It seems that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is attempting to make a film version of Neil Gaiman’s beloved Vertigo comic book series The Sandman. Although Gordon-Levitt is only officially attached to produce, there are rumors that he may also direct and star in the movie. On Twitter, he wrote, “I’ve signed on as a producer…. The rest remains to be seen…” Neil Gaiman will be involved as a producer, which should ease the minds of at least some fans, though there will no doubt be others who do not believe that the series should ever be adapted.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is probably most known in comic book circles due to his role as John Blake in The Dark Knight Rises. However, he’s also appeared in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, sci-fi-ish movies Inception and Looper, and the forthcoming Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. His directorial debut was Don Jon, which got good reviews, so there was a sense that Gordon-Levitt would direct again. It wasn’t expected, though, that his (possibly) next directorial project would be so high profile.
David Goyer, the writer for The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel, and many others, will be one of the writers and producers on the project. Combined with Gaiman, it seems likes the film will have a strong writing foundation. Gordon-Levitt’s original tweet included the hashtag #Prelude, indicating that this would probably cover the first volume of The Sandman:Preludes and Nocturnes. This might also indicate that Warner Brothers and others involved view a number of possible movies (there are ten volumes of The Sandman and Gaiman recently started a comeback prequel).
Although the idea of Hollywood adapting a great comic series is always fraught with some nervousness, there seems to me to be some good signs here. Gordon-Levitt has mostly been involved with good movies with a strong basis in story and character since he began his movie career in earnest in the early 2000's. That Gaiman is involved is a big relief, and while Goyer’s scripts are inconsistent, he is obviously talented and has written some good movies. I also believe that The Sandman is such a great series that if a movie gets more people to read it, that’s a plus – even if the movie version is not excellent. If nothing else, we’ll still always have the original books.
