In 2005, Neil Gaiman pitched a Sandman movie to Warner using Jill Thompson’s concept art. Gaiman says, “We did the pitch in July 2005 to Alan Horn and Jeff Robinov at Warners, mostly to explain what Sandman was, and how it could translate into three movies. They said no.” And yet a movie about a board game can get funded with a budget similar to The Avengers.
Although Warner passed on the movie pitch, they were trying to develop a Sandman TV show as recently as last year, and we’re trying to stay optimistic. Following behind the news that Neil Gaiman is writing a prequel miniseries to The Sandman with artist J. H. Williams III, we have another great Sandman update. Jill Thompson’s 27 pieces of concept art from that fruitless movie pitch can be viewed and purchased at Cadence Comic Art.
The watercolors include scenes from the Doll’s House, Brief Lives, The Kindly Ones, and more. Dream and his sister Death are represented, as are the Corinthian, Daniel, Delirium, Hob Gadling, etc. And Jill Thompson is intimately aware of these characters:
Thompson’s connection to Sandman began back in 1992, when she illustrated the 40th issue of the comic. She later worked on the entire “Brief Lives” storyline, and has since served as both writer and illustrator for Sandman spinoffs including Death: At Death’s Door, The Little Endless Storybook and Delirium’s Party: A Little Endless Storybook. [Blastr]
Below you’ll find some of our favorites from the 27 watercolors for sale at Cadence Comic Art. Most of them cost around $800, so if anybody would spot me about $796.12 that would be great.
Sources: Blastr, Comics Alliance, Bleeding Cool, Cadence Comic Art, Neil Gaiman