With so many comic book adaptations on the way, especially from DC and Warner Bros., it's been easy to forget that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is developing Neil Gaiman's Sandman for the screen. Part of the problem is that we haven't heard much about it since the project was announced back in 2013, and now in a conversation with MTV Gordon-Levitt explains why things are progressing so slowly...
“It’s really good, man. It’s slow but steady. It’s a really complicated adaptation because those comics, they’re brilliant. But they’re not written as a whole. It’s not like ‘Watchmen,’ which is a graphic novel that has a beginning, middle, and end. ‘Sandman’ was written over the course of whatever — I forget exactly, six or seven years. One at a time. One little 20-page issue at a time. And to try to take that and make it into something that’s a feature film — a movie that has a beginning, middle, and end — is complicated. I’m feeling really good about it, but it is a process, so please be patient."
That sounds like we're still a long ways off from seeing the film in theaters. Sandman isn't like most other comic books in that it isn't about blowing stuff up or heroes and villains trading punches with one another. The popular Vertigo comic ran for 75 issues and centered on Morpheus aka Dream, the personification of all dreams and stories. How does one adapt that into the kind of film that can appeal to fans accustomed to superheroes with big flashy powers? Gordon-Levitt admits he took some advice from Gaiman, who is fiercely protective of his characters, on what the film definitely shouldn't be.
“Big spectacular action movies are generally about crime fighters fighting crime and blowing sh-t up. This has nothing to do with that and it was actually one of the things that Neil Gaiman said to me, he said ‘Don’t have him punch anybody.’ Because he never does. If you read the comics, Morpheus doesn’t punch anybody. That’s not what he does. It’s going to be like a grand spectacular action film, but that relies on none of those same old ordinary cliches. So, that’s why it’s taking a lot time to write, but it’s going to be really good.”
So this is going to be awhile. The studio is reportedly very happy with the script by Jack Thorne, and hopefully we'll start seeing some movement on casting soon. Gordon-Levitt has been rumored for the lead role himself, but he may take a step back and focus on directing.
