It’s not a dream: The third installment of Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman” audio drama on Audible is now available.
All 19 episodes of “The Sandman: Act III,” with James McAvoy again lending his voice to the title role, are now available exclusively on Audible. It’s a surprise release for the third seasons of the popular series that brings to aural life the world of Gaiman’s best-selling fantasy graphic novels published by DC.
The third installment is again adapted and directed by co-executive producer Dirk Maggs and narrated by Gaiman, who also returns as creative director and co-executive producer. “The Sandman: Act III” also features an original score from BAFTA-winning composer James Hannigan.
Gaiman, in a statement provided by Audible, said, “The excitement and the joy people have taken in the astonishing Audible adaptations of Sandman has been such a morale booster over the last few years. The only downside has been that everyone I know, and many thousands of people on social media that I don’t know, have wanted to know when Act III would be released. Now you all know. I think it might be the best one yet.”
Popular on Variety
In addition to McAvoy, returning cast of Audible’s “The Sandman: Act III” includes Kat Dennings as Death, Miriam Margolyes as Despair, Justin Vivian Bond as Desire, Jeffrey Wright as Destiny and Kristen Schaal as Delirium. The ensemble cast also includes Andy Serkis, Riz Ahmed, Regé-Jean Page, Kevin Smith, Bebe Neuwirth, Niamh Walsh, Arthur Darvill and Ray Porter. Joining the cast of Audible’s “Sandman” franchise for the first time are David Harewood as Destruction, Wil Wheaton as Brant Tucker and KJ Apa as Prez.
The first installment of Audible’s “The Sandman” adapts Volumes 1-3 of Gaiman’s graphic novel series of the same name (Preludes & Nocturnes, The Doll’s House and Dream Country). The second installment adapts Season of Mists, Distant Mirrors, A Game of You and Convergence from the graphic novels, while the third installment adapts Brief Lives and Worlds Ends, diving deeper into the world of the Sandman.
In 2020, Audible released the first installment of “The Sandman,” which quickly climbed the charts and remains the service’s best-selling original ever. “The Sandman: Act II,” released in the fall of 2021, is the second best-selling Audible original in the premium catalog within the first 90 days of release, topped only by the first installment.
“We are thrilled to surprise fans with the third volume in Audible’s ‘Sandman’ franchise today,” said Audible EVP and head of U.S. content Rachel Ghiazza. “We couldn’t wait for our listeners to drift back into this world with us, and this installment is again beautifully brought to life in audio with even more immersive soundscaping and incredible performances.”
Separately, Netflix released a TV adaptation of “The Sandman” earlier this summer. That series was developed by showrunner Allan Heinberg alongside Gaiman and executive producer David S. Goyer.
