Joseph Gordon-Levitt Attached To Star In And Possibly Direct SANDMAN Adaptation

Warner Bros. is officially developing a big screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s classic comic book Sandman, which was published by Vertigo/DC Comics. Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman scribe David S. Goyer made a pitch to the studio for a film treatment, and now the project has a star and potential director. According to Deadline, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises) has signed on to produce Sandman alongside Goyer, and is attached to star as lead character Morpheus. And having made his directorial debut recently with Don Jon, he is looking at the adaptation as a directing vehicle. Even though Goyer is involved, he will not be writing the script; a screenwriter will be hired soon. (The Hollywood Reporter adds that Goyer has penned a treatment, and he will be supervising the writing of the script.) As described by Deadline, the original story follows “Morpheus, the personification of dreams. After being held captive 70 years, Morpheus escapes, gains revenge and rebuilds his crumbling kingdom while trying to adapt to the times.” 

Gordon-Levitt is no stranger to the comic book movie genre. In addition to playing John Blake in last year’s The Dark Knight Rises, and having a supporting role in next year’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, the talented actor has been linked to a slew of roles. He was rumored to be in talks to play Batman in the Justice League movie, he was reportedly considered for Star-Lord in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, he was said to be one of the actors in contention to play Ant-Man, and Marvel was even reportedly considering him for the role of Doctor Strange. It appears that he has finally found a potential superhero franchise in Sandman. No other details on the DC/Vertigo adaptation are known yet, but stay tuned for more news as we have it.