The Sandmanis a story about change.
There areSandmanissues based on Shakespeare plays, horror movies, and high fantasy sometimes all at once.
Now, 31 years after it first began,The Sandmanis going through some changes of its own.
Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images; Audible
Audible’sSandmanaudiobook casts Gaiman as an omniscient narrator, whileJames McAvoy gives voice to Morpheus.
EW caught up with Gaiman to discuss the adaptation process and how the audiobook differs from the TV series.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’ve previously done audio adaptations of your novelsNeverwhereandGood Omens.
What was the difference translating a comic book into that format?
NEIL GAIMAN:The biggest difference is they are made up of words, while comics have pictures.
Having said that, comics are weirdly close to audio drama.
They sort of work in very similar ways.
We’re proud of what we’ve done.
Audio drama is incredibly inclusive.
There’s this fun trade-off that comes with the audiobook.
You’re losing the visual, but you’re gaining sound effects that you don’t have reading comics.
What did you like about those trades?
There are things that you gain and things that you lose.
But on the other hand, I can readSandman#6, “24 Hours,“without flinching.
I know every line of it.
But listening to it was chilling.
I wouldn’t have thought that “24 Hours” could affect me again.
But this version was so dark and so creepy, it made me wish it would end differently.
Listening to “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream” was genuinely exciting.
I felt like I was making a movie in my head.
There is something to be said for real-time drama with world-class actors.
It was a really interesting process looking at voices and actors.
A lot of it was about who was available.
Kat was shooting a TV seriesDollfaceat the time, but she managed to pull it off for us.
The biggest revelation for me wasJames McAvoy, because we had not cast Morpheus initially.
We had to start recording before we had a Morpheus.
It was real magic, it was astonishing.
Aside from Morpheus, which actors' performances surprised you the most?
Morpheus was funny because it was like, the last thing we put in was the foundation.
For me the most surprising moment in the studio was probablyMichael Sheen’sLucifer.
I think of Michael Sheen as one of the greatest actors of his generation, which he is.
I forget he is also one of the greatest impressionists.
It was so weird and amazing.
Or does it all feel of a piece?
Because we aren’t changing things, it feels like we’re doing an adaptation of a classic audiobook.
With the TV show adaptation with Netflix, we’re getting to play in a slightly different way.
It’s a different way of telling it.
Whereas for the audio drama, we’re not trying to reinvent it or reshape it.
We’re trying to take a series of graphic novels and do a very literal adaptation for everybody.
It’s always like revisiting an old friend and it’s always wonderful.
I forget how well I knowSandman, and how well I know this work.
I never want to get up in the morning and go “oh great, time to writeSandman.”
WritingSandmanwas always an adventure, and always a delight.
I’m so lucky!
There have been lots of attempts over the years to make badSandmanmovies and things.
We get to make magic.
