Sandman

Don Jon’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt is still attached to produce the big screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, and while it’s hoped that the actor will also be able to star in and direct the movie, Warner Bros. have in the meantime found a writer.

While it was Man of Steel scribe David Goyer who initially pitched a live-action take on the comic book, the responsibility of writing the screenplay will fall to the UK’s own Jack Thorne. He’s something of a surprising choice given the fact that he’s best known for small screen projects like The Fades, Skins and This is England.

Goyer and Levitt are both set to produce, while Gaiman will be taking on an Executive Producer role.

The Sandman series features a mixture of horror and fantasy, and the central character is Morpheus, the personification of dreams (and the character it’s hoped Levitt will play). After being held captive 70 years, Morpheus escapes, gains revenge and rebuilds his crumbling kingdom while trying to adapt to the times.

It’s an adaptation with franchise potential, and following The Dark Knight Rises and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, far from Levitt’s first comic book movie should he decide to star. It will however be his next directing project after Don Jon, and a huge step up in terms of scale and budget.