Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been an instrumental part in getting The Sandman movie off the ground, but he’s suddenly changed his mind. Gordon Levitt ( Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, 500 Days of Summer ) was set to direct and star in the DC Comics R-rated imprint, Vertigo Comics, Sandman adaptation. However, due to creative differences with the movie’s new producers, he’s dropping out. New Line hoped The Sandman would be a trilogy, but Gordon-Levitt won’t be onboard.
Warner Bros. was originally behind Sandman , but recently passed the rights off to its subsidiary company, New Line. Gordon-Levitt was part of the project since its inception, and set to work alongside The Sandman comic’s creator, Neil Gaiman. He announced his decision with a tweet and an explanation on Facebook:
RE: SANDMANSo, as you might know if you like to follow these sorts of things, a while back, David Goyer and I made a...
Posted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Saturday, March 5, 2016
Gaiman doesn’t seem to be holding a grudge. He even called Gordon-Levitt “special.” Gordon-Levitt tweeted back and said he hopes they can collaborate in the future.
And, for the record, my respect for @hitRECordJoe, is undiminished. Getting to know him was the best bit of the last round. He's special.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) March 5, 2016
.@neilhimself Deepest thanks, kind sir. I sincerely hope we find another way to collaborate sooner than later..
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) March 5, 2016
I very much hope so. I would love to work with @hitRECordJoe some more. He's smart, honest & really nice. https://t.co/lbFrNLAycJ
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) March 6, 2016
Gordon-Levitt spoke to MTV News about the progress of Sandman in June. He said the storyline is “complicated” because the comic was written over the course of seven years.
“Big spectacular action movies are generally about crime fighters fighting crime and blowing shit up. This has nothing to do with that. And it was actually one of the things that Neil Gaiman said to me, he said, ‘Don’t have any punching.’ Because he never does. If you read the comics, Morpheus doesn’t punch anybody. That’s not what he does. It’s going to be like a grand spectacular action film, but that relies on none of those same old ordinary clichés. So that’s why it’s taking a lot of time to write, but it’s going to be really good,” Gordon-Levitt explained.
Just a few days ago, horror writer Eric Heisserer (Final Destination 5, The Conjuring ) was hired to write Sandman’ s script, replacing Jack Thorne. Gordon-Levitt and Dark Knight screenwriter David Goyer partnered with Warner Bros. to produce the film in 2013. But now, it seems even Gaiman may have an issue with the New Line’s vision for the critically-acclaimed comic series.
For me, what's important is the 2,500 pages of SANDMAN, not a movie that may or may not ever happen. https://t.co/6NZe47nvJ4
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) March 6, 2016
Reminder for the curious: I don't own SANDMAN. @DCComics does. I don't choose who writes scripts, the director, producer or cast.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) March 6, 2016
Is your question Were the Sandman books/comics worth it? I know Sandman wouldn't have happened without @DCComics. https://t.co/6NZe47nvJ4
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) March 6, 2016
New Line will have to find a new director, and star, for Sandman before any progress is made.
