Joseph Gordon-Levitt announced over the weekend that he had left Sandman, a major setback for the long-gestating film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed comic series. Now, Gaiman himself has responded to the news through Twitter.
“For the record, my respect for [Joseph Gordon-Levitt] is undiminished,” the author wrote. “Getting to know him was the best bit of the last round. He’s special.” Gordon-Levitt responded to Gaiman’s kind words, writing, “I sincerely hope we find another way to collaborate sooner than later.”
.@neilhimself Deepest thanks, kind sir. I sincerely hope we find another way to collaborate sooner than later..
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) March 5, 2016
Gordon-Levitt, who had been attached to star in Sandman since 2013, announced his departure in a statement on his Facebook page on Saturday, citing creative differences with the film’s producers. “A few months ago, I came to realize that the folks at New Line and I just don’t see eye to eye on what makes Sandman special, and what a film adaptation could/should be,” he said. “So unfortunately, I decided to remove myself from the project. I wish nothing but the best for the team moving forward.”
Gaiman followed up his original response with a few comments about the Sandman property. “Reminder for the curious: I don’t own SANDMAN. [DC Comics] does. I don’t choose who writes scripts, the director, producer or cast.” He continued: “For me, what’s important is the 2,500 pages of SANDMAN, not a movie that may or may not ever happen.”
Despite the huge setback, Sandman is still in development at New Line, with screenwriter Eric Heisserer currently penning a new draft of the script.
(via: EW)
