When Netflix commissioned the lavishly produced series adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s milestone comic book in 2019, the same 11 episodes announced for the first season. Now Sandman is finally here and inspires as an excellent comic film adaptation with lots of fantasy bombast. But in the end it was “only” 10 episodes.
Has the 11-episode schedule changed or could the additional episode not be completed due to the pandemic circumstances? One thing is certain: there is clear evidence that more has been produced than released – and Netflix will soon surprise fans with a bonus episode could.
Evidence that another Sandman episode was filmed
The first season of Sandman adapts the comic’s first two anthologies: Preludes and Nocturnes (eps. 1-6) and The Doll’s House (eps. 7-10). However, template creator Neil Gaiman himself hinted that also parts of the following volume of short storiesDreamland, were filmed.
Shortly before the end of the Sandman shooting, he reported on Twitter about the Reactions to a sequencewhich cannot be seen in the published 10 episodes:
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“I saw three young women who had never read the comics cry, first with anger, then with joy, at the story of Calliope.”
Gaiman references here one of the four short stories from the dreamland collection. There was a further and clear indication of this with the announcement of the end of shooting in summer 2021:
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The image posted by Gaiman shows a possible prop from the series, which is also based on the story surrounding the one known from Greek mythology Muse Calliope referenced (more on this below). This is the only Sandman chapter in which the fictional author Erasmus Fry appears.
An entry in the IMDB also suggests that the character Calliope should actually appear in a Sandman episode. There, the Greek-Canadian actress Melissanthi Mahut as part of the cast displayed. Her role name: Calliope. However, their cast has not been confirmed.
Will Netflix release a bonus episode of Sandman soon?
Whether the episode was actually completed or whether Neil Gaiman lured us down the wrong path is unknown at this point in time. But there is enough evidence that at least part of the 3rd comic volume actually filmed became.
And it would even make perfect sense if Netflix released the 11th episode and released as a bonus at a later date. Because season 1 has a logical conclusion and at the end a tease for the potential sequel in season 2.
You can watch the trailer for Netflix’s Sandman here:
Sandman – Trailer (German)
If this had been followed by an episode that was completely detached from the previous plot, that would have been hardly fit into the overall dramaturgical picture of the season. The independence of the Sandman short stories (not only from the 3rd volume) would be ideal for individual releases in the form of bonus episodes, which could also shorten the waiting times between seasons.
These are the 4 Sandman short stories from the volume Traumland:
It is not yet clear if and when Netflix will release the mysterious 11th episode of Sandman. But that could change soon. At the September 24th finds the virtual Netflix fan event Tudum instead of. And maybe Netflix will use this opportunity for you right away surprise release a new Sandman episode.
Would you be excited about the release of a Sandman bonus episode?