For over two decades, Hollywood has struggled to adapt Neil Gaiman‘s comic book magnum opus, The Sandman, as a feature film. Recent stirrings have involved Gaiman’s American Gods collaborator, Bryan Fuller, and the prospect of bringing Sandman to television, though we’re still waiting on any official announcement. In the meantime, a group of Sandman fans have taken it upon themselves to transform a single issue of the series as a fan film.
Sandman: 24 Hour Diner from Morpheus on Vimeo.
Via i09, Evan Henderson and Nicholas Brown have released Sandman: 24 Hour Diner, an adaptation of The Sandman #6, “24 Hours,” by Gaiman and artist Mike Dringenberg. This story was set very early in the run, as Dream of the Endless emerged from decades of captivity and Gaiman found his footing with the series. At this point, the book still had direct connections to DC universe, which is why there are references to superheroes and even a very conspicuous cameo late in the film. But this story barely featured Dream at all, as John Dee a.k.a. Doctor Destiny used Dream’s stolen ruby to terrorize the patrons of a diner over the course of a day. Fair warning, this film sticks pretty close to the source material, so some of the language and imagery are very NSFW.
In the film, Zach MacKendrick played John Dee, while Frances Stecyk-Townend, Storie Serres, Kenton Blythe, Doran Damon, Justyna Bochanysz, and Neil Affleck played the doomed patrons of the diner. Dream/Morpheus was briefly portrayed in live-action by Ben LeFevre, but most of his time in this film was set during the animated sequence by Anthony Francisco Schepperd. The teaser at the end of the film was also intriguing, as it sets up a very familiar convention and introduces the Corinthian.
The short was released earlier this summer, and Gaiman was quick to offer his approval of the project via twitter.
Well done! https://t.co/u53mbyVCCA
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 29, 2017
To learn more about Sandman: 24 Diner, you can visit the film’s official Facebook page.
What did you think about this fan film? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Image:Â Evan Henderson and Nicholas BrownÂ
