Minor spoilers for The Sandman follow. You were warned.
Netflix has announced a surprise new episode for its TV adaptation of The Sandman, and it's available to stream now.
Revealed in a press release, Netflix has confirmed that an additional two-part episode will feature stories from the third volume of Neil Gaiman's iconic series of noir fantasy novels, also known as The Sandman: Dream Country. The book contains four stand-alone stories, and fans of The Sandman will be pleased to learn that Netflix's bonus episode covers two of Dream Country's most popular stories: Calliope and A Dream of a Thousand Cats.
Interestingly, The Sandman Episode 11 will feature live action and animated elements. A Dream of a Thousand Cats will be a fully animated affair, with Hisko Hulsing (Undone, Junkyard) directing and London-based animation company Untold Studio developing its breakout-style dream graphics.
In a statement, Hulsing teased what fans can expect from Netflix's version of the beloved tale: "We've strived to make the animated version of A Dream of a Thousand Cats as compelling and mesmerizing as possible using the magic of real oil paintings on Canvas.
"We combined the paintings with classically drawn 2D animation based on realistic 3D animation of telepathic cats to create a mind-blowing world that feels both grounded and dreamlike. Untold Studio in London created the stunning 3D animated view of the cats. The Wonderful 2D animation, oil paintings and stylization were done at Submarine Studio's in Amsterdam."
Tom Sturridge reprises his role as Dream/Morpheus in the animated short and directs a stacked all-star voice cast. Sandra Oh, David Tennant, James McAvoy, Michael Sheen, Diane Morgan and Joe Lycett are just a few of the talents associated with A Dream of a Thousand Cats. Additionally, Neil Gaiman will voice a character in the short, with the acclaimed author voicing Crow/Skull Bird himself.
In contrast, Calliope will follow the other 10 Sandman entries by being an entirely live production. Louise Hooper, who directed the Lost Hearts episode in The Sandman season 1, is directing the Netflix version of the novel.
Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who), Anita Suman (Shadow and Bone) and Derek Jacobi (Murder on the Orient Express) are among the cast of Calliope. Meanwhile, Nina Wadia, Souad Faress, and Dinita Gohil will reprise their roles from The Sandman's Fates episodes 2 and 7. Finally, Melissanthi Mahut (Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, The Other Me) will play the lead role of Calliope.
It is unknown if Netflix will release another surprise episode in the near future. The Sandman: Dream Country also features short stories titled A Midsummer Night's Dream (based on William Shakespeare's iconic play) and Façade, so it would make sense for an episode 12 of The Sandman to cover these stories ahead of a possible second season.
According to showrunner Alan Heinberg, the possible second season of the hit Netflix show will adapt the fourth volume of the book collection, aka Season of Mists, if the series is renewed (according to Entertainment Weekly (opens in a new tab)). . With The Sandman season 1 spanning the first two volumes, Preludes and Nocturnes, and A Doll's House, it makes sense for Netflix to adapt the Dream Country short stories into an additional episode or two. Nonetheless, it's still a wonderful surprise, one that will keep fans of The Sandman happy until season 2 is greenlit.
Given The Sandman's dominance of Netflix's charts since its release on August 5, it would be a huge surprise if a second season didn't come out. Netflix subscribers amassed nearly 200 million hours of The Sandman in the first 10 days after its release, numbers that catapulted it to the top of Netflix's Top 10 TV Shows list (opens in a new tab) in the UK and US, as well as being in the Top 10 in 93 countries. So expect an announcement on that front in the not too distant future.
For more on The Sandman, read our spoiler-free season 1 review. You can also check out our exclusive chat with Gaiman, Heinberg and the cast of the show to learn more about its development or learn more about the TV adaptation's unusual aspect ratio.
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