A little over two years ago, the world was rocked with the out-of-nowhere news that Joseph Gordon-Levitt would not only be starring in an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, but would sitting in the director’s chair as well. It was to be an ambitious project, especially for one-time director.
Well, looks like news that may have been too odd to be true may have been too odd to be true. In a statement on his Facebook page, Gordon-Levitt revealed to his fans that he was walking away from involvement with a film adaptation of Sandman. The actor and director stated:
“Recently, as you also might know if you like to follow these sorts of things, the sorta “ownership” (for lack of a better term) of the Sandman material changed hands when Warner Brothers shifted the entire catalogue of Vertigo comics (an imprint of DC) to their subsidiary, New Line. And a few months ago, I came to realize that the folks at New Line and I just don’t see eye to eye on what makes Sandman special, and what a film adaptation could/should be. So unfortunately, I decided to remove myself from the project.”
This sort of thing isn’t too uncommon, as creative and the money often have “creative differences”. While that can be code for “the two parties hate each other”, Gordon-Levitt seems nothing but gracious and optimistic about the project’s future, and also that the Lord of dreams and the Prince of Stories are the same person:
“I wish nothing but the best for the team moving forward. I’d like to thank all the great people I’ve had the opportunity to work with on this one. I’ve had a blast with and learned a ton from David and Jack. Niija Kuykendall, Greg Silverman, and everyone at Warner Brothers have been fantastic, as have Geoff Johns and everyone at DC. And it’s been a particular privilege as well as a rocking good time getting to know Mr. Gaiman, whose generous insights and masterful work have certainly convinced me that the Lord of Dreams and the Prince of Stories are one and the same Endless pattern.”
As the search for a new director begins, Sandman’s release date is still TBD.
Would you still like to see a Sandman film adaptation?