Neil Gaiman reveals why The Sandman season 2 might not get renewed despite its overwhelming popularity. Based on Gaiman's cult-favorite graphic novel of the same name, an adaptation of The Sandman languished in development for years. Originally, the project was conceived as a movie, but after those plans stalled, Netflix stepped in and ordered The Sandman as a TV series in 2019, with Gaiman, The Dark Knight Trilogy's David S. Goyer, and Wonder Woman's Allan Heinberg attached as the executive producers. The show premiered on Netflix on August 5, chronicling the story of Tom Sturridge's titular character as he escapes his 100-year-long imprisonment and sets out to restore his Kingdom of Dreaming.The Sandman has received glowing reviews from critics, with a lot of praise going toward the show's faithfulness to Gaiman's comics, the magnificent set pieces, the spectacularly gothic visuals, and absolutely compelling performances. Viewership-wise the show has also proven to be a great success. In its first full week of streaming, The Sandman was the most watched show on the service across all territories, and although it moved down to second place after Never Have I Ever season 3 came out, The Sandman's bonus two-part 11th episode, "Dream of a Thousand Cats" and "Calliope," came out on August 19 and quickly boosted interest in the series.Despite its critical and commercial success, Netflix hasn't yet renewed The Sandman for season 2. Now in a new tweet, Gaiman explains the factors at play. As the showrunner elaborates, since The Sandman was a very costly production, its current performance doesn't exactly make a second season inevitable. There is no doubt that the show has been a hit, but the decision would ultimately come down to if The Sandman lives up to Netflix's mounting expectations. Take a look at Gaiman's tweet below.
While many may perceive The Sandman season 2 as a safe bet, Gaiman is warning fans to not get ahead of themselves as the show's performance thus far may not be sufficient to warrant a renewal. The show has consistently occupied the top two spots on Netflix's Top 10 most-watched shows in the US and internationally since its release, but Gaiman has cautioned that The Sandman needs to hold its position for at least a month before Netflix can decide its fate. Considering it's just been two weeks since the show's release, there is still time to go before that period passes. So viewers can look out for a decision on the show's future around early to mid-September.
While The Sandman may continue to maintain its strong viewership beyond a month, it still wouldn't necessarily guarantee a second season. As Gaiman has mentioned, the show has an expensive price tag, so the turnover needs to justify the sizable investments. Lately. Netflix has been struggling financially - the service lost nearly 1 million subscribers in Q2, which has caused its programming strategy to adopt a more defensive approach. Still, The Sandman has been an undeniable success for Netflix, and there's plenty more story to tell, so there is a good chance that Netflix might ultimately realize its long-term returns and grant it a renewal.
Source: Neil Gaiman