renewed for season 2.
It makes sense if one reason for the delay is Netflix working with the creatives to see if they could craft The Sandman season 2 so that it would work on a weekly release schedule. Despite the fact that season 2 should be a no-brainer, it's worth noting that The Sandman season 1's production budget was costly, meaning financial concerns could also be delaying an official renewal. It would be a genuine shock if Netflix didn't actually bring The Sandman back for another, as they have produced other successful originals with similar or higher production costs. Hopefully, it won't be long until Netflix clarifies if The Sandman season 2 happens or not.
