It took more than 3 decades for Neil Gaiman to adapt his “baby” into a live-action drama. Thankfully, Netflix’s The Sandman did proper justice to the books indeed. A masterpiece in cinematic aesthetics, the series sure is a visual treat for all the comic fans out there. From story-building and pacing to character performances, and all the other minor details. It exceeded all the expectations, making a historic triumph in the world of cinema. 

The 10+1 episodes’ show probably has everything a fantasy nerd would ask for: gods, more gods, monsters, real-life historical individuals, talking animals, and magic. And while being unique in its own self, the show pays sincere homage to Gaiman’s work. However, it did not come into being within a fortnight. In these 30-plus years, many script writers and directors came in and went out, but nothing seemed to work until the creator, the magician himself sat with the production crew, to give his Sandman a new form.

Notably, before Netflix’s The Sandman adaptation hit the scene, Warner Bros. TV engaged Eric Kripke of The Boys to adapt Neil Gaiman’s well-known comic novels into a TV series. Finally, the project was shelved, and Kripke is now revealing the reasons for the first time.

The Boys’ Eric Kripke finally shares why his adaption of The Sandman got shelved

Kripke took to Twitter on Saturday to talk about the reasons for his adaptation of the comics got canceled. In the tweet, he explained that Warner Bros. gave him “a crack at The Sandman, but said it had to be a Network.” He further elucidated that the comic being his favorite, he gave it a try. “Neil was kind and patient but, ultimately, it would’ve been a bad show.” Kripke then praised the 10-episode first season of Netflix’s adaptation, which debuted on August 5 as being “lush” and breathtaking.

In a Friday tweet, Gaiman referred to the misguided Kripke-written adaptation as a “terrific network TV version of Sandman,” and yet he continued, “But when you produce a network TV version of Sandman, you lose an awful deal of what makes it Sandman. Considering the constraints, [Kripke] performed a fantastic job.”

What are your thoughts about it? Do you think Netflix will give a green light to one of its most expensive shows and allow fans to dwell in the realm of dreams a little more? Let us know in the comments below.