In Netflix’s The Sandman of Neil Gaiman’s beloved comic, the titular Dream faces a host of enemies, from the eye-chewing Corinthian to his siblings despair and desire. Then there’s Lucifer – played by “Game of Thrones” star Gwendoline Christie, who goes head-to-head with Tom Sturridge’s main character.
The two first met on screen in episode 4, “Hope in Hell,” when Dream visited the underworld to learn that his lost helmet was possessed by a demon. After haggling with the powerful fallen angel, Dream, AKA Morpheus, soon finds himself dueling Lucifer in the lavish throne room in an attempt to take back what belongs to him.
“Almost everything was there. They really built that palace,” Christie told Total Film when asked about what it was like shooting the scene. “It’s on stilts. It’s a huge set, it has fire pits. It has human bodies coming out of the walls. It’s an extraordinary thing. We obviously did use a lot of VFX elements, especially It’s during the challenges – those are always tough, but it’s been a real joy to work with Tom Sturridge. It’s all about the hug we have together as actors, the connection we have and the love we have for each other trust.
“I think we really enjoy playing those scenes. So, it’s all about listening to Tom’s voice and reacting. We have a great director, Jamie Childs, who wants to push things as much as possible. Had a different idea in terms of emotion or how far we wanted to go, and he was really willing to go there with us. It was an amazing and joyful collaborative experience… in hell.”
Much of the dialogue used in the sequence comes directly from Gaiman’s graphic novel, which is certainly not the only moment the show is directly adapted. Starring Boyd Holbrook, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, David Thewlis, Jenna Coleman and more, Sandman follows Dream, a powerful cosmic being who travels to different worlds to retrieve his tools and restore balance after he was imprisoned for more than a century By a ruthless magician.
All 10 episodes are now available to stream. If dark fantasy isn’t your thing and you’re overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content on the platform, then check out our guide to the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.
