Michael Jackson as &#8216;The Sandman&#8217;? Neil Gaiman Reveals the King of Pop Pitched Himself to Warner Bros for the Role of Morpheus

What if The Dreaming realm from The Sandman had a soundtrack? Would not Michael
Jackson’s Thriller be the perfect song? Perhaps one should not reveal this to
Neil Gaiman but picture this. As the world sleeps, all the nightmares
conceptualized by Morpheus come alive and do the hook steps of the hauntingly
wonderful song by the King of Pop himself. This dream of ours could’ve come true
if things had gone a little differently in the 90s.



Today, Neil Gaiman’s mammoth of a comic book collection finally has a successful
adaptation. However, The Sandman
[https://netflixjunkie.com/tag/the-sandman] went through the wringer with
multiple filmmakers trying their best to adapt the so-called unfilmable graphic
novel. While some came close, it was a series of failed attempts. Recently, Neil
Gaiman narrated a beautiful, heart-warming story that connects the late Michael
Jackson to Dream of The Endless.

ALSO READ: How a Hurricane in England Gave Birth to the Legendary Neil Gaiman
Creation ‘The Sandman’
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-how-a-hurricane-in-england-gave-birth-to-the-legendary-neil-gaiman-creation-the-sandman/]


NEIL GAIMAN REMINISCES ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON ASPIRING TO BE THE SANDMAN

In a recent interview with MTV’s Josh Horowitz regarding The Sandman, Gaiman
spoke about the legendary music icon. Back in 1996, Jackson contacted the
President of Warner Bros. asking if he could play the titular character in the
live-action rendition of The Sandman. What a world that would’ve been if it
actually materialized!



Back then, Jackson’s career had taken a hit owing to several allegations against
him. Hence, there was no shortage of public humiliation and legal scrutiny. His
song They Don’t Care About Us was also under the microscope for its
controversial lyrics. The only saving grace that year was his Grammy for Scream,
a duet he performed with his sister Janet Jackson.

ALSO READ: Is the Trademark “Netflix Look” Hampering the Viewer Experience of
‘The Sandman’?
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-is-the-trademark-netflix-look-hampering-the-viewer-experience-of-the-sandman/]

Michael Jackson’s filmography at the time also was not as abundant. Barring a
semi-autobiographical Moonwalker, Captain EO, and a Broadway Musical, The Wiz,
the king of pop, had little in his arsenal. On the other hand, The Sandman
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-concepts-of-dream-and-nightmares-redefined-by-the-netflix-current-hit-the-sandman/]had
made a significant mark as one of the first Graphic Novels to be featured on The
New York Times bestseller list. So it made perfect sense why MJ pitched himself
for The Sandman.


WOULD MICHAEL JACKSON HAVE MADE A GOOD MORPHEUS?

As die-hard fans of both Neil Gaiman and Michael Jackson, we can not help but
wonder about the magical collaboration. As far as Dream’s look goes, MJ would
have nailed it. And think about what his discography could do to elevate the
already brilliant narrative. There is an ideal Jackson song for every pivotal
moment of the fantasy tale.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

If Smooth Criminal does not match The Corinthian
[https://netflixjunkie.com/a-living-nightmare-who-chews-off-peoples-eyeballs-the-corinthian-in-sandman-is-the-goriest-creation-of-neil-gaiman-explained/],
we do not know if anything ever will. After all, he was the first ever serial
killer. Also, would it not be surreal if Heal The World plays in the background
as people succumb to the sleepy sickness? Moreover, Black or White might be the
perfect response to the show’s unnecessary backlash for forcing diversity.

ALSO READ: Meet Diversity, the Eighth Member of The Endless in Neil Gaiman’s
‘The Sandman’
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-meet-diversity-the-eighth-member-of-the-endless-in-neil-gaimans-the-sandman/]

What do you think about the transition from King of Pop to King of Dreams? Do
you think Michael Jackson would’ve done justice to Neil Gaiman’s protagonist?
Let us know in the comments.

