Rapid Insights: The Sandman Brings Gaiman’s Nightmare to Life

Who’s the target audience for this new adaptation?
Older men. Viewers are predicted to lean male (54%) and skew mostly toward 30+ (62%). Compared to previous Gaiman-adjacent adaptations, however, The Sandman will likely be the most gender-balanced; both American Gods and Good Omens appealed even more solidly to men (57-59%), while the audience for Lucifer–loosely based on a secondary character from The Sandman comics–was heavily female thanks to its crime-solving focus.

Which element of the story will most bring in viewers?
Morpheus’s crusade to regain control of his realm. Audiences will be drawn to the hardened character’s chaotic New Beginning (160) after a century’s imprisonment and his long-held but Unlikely Friendship (160) with loyal ally Lucienne, the compassionate Librarian who ran the kingdom in his absence. Establishing the pair’s supportive dynamic early on will be important.

What type of emotional experience will keep audiences tuned in?
A dark one. The driving forces behind the show’s bingeability are the twin desires of Power (139) and Vengeance (121), emanating not only from Morpheus but also his twisted rogue creation: a sentient nightmare known as The Corinthian. The ongoing ‘good vs. evil’ Rivalry (136) between the two helps establish a menacing intensity that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

How important is comic author Neil Gaiman to the series’ likely success?
Indispensable. The fact that this show is Based on a Book (160) is an extremely powerful viewership driver, much more so than we typically see for other adaptations. Gaiman’s overall popularity and prestige will be a major source of Sandman buzz, and his 75-issue comics and the Magic (139) they contain will provide endless material to make the series extremely bingeworthy.

Besides the author himself, which storyline will get people talking?
Morpheus’s descent into Hell. Upon his return, the character must embark On a Mission (113) into the underworld, and his encounter with the impossibly powerful Lucifer (played by Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie) as well as other surprising elements of her fiery realm will help drive online chatter.

Did the show’s recent Comic-Con panel help stoke fan anticipation?
Definitely. The series saw a huge spike in social tracking (up to 149, out of a possible 160) with last week’s release of its Comic-Con exclusive trailer, and quotes from author Gaiman captured during the Hall H Q&A have been picked up in the entertainment media.

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

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