Audible Inc, a producer and provider of spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks, today announced the star-studded cast of the first-ever exclusive audio adaptation of the New York Times best-selling graphic novel series, The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC.

Adapted and directed by Dirk Maggs and narrated by Gaiman, who serves as creative director and executive producer, the powerhouse cast is led by James McAvoy in the title role of Dream and includes Riz Ahmed, Justin Vivian Bond, Arthur Darvill, Kat Dennings as Death , Taron Egerton, William Hope, Josie Lawrence, Miriam Margolyes, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, and Michael Sheen as Lucifer and an expansive list of additional cast.

The first instalment of the multi-part original audio drama series is set for release on July 15, 2020, and adapts volumes 1-3 of the graphic novel series ( Preludes & Nocturnes, The Doll’s House, and Dream Country ).

The company gave a glimpse of the fantasy-based show and briefed on a story that revolves around an occultist, who attempts to capture the physical embodiment of Death (Dennings) in a bargain for eternal life, he instead mistakenly traps Death’s younger brother Dream (McAvoy), another of the seven god-like siblings known as The Endless, who oversee aspects of human existence, including Desire (Bond) and Despair (Margolyes), Destiny, Destruction and Delirium .

After seventy years of imprisonment, Dream finally escapes, embarking on a quest to reclaim his lost objects of power and rebuild his kingdom, the world of sleep and imagination called The Dreaming . So begins one of the most acclaimed and successful series of graphic novels ever written, it claimed.

‘Cultural phenomenon’

David Blum, Editor-in-Chief of Audible Originals, mentioned in the official release: “A truly exceptional cast of artists will be bringing this cultural phenomenon to life. We are honoured to be working alongside Neil Gaiman and DC to create a truly immersive adaptation that we know fans and listeners will love.”

Gaiman’s long-time audio collaborator, multi-award winner Dirk Maggs, shares executive producer credit and also serves as the project’s scriptwriter and director. Audio mentioned that Maggs is best known for his landmark audio adaptations of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere , Stardust , Good Omens and Anansi Boys , as well as for the renowned Audible Originals’ Alien: River Of Pain and The X-Files and the celebrated DC audio productions, including The Trial of Superman , Batman: Knightfall and Superman: To Doomsday & Beyond .

In addition to the cinematic soundscape that has become Maggs’ trademark, The Sandman also features an original score by Academy Award-winning composer and musician James Hannigan.

The Sandman is the latest in a series of best-in-class Audible Original audio dramas released by Audible in recent months. Other highlights include Assassin’s Creed: Gold , The X Files starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny, Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light starring Yara Shahidi, and Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds: The Musical Drama starring Michael Sheen, Taron Egerton, and Theo James.

The Sandman is available for pre-order now and will exclusively premiere on Audible.com/TheSandman on July 15, 2020, in English, and will subsequently be released in French, German, Italian, and Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish editions, the audiobooks company informed.