'The Sandman' Release Date, Cast & Plot: Neil Gaiman Says Tom Hiddleston Can Be Morpheus

It looks like that we will soon be seeing the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's famous "Sandman" book.

According to Cinemablend, Neil Gaiman, the author of the famous novels "Stardust," "American Gods," and "Coraline" revealed that he has finally found the right person for the "Sandman" lead role.

Neil told Radio Times that he saw Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his "Sherlock" role, to portray Morpheus.

"I think the first time I saw Benedict was as Sherlock Holmes, I thought, 'wow, that's incredibly Morpheus'. And fans probably thought the same because they immediately started doing fan-art, meshing the two of them up," to quote him.

But Radio Times noted that Benedict might not say yes to the role as he has already the "Doctor Strange" movie in place.

Neil also said that there was a time that "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor Johnny Depp was the right person for Morpheus. However, the role is no longer for him right now as he is now "too old."

"It's a funny thing with Morpheus. Again, it's that thing where you look around and think, 'Yes this person would be a fantastic person', and then time passes," he was again quoted as saying.

Neil noticed that "Thor" actor Tom Hiddleston might also be perfect for the role. "Then again, Tom Hiddleston is still out there! And the truth is, as far as I'm concerned, anybody who sounds English with great cheekbones can probably pull it off," he said.

"The Sandman" is the graphic novel that put Neil Gaiman's name there. The book which was released in 1989 focuses on Morpheus who is also known as the Lord of Dreams. MTV said at least 30 million copies of the novel have been sold worldwide. A prequel to the graphic novel has also been released recently. It is called, "The Sandman: Overture."

David S Goyer, known for the movie "Man of Steel," is reportedly the producer of the "Sandman" film. Radio Times added that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gaiman himself are also involved in the rumored movie.

It noted that a "Sandman" movie was first pitched by Warner Bros. in the 1990s but there were some issues about the script. Neil Gaiman even described the screenplay as the "worst script I've ever read."

So as to not ruin it, Neil Gaiman has now been involved in the movie's script, Radio Times said.

"My position on it has always been, for over 25 years now, I would rather see no Sandman movie than a bad Sandman movie. A couple of times, people say, 'It's a crime there's never been a Sandman movie', and a couple of times, to be honest, I have thrown my body in front of a bus on a couple of bad ones over the years. I'm just happy that no bad Sandman movie has ever been made. But I'm really hoping that a good one will be. They're a good team. And with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in charge, his instincts are good and he loves the material. He wants it to be true to the material," he was quoted as saying.

Neil said that he is scheduled to receive the movie's script before Christmas.