Last month there was finally some progress for the long-anticipated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt finalizing a deal to produce the film for Warner Bros. At that time there were a lot more rumors than details, but it was mentioned that the actor may also star in and direct the film.
Recently, the folks over at IGN had a chance to sit down with Gordon-Levitt and ask a few questions about the project. His answers are fairly vague, meaning either there aren’t any solid details yet or he’s just staying tight-lipped on everything he knows. Still, it’s definitely interesting to see his early thoughts on the project.
IGN: What stage is The Sandman at?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Early days. Very, very early days.
IGN: We know you’re producing, but there’s various “You might star, you might direct”…
Gordon-Levitt: Lots of potential, but it’s still very early.
IGN: Should we take you tweeting the hashtag “Prelude” in relation to Sandman to mean what we think it means, that you’ll be adapting the “Preludes & Nocturnes” storyline that began the comic?
Gordon-Levitt: I honestly just wrote that as sort of a pun, because this tweet was a prelude to who knows what’s to come. Obviously “Prelude” is the title of the first issue, but… Yeah, nothing is cemented yet. But there’s so much potential in that material. It’s exciting.
IGN: What is it about Sandman that sparked your interest?
Gordon-Levitt: Well, I love just the basic concept of it – just the concept of personifying Dream, along with all of his brothers and sisters, the seven Endless personifying Death, personifying Destruction and Delirium and Destiny and Desire and Despair. I mean, that’s just a fascinating and, I think, a really cinematic concept. You look at the art of Sandman, and it just looks spectacular. I love big, spectacular movies, but oftentimes big, spectacular movies sort of get stuck in a rut. They go down certain paths that end in big explosions or whatever. Sandman has so much opportunity to do something that’s on a grand, grand scale, but really unlike your average big, grand-scale, spectacular movie. I guess that’s the tip of the iceberg.
While I thought Don Jon was a remarkable directorial debut and Gordon-Levitt did quite well at directing his own acting, I don’t know that it’d be best for him to direct and star in this one. I don’t mean that as a knock on his ability in any way, I just feel that with a movie of this scale, it may be better to have a director who can focus solely on directing. That being said, if someone is going to take on both roles, Gordon-Levitt seems like as good of a pick as any.
Later on in the interview Gordon-Levitt was also asked about his thoughts on joining a Marvel Studios film if the opportunity presented itself. He kept that answer fairly vague as well, but said that he isn’t as concerned by genres when selecting future projects, but more about who the collaborators are and whether the material resonates with him.
What do you think of Gordon-Levitt’s comments on Sandman? Would you want him to star and direct in the film? Head on down to the comments section to share your thoughts.