The Sandman spin-off show creator reveals that Netflix asked for Easter eggs and Neil Gaiman created a new character for the series
Exclusive: Dead Boy Detectives showrunner Steve Yockey teases how closely connected it is to the original show
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New supernatural TV seriesDead Boy Detectives, based on theDC Comicsof the same name by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner, has had an interesting journey to our screens. Originally starting out life as a spin-off toHBO Max’s (now just Max’s) superhero show Doom Patrol, in 2022 the streaming service gave the production a series order with The Flight Attendant’s Steve Yockey attached as showrunner. Only a year later in February 2023, the new showmoved to Netflixas it was no longer compatible with James Gunn and Peter Safran’splans for the new DCU.
In a way the shift has worked out for the best though as the series is now a spin-off from Netflix’s 2022 hitThe Sandman, which is based on the comic books where the Dead Boy Detectives themselves first made their debut. Leading duo Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), who are best friends that decide to ditch the afterlife to solve crimes involving the undead on Earth, first appeared in The Sandman #25 in a story that tells the tale of how they met.
Now that the new series was taking place in the world of The Sandman, showrunner Yockey could have some fun with making connections between the two. As he tellsSFX magazinein the new issue, which features Doctor Who on the cover, Netflix actually actively encouraged him to include more references for fans. He teased: “Netflix encouraged us, even though we were already in production, to find some Easter eggs, some surprises, that because we’re on the same network we’re now allowed to include that we weren’t allowed to include before. I would obviously love to continue to cross-pollinate, where it makes sense, with Sandman.”
That’s something Gaiman himself is more than happy to oblige with - in fact, as Yockey also reveals to SFX, he even created a brand new character for the show, someone who works in the afterlife’s lost and found department (keep your eyes peeled). As the showrunner states, the author has been a supportive presence throughout the whole process: “He’s been super-supportive and super-encouraging that we do our own thing. We’ve had some great conversations – when it was time to incorporate some of the larger Sandman characters, he was obviously deeply involved in that.”
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Dead Boy Detectives will be available to stream on Netflix from April 25. The above is just a snippet from our interview, available inthe latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Doctor Who on the cover and is available on newsstands from Wednesday, April 17.
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The new #DoctorWho special issue of @SFXmagazine is available from 17 April! Loads of new features, plus art cards and a double-sided poster!The last one sold out quickly so pre-order now to guarantee your copy!https://t.co/Yc1tlxKq14 pic.twitter.com/OUoTiTtrG9April 12, 2024
As Entertainment Editor at GamesRadar, I oversee all the online content for Total Film and SFX magazine. Previously I’ve worked for the BBC, Zavvi, UNILAD, Yahoo, Digital Spy and more.
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