Home Streaming Netflix Exec Explains Why Sandman Renewal Took So Long

Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman drew in healthy viewership during is first weeks on Netflix, so why did the renewal take so long to come through?

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Fans of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman were left waiting a long time before Netflix finally announced the second season of the fantasy series had been given the green light. While some shows seem to get renewed within days of their premiere, it took months for Neil Gaiman’s epic visual masterpiece to be given the go-ahead for more episodes despite it appearing to have huge audience numbers. Now Netflix’s Peter Friedlander has explained why there needed to be a delay in the decision process. Speaking to Variety, he said:

“We wanted to spend the time to get creatively aligned around what would be the next, best experience with The Sandman, 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.
I’m very excited about what we have in store and we have made some great decisions around where this will go. So it’s a stay-tuned and watch. Like you, I am a major ‘Sandman’ fan and to be able to watch Neil and Allan do what they do is extraordinary. I think what they did with Season 1 — it’s refreshing, it’s breathtaking, it’s iconic. It’s all of those descriptions and to know that it connected with audiences is just so rewarding.”

Related: Neil Gaiman Breaks Down the Type of People Who Complained About The Sandman’s Diverse Casting
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Will The Sandman Season Two Continue to Deliver for Netflix?

Netflix

Netflix has become known for canceling many expensive-to-make fantasy shows, and the extended delay in renewing The Sandman worried many fans that it could be the latest series to meet an early demise on the platform. However, it seems that the show has done enough to allow the mystical story to continue to unfold, but can it continue to do so in its second season?

The Sandman has new challenges to overcome in its new season if it has any hope of a movie beyond the new episodes. The series may have performed well, but it has not had the runaway success of the likes of Wednesday or Stranger Things, and its massive budget means that anything short of spectacular results will force Netflix to cut it loose. An additional challenge to the series is the recent announcement that Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav has issues with the structure of their Netflix deal and has paused all sales to the streamer. While this could have impacted The Sandman’s second season, Gaiman confirmed on his Twitter account that the disagreements did not affect the show.

Whether this could pose another challenge to be overcome at a later date is something that could have to be addressed in time, but for now, fans are happy to be getting at least one more season of The Sandman before they need to worry about that. While there has been no premiere date announced for the new season of The Sandman, it is expected to debut sometime in 2024.