Audible, producer and provider of spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks, has announced the star-studded cast of the first-ever, exclusive audio adaptation of New York Times best-selling graphic novel series, The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC.
Adapted and directed by Dirk Maggs and narrated by Gaiman, who serves as creative director and executive producer, the notable cast is led by James McAvoy in the titular role of Dream and includes Riz Ahmed, Justin Vivian Bond, Arthur Darvill, Kat Dennings as Death, Taron Egerton, William Hope, Josie Lawrence, Miriam Margolyes, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, and Michael Sheen as Lucifer.
The first installment of the multi-part original audio drama series is slated to release on 15 July, 2020 and adapts the first three volumes of the graphic novel series (Preludes & Nocturnes, The Doll’s House, and Dream Country).
Commenting on the power-packed cast, Audible Originals editor-in-chief David Blum said, “A truly exceptional cast of artists will be bringing this cultural phenomenon to life. We are honoured to be working alongside Gaiman and DC to create a truly immersive adaptation that we know fans and listeners will love.”
The synopsis of The Sandman follows:
When an occultist attempts to capture the physical embodiment of Death (Dennings) in a bargain for eternal life, he instead mistakenly traps Death’s younger brother Dream (McAvoy), another of the seven god-like siblings known as The Endless who oversee aspects of human existence, including Desire (Bond) and Despair (Margolyes), Destiny, Destruction and Delirium. After seventy years of imprisonment Dream finally escapes, embarking on a quest to reclaim his lost objects of power and rebuild his kingdom, the world of sleep and imagination called The Dreaming. So begins one of the most acclaimed and successful series of graphic novels ever written.
Gaiman’s long-time audio collaborator, multi-award winner Maggs shares executive producer credit and also serves as the project’s script writer and director. Maggs is best known for his landmark audio adaptations of Gaiman’s Neverwhere, Stardust, Good Omens and Anansi Boys, as well as for the renowned Audible Originals Alien: River Of Pain and The X-Files and the celebrated DC audio productions The Trial of Superman, Batman: Knightfall, and Superman: To Doomsday & Beyond. In addition to the rich, cinematic soundscape that has become Maggs’ trademark, The Sandman also features an original score by Academy Award-winning composer and musician James Hannigan.
The Sandman is the latest in a series of best-in-class Audible Original audio dramas released by Audible in recent months. Other highlights include Assassin’s Creed: Gold, The X Files starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny, Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light starring Yara Shahidi, and Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Musical Drama starring Michael Sheen, Taron Egerton and Theo James.
The Sandman is available for pre-order now and will exclusively premiere on Audible and will subsequently be released in French, German, Italian, and Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish editions.
