Picture: Netflix / Warner Bros. Television
New leaked images from the set of The Sandman season 2 suggest that the show is shooting The Kindly Ones, the penultimate volume of the comics. Is The Sandman really ending this soon? Let’s investigate.
Following myriad delays, including the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, The Sandman season 2 finally began filming in November 2023. In the time that’s passed, we’ve had first looks at the stories ahead. For instance, leaked images from the set show Ruairi O’Connor as Orpheus. Moreover, we’ve seen photos featuring Wanda (Indya Moore) and the return of Gilbert (Stephen Fry).
Given the little information we have so far, we can deduce that season 2 covers two main volumes from the comic, “Season of Mists” and “Brief Lives,” as well as shorter one-shot stories such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Song of Orpheus.” While some volumes appear to have been omitted—and could be covered in bonus episodes or spinoffs—the structure of the season appears to follow a linear path.
However, thanks to recent images from the set released by Redanian Intelligence, it’s clear that the team is currently filming key scenes from The Kindly Ones, which is Sandman’s endgame volume. Specifically, the scene in question (without going too far into spoiler territory) features Mervyn Pumpkinhead being visited by the Fates. Nuala (Ann Skelly), Lyta Hall (Razane Jammal) and Matthew the Raven were also involved in the shoot. Take a look:
Source: Redanian Intelligence
Naturally, fans have reacted negatively to this news.
The show’s decision to film scenes that shouldn’t be on screen is definitely concerning. The reactions are certainly vindicated. For The Sandman to conclude this soon would mean so many iconic moments would be either rushed or dropped altogether. With a rumored 12 episodes in the new season, there’s simply too much story to cover to make the show coherent.
Could this all be a misunderstanding?
Let’s put an optimistic spin on things. Sure, it’s pretty easy to draw instant conclusions from the leaked images. And if it’s true that the show is wrapping up prematurely, it’s certainly a highly disappointing way to end such a grand series. But the team could be pooling resources to film ahead in order to save budget for future seasons; this has already happened when season 1 was being filmed.
In season 1, The Sandman filmed scenes intended for Overture, a prequel graphic novel released in 2013. “We’ve shot footage in Season 1 that we would need if we ever get to Season 5. It’s there, and it’s stored,” creator and executive producer Neil Gaiman previously told Bustle. “We know how we would do the entire Sandman storyline up to and including the last one, Sandman Overture.”
It’s not unreasonable to assume that the behind-the-scenes images we’re seeing at the moment are being filmed ahead of time. Unlike other Netflix shows, such as spinoff Dead Boy Detectives, The Sandman has a concrete ending. The end goal is in sight, therefore easier to work towards.
Picture: Netflix
Netflix won’t call The Sandman renewal ‘Season 2’.
Moreover, Netflix might have renewed The Sandman right through to its conclusion and could be filming back-to-back seasons. If we recall Netflix’s renewal announcement, the streamer was particularly coy and careful not to name it a ‘season 2’ but rather ‘more episodes’ based on ‘multiple volumes’ of the comic. We still don’t know the structure of future seasons. Netflix executives are paying extra attention to how the show develops.
“We wanted to spend the time to get creatively aligned around what would be the next, best experience with ‘The Sandman,’” Netflix’s head of scripted TV, Peter Friedlander, told Variety following the renewal. “And because of that, we wanted to spend the time with [showrunner Allan Heinberg] and Neil and really talk through and be thoughtful about what the approach should be — because Season 1 is also very thoughtful and intentional. So that was really what took the extra time, is to get our ducks in a row.”
This is to say, let’s not panic. Netflix’s plan for Sandman is clear and concise. These leaks are certainly cause for concern, but they may not be all it seems. Watch this space.
The Sandman ‘season 2’ does not have a release date yet. Keep an eye on our ongoing preview for further news and updates.