The first seven cast members for Netflix's upcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman were revealed this past Friday, and fans were very pleased to learn that Boyd Holbrook (Logan, The Predator) would be taking on the role of The Corinthian.
During a recent interview with Collider to promote his new horror film Eight for Silver (which had its premiere at Sundance over the weekend), Holbrook revealed how excited he was to land the part.
“We’re doin The Sandman. We’re shooting it out in London. I play The Corinthian, which is one of the coolest things that’s happened in awhile to me… It’s like one of the best comic books that hasn’t been made [into a film or TV show].”
Holbrook was also asked if he knows how long the show is expected to run for, and while he didn't go into specifics, it definitely sounds like the plan is for The Corinthian to stick around for more than just the first couple of seasons.
“I think everyone wants the show to continue [beyond Season 1]," he said. "I think it’s a standard contract that’s like seven, five years whatever. We have talked about all that. I don’t know if it’ll all work out. I think it might work out in different blocks of time, but yeah you definitely want to have some sort of macro idea of how long something’s gonna last. But I don’t wanna give away the details of how long.”
Potential spoilers ahead.
If you've read The Sandman, you'll understand why this is a point of interest. While The Corinthian is a fan-favourite character, the sadistic escaped nightmare only appeared in a single arc (The Dolls House) before being destroyed and "remade" by his master in a slightly less bloodthirsty form.
He did return towards the end of the series, but Holbrook's comments would seem to suggest that this take on the villain is going to have a much more substantial role to play in the Netflix show.
The 11-episode first season of The Sandman is expected to adapt the first arc of the Vertigo comics series, "Preludes and Nocturnes," which finds Dream captured by a black magician and held prisoner for the better part of a century. When he finally escapes, he sets about recovering three very important items, encountering Lucifer, John Constantine, Doctor Destiny, Martian Manhunter and more on his travels.
Gaiman is developing the show along with David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg. No premiere date has been set.