Sandman season 2 stops filming due to SAG-AFTRA strike

Production has been halted on The Sandman season 2 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

"SAG-AFTRA strike is on. Sandman has stopped shooting completely, along with everything else that was squeaking by without writers," creator Neil Gaiman posted on BlueSky. "I hope that the AMPTP sees reason and gets back to the table with the actors and the writers. I have no reason at this point to think they will see reason."

The second season of the wildly successful Netflix entered production, shooting in various locations around the UK, in June. The series, based on the beautifully ethereal graphic novels created by Gaiman, was watched for 69.5 million hours in its first week, before doubling that record in its second to 127.5m. It also spent four weeks at the top of Netflix's TV chart. It was finally renewed for a second season in November.

Fans were worried that the new season would be canceled after Deadline reported that Warner Bros. was unhappy with the way Netflix structured its payments for producers. Gaiman assured viewers that papers had already been signed and that there was no chaos behind the scenes.

The Sandman is just one of many shows that will pause production in the coming months due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which is now concurrent with the WGA strike. Both unions are fighting for a fair deal that includes higher residual checks and protection from AI.

We'll just have to wait patiently for Dream and The Endless to return to our screens. For more, check out our explainer on what the SAG-AFTRA strike might mean for your favorite shows and movies.