Overview

• Netflix wrapped The Sandman with “Death: The High Cost of Living,” a bonus episode released July 31 that spotlights Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death of the Endless and Colin Morgan as a disillusioned journalist.
• Showrunner Allan Heinberg and Neil Gaiman mapped a two-season arc focused on Dream (Tom Sturridge), foregoing a third season to preserve narrative cohesion and manage the series’ $15 million per episode budget.
• Production sources confirm that the decision to end the show was driven by preplanned creative goals and financial considerations rather than the mid-2024 misconduct allegations against Gaiman.
• The adaptation condensed Neil Gaiman’s ten-volume saga to center on Dream’s storyline, making targeted changes such as aging up the character Sexton to enhance thematic depth.
• Heinberg described the standalone special as a “goodnight kiss” intended to provide fans with an emotional farewell after the series finale.