The Sandman, Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s cult-classic comic series of the same name, has been making waves since its release earlier this month. Fans have marvelled over its cinematic visuals, in particular the Lucifer vs Dream sequence in the show’s Hope in Hell episode. Unsurprisingly, much went into the making of the battle scene, and The Sandman stars Tom Sturridge and Gwendoline Christie are here to reveal what went on behind the scenes.

Hope in Hell’s Oldest Game sequence starts with Dream or Morpheus, played by Sturridge, entering the realm of Lucifer, played by Christie, to get his helm back. When he reaches there, he finds himself having to challenge the demon who possesses his artefact to a game of wits. Soon enough, the ruler of hell becomes the demon’s champion, and Dream has no other choice but to face the mighty Lucifer in his weakened state. The execution of this sequence is a marvel to watch and what’s more marvellous is how Sturridge and Christie react to the scene.

Disclaimer: Spoilers of The Sandman are ahead.

Tom Sturridge and Gwendoline Christie talk about the glorious fighting scene in The Sandman

Recently, Still Watching Netflix uploaded a video featuring Tom Sturridge and Gwendoline Christie, where the duo break down one of the most iconic scenes of the show: The Oldest Game. In the video, we see healthy chemistry between Sturridge and Christie. However, the scene itself has much coldness between their characters. Dream here holds much respect for Lucifer, whom he sees as one of the most powerful beings in the universe. The Devil, on the other hand, holds a grudge against the dream lord and wants to enslave and destroy him. So, it is no surprise that one of the first things that Christie asked Tom was about the dynamic between their characters.

“I think that there is a deep, underlying respect between them, a respect I would go as far as to say, an affection,” answered Dream, surprising Christie because she felt nothing from him. While Tom joked that it was intentional, we learn from the series that, deep down, Lucifer wants Morpheus to surrender his realm and accept the authority of Hell. There is obviously this miscommunication between the two characters, which apparently bled into the actors themselves.

As they comment on Lucifer’s massive wings taking up the space in the battle sequence, Christie shares how she thought Tom hated her. However, the actress persevered and focused on her character. A surprised Tom then segued wayed to Lucifer’s hair, asking her if she had any input into her hair in The Sandman. Christie was quick to admit that she was inspired by Tom’s haircut over the years and had wanted it for her wing.

All their jokes and banter melted away as the next scene popped up. Here, Dream’s snake-devouring bird rips into Lucifer’s horse-biting snake, resulting in scratch marks appearing on Christie’s flawless face. Christie reacts with an “Oh look. Upsetting” before calling out Tom for not looking sorry for his actions. The jokes make a quick comeback when the actress comments on Dream’s fall with Lucifer’s next attack.

“That fall was real. Because you needed to go to the bathroom so badly you broke out in that rash,” says Gwendoline before exclaiming how pleased she was.

The next scene takes them to the countryside in Bristol, where apparently Lucifer loathes the fresh air and revels in the high temperature caused by “climate change.” As Dream lay on the floor, nearing his death, Christie is all jokes by calling his state a result of “that night out.” When Tom rises from that stance, calling himself “hope,” all Lucifer could do was glower at the “very symmetrical” face of Dream with a complexion that made her “furious.” Meanwhile, we, the audience were focused on the illuminating light that enveloped the two characters.

What were the challenges that they faced?

According to Gwen, the biggest challenge was bringing real-world experience to the fighting scene. Similarly, according to Tom, it was all the thoughts that went inside his head while playing such a dark role were extremely hard. However, Tom explained how when he walked into the room, everything made complete sense, and he knew what to do. The video concluded with Gwen saying, “See you in Hell”. Indeed, with such a splendid Hell, anyone would want to be there and we are not exception.

To watch The Sandman, head over to Netflix now!