Dream Casting, Sandman Casting Call Part 1: In which I explain why I hope the Sandman movie never gets made, and then decide to assemble my dream cast anyway.
September 18th, 2010 by SusieAnyone I’ve ever spoken to that has read Sandman, says the same thing. That it should never be made into a movie, because it couldn’t possibly be done right. Yet it has been in development, at one studio or another, for at least ten years. The reason for this is that it is a beloved property, that many consider comic books first masterpiece. So why don’t it’s many fans (me included) want to see it filmed?
To start off with it, it is seemingly impossible to film. The story is long, taking ten years, and seventy-five issues to tell, not including spin offs, and follow ups. Trying to compress that into a single, or even several two hour movies, would be very difficult. Beyond that, it is a story that jumps around in time, and space, and worlds (Faerie, other planets, heaven, hell, and most often dreams). It often requires a strong background in history, mythology, religion, and DC comics, to fully understand. And it sports a cast of characters that number in the hundreds, many of whom are important, to the tale as a whole, and absolutely essential to their small part of the story. In short it is a story that has already been told, in the best way it could be.
Still in the right hands it could be done. There could be someone out there, talented enough to simplfy that complex narrative into something satisfying, that still holds the charm and beauty of the original. And we would all still have the comics for when we wanted the real thing.
The bigger issue in my mind, is how integral to the story, the art is. Not just because, it being a comic, all the action is drawn, but because of how the various artists chose to interpret it. The artist usually changed every time a new story arc started. Which meant the characters often looked different each time you saw them. Which gave the reader a fresh perspective on them. Many of the characters appearance changed according to whom they were speaking to, or where they were, at any given time. Which could get very confusing, if it was attempted on film.
The main reason I don’t want it filmed, is because I love it so much. Anything short of brilliant would be heartbreaking. And there is so much potential for failure. I have often said if it was made into a movie, I’d boycott it , just to spare myself the agony of seeing what was done with something I hold so dear. That is a lie, though. I would absolutely see it.
Partly because I want to support, Neil Gaiman and all the artists that worked on it, by paying for a ticket, and hoping a little of the money gets back to them, after the theater, the studio, the director, the cast and crew, all get their cut. Mainly, on the off chance, that somehow it turns out like that other beloved franchise, that people claimed was utterly unfilmable, Lord of the Rings. Even though those films were not a direct page by page adaptation of the books, most fans agree that Peter Jackson got it right nevertheless. And it caused many people to buy and read the books, that likely would not have otherwise. If the Sandman movie did the same for the comics, more the better.
No, I could not resist seeing it. Although I am totally one of those assholes, who would complain loudly afterward, if it was bad. Actually, I doubt I could wait until the end, I would likely jump to my feet, screaming “No! No! No!” the second the credits read, “and Jennifer Lopez* as Death.” And I would keep screaming the whole two hours, or until I was asked to leave. I’m not proud of it, but it would happen.
I am also the type of person who loves coming up with fantasy casts, for movies that haven’t been made yet. I seriously once stayed up most of the night, coming up with the ideal cast for a production of Pride and Prejudice, as done by a mix of humans and Muppets.
Which brings me to the point of this long winded post. I have decided to do a series of posts, in which I pretend that by some twist of fate, I am a bigwig, hotshot casting director, who has been tasked with putting together the cast for the hypothetical Sandmam movie. I will do individual posts for each of the major characters, and subsequent posts will have two or three of minor characters lumped together. We will see how far I get, before running out of steam. I will try to avoid divulging too many details of the character’s fates, for anyone reading who has not yet read Sandman, but still may. And if you like comics at all, I suggest giving it a try.
My pick for the person to play Morpheous, will be coming either later today or tomorrow. I will choose my directer right now. The only director I think could do the project justice, would actually be the combined forces of Guillermo del Toro, Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, and Alfonso Cuaron.
*I actually don’t universally hate Jennifer Lopez. She was very good in Out of Sight. She just should under no circumstances be cast as Death.
, the early issues, written by Brian K. Vaughan. We had Florence and Marty, Jason, Angela, Susie, and our neighbors David and Alexis. You may also hear random babbling from Colleen (4 months) and Ruby (8 months). This was more of an introduction to the series for Angela, David, and Alexis, who hadn’t read any of it before. The rest of us reminisce about way back when we read ’em the first time.
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trade paperbacks. (You probably don’t have to read them from the beginning, but it is a continuous story, so not only would you be spoiled, but you’ll definitely enjoy them more if you do.)
, and also equally enjoyable by those who haven’t read it at all. It makes a great addition to more cerebral superhero movie genre, but had plenty of action for those who just want to see some kick-ass fight scenes. Highly recommended.
#1-4, the issues written by Neil Gaiman. Angela, Florence, Jason J, Jason T, Marty, and Susie all give their opinions and impressions. Tangents abound, of course, and other topics include: various other Vertigo titles (Sandman, of course), Harry Potter comparisons, and “annotated” versions of comic books (Watchmen, Grant Morrison, Crisis on Infinite Earths). We hadn’t read (or known about) 
movie yet? Watch 
issues #1-5 (the first arc). We go off on tangents about meta-fiction (including Jasper Fforde’s 
series, 
, and 
by Lev Grossman), and talk about The Unwritten‘s obvious comparisons to 
and 
I am late to this, since I just caught up with the Golden Globes on Tivo this morning and then started going through the photos of attendees online.
, written by Eric Shanower and drawn by Skottie Young.
I met Andy Mangels recently, when he was a featured guest at Gaylaxicon, and I was intrigued to learn about his online 
