The Sandman Releases Surprise New Episode on Netflix

The Sandman has dominated Netflix's streaming charts since its 10-episode first season debuted earlier this month. Now it's back with a special surprise episode adapting two standalone stories from the original The Sandman comic book series. The episode arriving today features an animated adaptation of "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" from The Sandman #18 and a live-action adaptation of "Calliope" from The Sandman #17. "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" is directed by Hisko Hulsing, who is known for his work on the Amazon Original series Undone. Louise Hooper directs "Calliope," working with production designer Gary Steele. Hoopers previously directed The Sandman's first season finale, "Lost Hearts," and has directed two episodes of Netflix's The Witcher. Catherine Smyth-McMullen wrote the teleplay for the episode.

Both episodes feature series lead Tom Sturridge as Dream. The guest voice cast for "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" includes Sandra Oh as "The Prophet," Rosie Day as "The Tabby Kitten," David Gyasi as "The Grey Cat," Joe Lycett as "The Black Cat," Neil Gaiman as "Crow/Skull Bird," James McAvoy (who voices Dream in Audible's The Sandman audio adaptation) as "Golden-Haired Man," David Tennant as "Don" and Georgia Tennant as "Laura Lynn," Michael Sheen as "Paul" and Anna Lundberg as "Marion," Nonso Anozie as "Wyvern," Diane Morgan as "Gryphon," Tom Wu as "Hippogriff."

"We endeavored to make the animated version of 'A Dream of a Thousand Cats' as mesmerizing and hypnotic as we could by utilizing the magic of real oil paintings on canvas," Hulsing says in a press release. "We combined the paintings with classically drawn 2D animation, based on realistic 3D animation of telepathic cats in order to create a trippy world that feels both grounded and dreamy at the same time. Untold Studios in London created the breathtaking 3D animation of the cats. The wonderful 2D animation, oil paintings and stylizing were all done at Submarine Studios in Amsterdam."

"Calliope" tells the story of a muse who has a history with Dream. Its guest cast includes Melissanthi Mahut as "Calliope," Arthur Darvill as "Richard Madoc," Nina Wadia as "Fate Mother," Souad Faress as "Fate Crone," Dinita Gohil as "Fate Maiden," Kevin Harvey as "Larry," Amita Suman as "Nora," and Derek Jacobi as "Erasmus Fry."

The Sandman has been well received by critics, earning a 4-out-of-5 review from ComicBook.com: "While purists may bemoan some of the changes, they ultimately make for a more cohesive viewing experience that still allows the individual short stories within the grander saga the room needed for viewers to fully appreciate them. The Sandman team has taken Dream's comics and crafted a worthy adaptation of a story that is, after all, about how we take the stuff of dreams and apply it to our lives, our art, and our relationships. And after seeing that tease at the end of Season 1, viewers will almost certainly be dreaming of what comes next."

The Sandman, including this newest episode, is streaming now on Netflix.