Netflix’s The Sandman series–based on the Neil Gaiman comic of the same name–will be ending with its upcoming second season. The first season debuted in August 2022 and posted high viewership numbers (averaging 56 million hours per week), but it was very expensive to produce and it took network execs a while to greenlight the second year. Now it appears that is all they have planned for the series with the showrunner Allan Heinberg making the following comment about the supernatural drama coming to an end:
The Sandman series has always been focused exclusively on Dream’s story, and back in 2022, when we looked at the remaining Dream material from the comics, we knew we only had enough story for one more season. We are extremely grateful to Netflix for bringing the team all back together and giving us the time and resources to make a faithful adaptation in a way that we hope will surprise and delight the comics’ loyal readers as well as fans of our show.
That is all just corporate-speak, though, and if the streamer had wanted to keep the show going, there is plenty of material that could have covered future seasons. Neil Gaiman has been accused of sexual misconduct, and that is one of the possible reasons that Netflix is bowing out after a second season. In addition, the show cost $15 million per episode in its first year and is carrying a similar price tag into its second season, and that may be too much in the current, post-Peak TV cost-cutting environment. It will at least get to wrap up its storylines, but this one could have continued for years if Netflix was willing to keep it going. And I would not expect it to be shopped to other venues because of the cost and the fact that the streamer likely holds the rights to the property for at least two years after the final season premieres.
According to Variety, the second season of The Sandman follows the “Season of Mists” storyline from Gaiman’s comics, in which Lucifer abdicates control of Hell and presents Morpheus, aka Dream, with the key to its gates, causing many immortals to try to convince Morpheus to give the key to them.
We still do not know when the second season will premiere, so I am not going to count it in the current Cancellation/Renewal Score just yet. The numbers for the 2024-25 season stand at 12 cancelled and ending sci fi and fantasy entries (27% of shows tracked) vs. 18 renewed (40%). You can see the breakdown of the numbers and the full list of shows for the current and prior seasons on our Cancellation Watch Page.
The Sandman follows Morpheus who is one of the powerful beings known as the Seven Endless and who is the master of dreams. He is captured in 1916 and held captive for over a hundred years, and when he gains his freedom he sets about trying to restore order to his realm. It stars Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, Patton Oswalt, Jenna Coleman, Gwendoline Christie and it is based on the DC Comics series created by Neil Gaiman.
The new year has just begun and more cancellation and renewal announcements should be on the way. You can see the status of all this season’s shows at our Cancellation Watch page. And be sure to follow this site as well as our Twitter and Mastodon accounts for updates and breaking news.
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