For those who have not seen it yet, the first season of The Sandman is now
streaming [https://www.netflix.com/in/title/81150303] on Netflix.

Natasha Vijan

Comment

Michael Jackson as &#8216;The Sandman&#8217;? Neil Gaiman Reveals the King of Pop Pitched Himself to Warner Bros for the Role of Morpheus - Netflix Junkie

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Natasha is a writer at Netflix Junkie. Despite completing her Masters in Architecture from Hochschule Anhalt in Germany, she decided to follow her passion for storytelling.

Apart from working as an architect in the past, Natasha currently also ghostwrites for various travel and lifestyle blogs like italyfoodies.com, mypureplants.com and more. Moreover, she has also been involved as a screenplay analyst with Outstanding Screenplays London.

An avid cinephile, Natasha especially enjoys quirky dark comedies and gangster films. She can talk about films by Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie for days and even aspires to make her own film someday. When not at work, she can be found at at outdoor music concert or a stand-up gig. Additionally, she’s a feminist, LGBTQIA ally and a strong mental health advocate.

https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-michael-jackson-as-the-sandman-neil-gaiman-reveals-the-king-of-pop-pitched-himself-to-warner-bros-for-the-role-of-morpheus

Michael Jackson as &#8216;The Sandman&#8217;? Neil Gaiman Reveals the King of Pop Pitched Himself to Warner Bros for the Role of Morpheus - netflix-junkie

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What if The Dreaming realm from The Sandman had a soundtrack? Would not Michael Jackson&#8217;s Thriller be the perfect song? Perhaps one should not reveal this to Neil Gaiman but picture this. As the world sleeps, all the nightmares conceptualized by Morpheus come alive and do the hook steps of the hauntingly wonderful song by the King of Pop himself. This dream of ours could&#8217;ve come true if things had gone a little differently in the 90s.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Michael Jackson - Thriller (Official 4K Video)" width="1170" height="878" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sOnqjkJTMaA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Today, Neil Gaiman&#8217;s mammoth of a comic book collection finally has a successful adaptation. However, <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/tag/the-sandman">The Sandman</a> went through the wringer with multiple filmmakers trying their best to adapt the so-called unfilmable graphic novel. While some came close, it was a series of failed attempts. Recently, Neil Gaiman narrated a beautiful, heart-warming story that connects the late Michael Jackson to Dream of The Endless.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-how-a-hurricane-in-england-gave-birth-to-the-legendary-neil-gaiman-creation-the-sandman/">How a Hurricane in England Gave Birth to the Legendary Neil Gaiman Creation &#8216;The Sandman&#8217;</a>
<h2>Neil Gaiman reminisces about Michael Jackson aspiring to be The Sandman</h2>
In a recent interview with MTV&#8217;s Josh Horowitz regarding The Sandman, Gaiman spoke about the legendary music icon. Back in 1996, Jackson contacted the President of Warner Bros. asking if he could play the titular character in the live-action rendition of The Sandman. What a world that would&#8217;ve been if it actually materialized!
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="The Sandman creator Neil Gaiman says Michael Jackson could have played Dream" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-eWwxQMhBHY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Back then, Jackson&#8217;s career had taken a hit owing to several allegations against him. Hence, there was no shortage of public humiliation and legal scrutiny. His song They Don&#8217;t Care About Us was also under the microscope for its controversial lyrics. The only saving grace that year was his Grammy for Scream, a duet he performed with his sister Janet Jackson.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-is-the-trademark-netflix-look-hampering-the-viewer-experience-of-the-sandman/">Is the Trademark &#8220;Netflix Look&#8221; Hampering the Viewer Experience of &#8216;The Sandman&#8217;?</a>
Michael Jackson&#8217;s filmography at the time also was not as abundant. Barring a semi-autobiographical Moonwalker, Captain EO, and a Broadway Musical, The Wiz, the king of pop, had little in his arsenal. On the other hand, <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-concepts-of-dream-and-nightmares-redefined-by-the-netflix-current-hit-the-sandman/">The Sandman </a>had made a significant mark as one of the first Graphic Novels to be featured on The New York Times bestseller list. So it made perfect sense why MJ pitched himself for The Sandman.
<h2>Would Michael Jackson have made a good Morpheus?</h2>
As die-hard fans of both Neil Gaiman and Michael Jackson, we can not help but wonder about the magical collaboration. As far as Dream&#8217;s look goes, MJ would have nailed it. And think about what his discography could do to elevate the already brilliant narrative. There is an ideal Jackson song for every pivotal moment of the fantasy tale.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-48723 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/mj-as-sandman.jpeg" alt="" width="1527" height="859" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/mj-as-sandman.jpeg 1527w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/mj-as-sandman-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/mj-as-sandman-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/mj-as-sandman-768x432.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1527px) 100vw, 1527px" />
If Smooth Criminal does not match <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/a-living-nightmare-who-chews-off-peoples-eyeballs-the-corinthian-in-sandman-is-the-goriest-creation-of-neil-gaiman-explained/">The Corinthian</a>, we do not know if anything ever will. After all, he was the first ever serial killer. Also, would it not be surreal if Heal The World plays in the background as people succumb to the sleepy sickness? Moreover, Black or White might be the perfect response to the show&#8217;s unnecessary backlash for forcing diversity.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-meet-diversity-the-eighth-member-of-the-endless-in-neil-gaimans-the-sandman/">Meet Diversity, the Eighth Member of The Endless in Neil Gaiman&#8217;s &#8216;The Sandman&#8217;</a>
What do you think about the transition from King of Pop to King of Dreams? Do you think Michael Jackson would&#8217;ve done justice to Neil Gaiman&#8217;s protagonist? Let us know in the comments.
For those who have not seen it yet, the first season of The Sandman is now <a href="https://www.netflix.com/in/title/81150303" target="_blank" rel="noopener">streaming</a> on Netflix.

