Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman season 1 is becoming a rare Netflix show to get a physical media release as it is coming to shelves this fall.
The Sandman is becoming one of the rare Netflix shows to get a physical release. The show, which was co-created by Neil Gaiman based on his comic book of the same name, stars Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, and Patton Oswalt alongside a massive ensemble cast. It follows Dream (Sturridge), one member of a group of siblings who embody metaphysical concepts, who escapes imprisonment after a century and seeks to regain control over The Dreaming.
Netflix has announced that they will be releasing The Sandman season 1 in its entirety (including the special eleventh episode “Dream of a Thousand Cats/Calliope”) on physical media. The season will debut on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on November 28 following a digital release on September 18. The release will also include two special features, “The Sandman: Behind the Scenes Sneak Peek” and “The World of The Endless.” Check out the box artwork for the release below:
Why is The Sandman Getting This Special Release from Netflix?
Typically, Netflix shows are streaming exclusives that remain available only to viewers who subscribe to the service. However, some shows that have attracted special attention get physical releases, including The Crown, Stranger Things, and Orange is the New Black. They have also put out physical releases of some of their Oscar-nominated movies, usually through the Criterion Collection, including Marriage Story, The Irishman, and Roma.
For some time, it did not seem like The Sandman was in that upper echelon of Netflix titles. This is largely because the streaming service delayed making a decision on The Sandman season 2, which was finally renewed in November 2022, three months after it originally premiered, and clarified to be more episodes rather than specifically “season 2”. Because of this long delay, it was suspected that the audience for the show might not have been large enough to sustain its budget, even though it eventually proved to be the eighth most-watched English-language show on the platform for the entire year.
While this physical release could be a further attempt to recoup this budget, it nevertheless is a good sign for the future of the Sandman show. The streamer is now marketing the show to an even broader audience, which means that the next episodes could become a huge tentpole for Netflix if viewers who only experienced The Sandman on physical media sign up for the service to watch the new episodes when they drop. It remains to be seen if the show is renewed for further seasons, but the streamer seems more openly confident in the project now than they did in late 2022.
