The dream lives on! Netflix renews 'The Sandman' for Season 2

Sandman fans, your nightmare is over: Neil Gaiman's dreamy Netflix series, based on his seminal DC/Vertigo comics, has finally gotten renewed for a second season.

Netflix announced the news late this afternoon on Twitter, along with a quote from Gaiman himself: "There are some astonishing stories waiting for Morpheus & the rest of them… Now it’s time to get back to work. There’s a family meal ahead... And Lucifer is waiting for Morpheus to return to Hell."

“Millions upon millions of people have welcomed and watched and loved The Sandman on Netflix, from established Sandman fans to people who were simply curious, and then became obsessed with the Lord of Dreams, his family and their goings-on,” said Gaiman in a statement, via Variety. “It gives me unbelievable pleasure to say that, working with Netflix and Warner Bros., Allan Heinberg, David Goyer and I will be bringing even more of The Sandman stories to life. There are some astonishing stories waiting for Morpheus and the rest of them (not to mention more members of the Endless Family to meet). Nobody is going to be happier about this than the Sandman cast and crew: they are the biggest Sandman fans there are."

While welcome news indeed, the renewal isn't exactly surprising, considering the popular show found itself among the Top 10 most-viewed Netflix titles in 93 countries worldwide upon release. Premiering Aug. 5, The Sandman garnered heavy early viewing in its first month of streaming, including 69.5 million hours in its first week, and an impressive 127.5 million the week after. Considering the show's popularity, and the amount of money already invested in doing it right, it's somewhat surprising the renewal didn't come earlier.

Back in August, with millions of people already tuning in, Gaiman addressed what was taking so long to renew the series. "Sandman is a really expensive show," the writer and executive producer tweeted in response to a fan query. "And for Netflix to release the money to let us make another season we have to perform incredibly well. So yes, we've been the top show in the world for the last two weeks. That still may not be enough."

It may have taken awhile, but now it appears to have been enough, and we'll get to see more of Gaiman's 75-book run adapted for the small screen. The first season, developed by Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and showrunner Allan Heinberg, was based upon the volumes Preludes & Nocturnes, The Doll's House, and the beginning of Dream Country, and told the story of Dream/Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), one of the seven Endless, who sets out to rebuild his fallen realm after being taken prisoner during an occult ritual. Among others, the sprawling series also stars Boyd Holbrook (Corinthian), Vivienne Acheampong (Lucienne), Patton Oswalt (Matthew the Raven), David Thewlis (John Dee), Gwendoline Christie (Lucifer Morningstar), Jenna Coleman (Johanna Constantine), and Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Death).

No word yet on when Season 2 of The Sandman will hit Netflix, but we do expect it to be "very ambitious", according to Heinberg.

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