How a Hurricane in England Gave Birth to the Legendary Neil Gaiman Creation ‘The
Sandman’

Is the Trademark “Netflix Look” Hampering the Viewer Experience of ‘The
Sandman’?

Meet Diversity, the Eighth Member of The Endless in Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sandman’

https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/netflixjunkie-logo-2.jpg

https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MJ-as-Morpheus.jpeg

Neil Gaiman, creator of The Sandman remembers the time the King of Pop, Michael Jackson wished to embody Morpheus on screen

Michael Jackson as 'The Sandman'? Neil Gaiman Reveals the King of Pop Pitched Himself to Warner Bros for the Role of Morpheus - Netflix Junkie

Natasha is a writer at Netflix Junkie. Despite completing her Masters in Architecture from Hochschule Anhalt in Germany, she decided to follow her passion for storytelling. Apart from working as an architect in the past, Natasha currently also ghostwrites for various travel and lifestyle blogs like italyfoodies.com, mypureplants.com and more. Moreover, she has also been involved as a screenplay analyst with Outstanding Screenplays London. An avid cinephile, Natasha especially enjoys quirky dark comedies and gangster films. She can talk about films by Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie for days and even aspires to make her own film someday. When not at work, she can be found at at outdoor music concert or a stand-up gig. Additionally, she’s a feminist, LGBTQIA ally and a strong mental health advocate.

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Michael Jackson as &#039;The Sandman&#039;? Neil Gaiman Reveals the King of Pop Pitched Himself to Warner Bros for the Role of Morpheus - Netflix Junkie

https://www.netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-michael-jackson-as-the-sandman-neil-gaiman-reveals-the-king-of-pop-pitched-himself-to-warner-bros-for-the-role-of-morpheus/

Michael Jackson as ‘The Sandman’? Neil Gaiman Reveals the King of Pop Pitched Himself to Warner Bros for the Role of Morpheus

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