MOVIE NEWS – A big name has been revealed as the voice of Merv Pumpkinhead in The Sandman ahead of its Netflix streaming debut this summer.

Finally, The Sandman has a release date set in stone on Netflix. At Netflix’s Geeked Week event, Neil Gaiman, Allan Heinberg, and The Sandman’s cast appeared on a panel discussion about the series and unveiled an all-new teaser trailer. They also announced the official premiere date, confirming that the series will begin streaming worldwide on Netflix on 5 August 2022. The new teaser can be seen below.

The Sandman is based on the award-winning DC comic book series written by Neil Gaiman. It is described as “a rich, character-driven blend of myth and dark fantasy woven together over ten episodes” and follows the title character on his many adventures. The series was developed and directed by Gailman, showrunner Allan Heinberg and David S. Goyer. Warner Bros. Television.

Read the official premiere of The Sandman below.

“When the Sandman, aka The Dream (Tom Sturridge) – the powerful cosmic being who has control over our dreams – is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner for over a century, he must travel through different worlds and timelines to repair the chaos his absence has caused.”

Mark Hamill joins the cast as Merv Pumpkinhead

It was also announced at Geeked Week that none other than legendary Star Wars actor and voice actor for Batman’s Joker, Mark Hamill, will be the voice of Merv Pumpkinhead in the series. He joins an ensemble cast that includes Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, David Thewlis, Stephen Fry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Donna Preston, Vanesu Samunyai (formerly known as “Kyo Ra”), John Cameron Mitchell, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Joely Richardson, Niamh Walsh, Sandra James Young and Razane Jammal.

“You watch Episode 1 and think, ‘Oh, I get this thing: it’s like Downton Abbey, but with magic,’” Gaiman said of what’s to come, teasing their intentions to subvert fan expectations. “Then you’ll be wondering, ‘What the hell is this?’ by Episode 2 when you’re meeting Gregory The Gargoyle in The Dreaming. Episode 5 is about as dark and traumatic as anything is ever gonna get, then you’ve got Episode 6, which is probably the most feel-good of all the episodes. If you didn’t like an episode of Game of Thrones, you probably won’t like any other episode of Game of Thrones. With Sandman, it’s all about surprising you. It’s all about reinventing itself. It’s all about taking you on a journey you’ve not been on before.”

Online Gaiman also hinted that the series will continue to carry the Sandman vibe when he noted, “It feels like Sandman. I don’t know if that means that TV viewers will like it – although I hope they will – but I suspect that if you love Sandman and want to see it on screen, you’ll like it (I think Tom Sturridge will star after the first season of Sandman is out)”.

The Sandman will launch on Netflix on 5 August 2022. You can watch the series on Netflix.com.