Could a ‘Sandman’ Movie Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt be in the Works?

Despite being one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed comic books of all time, Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman' has yet to make it to the big screen. It's not like they haven't tried, of course. Multiple parties over the years have made attempts and they've all failed. Truth be told, it's a good thing they've failed since most of Hollywood's takes on Gaiman's dense fantasy mythos have sounded downright awful.

But now, like clockwork, another attempt to bring the tale of Morpheus and the Endless cinemas seems to be in the works.

According to Badass Digest (who were the first to drop the news of AMC's 'Preacher' pilot last week), 'The Dark Knight' and 'Man of Steel' writer David S. Goyer has supposedly pitched his version of 'The Sandman' to Warner Bros. and the response was positive. It helps that DC Comics honcho Geoff Johns is supposedly in the loop and that the wonderful Joseph Gordon-Levitt is involved, most likely as the first choice to lead this new tentpole franchise.

Of course, this is all very early and the article makes it clear that this project is in the earliest possible stages of development. Like most attempted 'Sandman' adaptations (including a failed attempt to bring it to TV from 'Supernatural' creator Eric Kripke), it may not even move past the early planning stages. But there's a lot of promise here: studios (and audiences) love Gordon-Levitt and Goyer is the kind of writer who actually has the power to get things moving.

For those unfamiliar with the comic, 'The Sandman' was a 1990s Vertigo series that focused on Morpheus, the personification of dreams, who, along with the rest of his extended family (Death, Destiny, Despair, etc), helps keep the universe running smoothly. The series rotated between high concept fantasy adventure, horror and philosophical, oddball drama, making it the kind of thing that's terrifically suited for a comic series but a tough nut to crack on any screen.

Hopefully, we'll hear more about this project and if the stars align properly, it may happen. Of course, step one should be getting Gaiman involved and securing his blessing. That would make all of us feel a little better about this.