Consider yourself successful if you are a world-renowned author whose book has been transformed into a highly viewed series. If you’re Neil Gaiman and you have to deal with Netflix, its algorithms, and the high production costs of a VFX-heavy series, you should reconsider. The Sandman appears to have performed exceptionally well on Netflix since its launch, topping Netflix’s top 10 ranking for more than three weeks and reclaiming the top spot when a bonus episode was added. It has more than 250 million hours of viewing time to date, but according to Neil Gaiman, the expectations are so great that it may not be enough to avoid cancellation and be renewed for a second season.
Why The Sandman Season 2 May Not Happen
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There is no definitive method to determine if a series is popular enough for Netflix to extend it for a second season, and “The Sandman” author Neil Gaiman has reasonable expectations for the continuation of the remarkable comic book adaptation. He has been forthright with fans and journalists who inquire about the possibility of a second season, informing them that the series’ destiny is in the hands of Netflix officials and that it is impossible to say whether the Sandman’s success was sufficient to warrant a renewal.
There are twelve series for every “Stranger Things” that Netflix squandered big sums on only to cancel after one season. Some had devoted fan bases, while others failed to meet Netflix’s standards, but they all met the same fate: cancellation. All of them have enormous budgets, as Netflix takes risks and invests a great deal of money. “The Sandman” evidently cost a lot of money, which regrettably means that it will be much more difficult to be revived.
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Troubles For Netflix For The Sandman Season 1
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman is a legendary comic book series that is also extremely difficult to make. It’s about a group of immortal creatures that rule their own hallucinogenic realms; the imagery is extravagantly inventive and expensive to render adequately. Fortunately, Netflix is well-known for spending a lot of money on its productions; it was recently claimed that the fourth season of Stranger Things was made with an expenditure of an astounding $30 million for each episode.
Previously, it was rumored that Netflix paid up to $15 million for each episode of The Sandman’s first season. The production of the eleven-episode series cost the streaming behemoth a cool $165 million. This enormous sum does not include marketing costs, so the final count will likely be even higher. The amount of money Netflix invested is undeniably an indication of trust in a potentially difficult-to-produce-and-sell show. Since the 1990s, there have been numerous attempts to adapt The Sandman for the big screen, but none have succeeded.
People were concerned that they still do not have a release date or a full trailer for The Sandman, despite the fact that the streaming giant Netflix has already spent vast sums on the production. The executive producer of the series, Gaiman, refuted these claims by describing them as “hilarious.” Obviously, he was right as the Sandman season one has already been released. However, the issue is that Netflix lost more than 200,000 subscribers in the first three months of 2022 and anticipates losing an additional 2 million in the following quarter. Hence, it may be difficult for the streaming giant to produce another season of the series.
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The Realm Of Dream Costs Substantial Money
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The first season of the fan-favorite Netflix series necessitated the production of talking ravens, gargoyles, a great deal of magic, and gorgeous and unusual settings, such as Desire’s (Mason Alexander Park) red lair. Season 2 may adapt the following two arcs from “The Sandman”: “Dream Country” and “Season of Mists.” The first two stories from “Dream Country” were featured in a bonus episode for the first season that was unexpectedly released, and they provide a perfect representation of the variety of stories in “Dream Country.”
For “Season of Mists,” in which Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) descends back into Hell to rescue his old lover, whom he sent there years ago, the series would need to develop not only strange characters and environments but also enlarge Hell. It would be a great deal of fun to see, and it would give Gwendoline Christie plenty to do as Lucifer, who forsakes his position in the comics and wreaks havoc, but it is easy to see how much the budget would increase. Near the end of the first season, “The Sandman” appeared to have found its footing, so let’s hope Netflix renews the series for a second season.
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Sources: Winter Is Coming, Forbes, Variety
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