James McAvoy's casting as 'Sandman' in new Audible drama makes him the perfect choice for planned Netflix show
'X-Men' star James McAvoy is stepping into a brand new role and it is a dream come true. The Scottish actor will be voicing Morpheus/The Sandman aka Dream of the Endless in a brand new audio adaptation of Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman' for Audible.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential graphic novels ever written, 'The Sandman' is a classic and its tragic hero, the being known as Morpheus, is one of the most complex characters Gaiman has ever conceived. McAvoy revealed the casting with an Instagram post.
"Coming soon to Audible," he captioned the post. "The @neilhimself classic!!!! I’m very honoured to say I’m playing the one and only Morpheus. (there are other Morpheus’s...that sounds like a dodgy plural...but None like the @neilhimself creation) #dirkMaggs, director working his usual audio Magic. #dccomics @dccomics."
Other cast members on the audio drama include Riz Ahmed as the Corinthian, Justin Vivian Bond as Desire, Kat Dennings as Death, Taron Egerton as John Constantine, Miriam Margolyes as Despair, Samantha Morton as Urania Blackwell, Bebe Neuwirth as the Siamese Cat, Andy Serkis as Matthew the Raven and Michael Sheen as Lucifer, as well as William Hope, Josie Lawrence, and Arthur Darvill in undisclosed roles. Oh, and to cap it all off, Neil Gaiman himself will be narrating the book.
It's truly a dream cast and we're really hoping the planned Netflix series based on 'The Sandman' also incorporates some of these casting choices. McAvoy as Morpheus, Kat Dennings as Death and Taron Egerton as Constantine are especially interesting choices that we would love to see on screen and with any luck (and we're assuming a lot of money from Netflix), that dream might just come true.
"A truly exceptional cast of artists will be bringing this cultural phenomenon to life. We are honored to be working alongside Neil Gaiman and DC to create a truly immersive adaptation that we know fans and listeners will love," Audible Originals editor in chief David Blum said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Originally published as part of DC's Vertigo imprint for 75 issues from 1989-1996, 'The Sandman' is the epic tale of Morpheus's accidental capture, his eventual escape, and all the beauties and horrors that he discovers along the way. There are few stories in any medium or genre that have captured the sort of fantastical brilliance of 'The Sandman' and we are extremely excited to see that story brought to life, both in audio and live-action.
'The Sandman' audio drama is currently available for pre-order on Audible and is set to be released on July 15. The Netflix adaptation of the series doesn't have a release date yet but it is expected to arrive sometime in 2021
