Because clearly they’re the only ones we can trust. With Game of Thrones succeeding with flying colors and American Gods in the works, maybe fans can dust off some old dreams.
The Sandman
By Neil Gaiman
Why It's Awesome: The anthropomorphic personification of dreams goes on a quest to right the wrongs caused by his previous dickish behavior. Dream is helped and/or hindered by his equally anthropomorphic Endless siblings Death, Destiny, Destruction, Despair, Desire, and Delirium.
What's the Holdup, Then?: The complexity and fractured nature of the plot, spanning several hundred years over 75 issues, is just too much for a movie. Or even a series of movies. The fantastical art design for the Dreaming — the world the protagonist inhabits — lends itself more to animation than live action, and Hollywood hates adult animation with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. Sure, HBO hasn't really done animation since Spicy City, but if they wanted to get their foot back in the door, they couldn't ask for a more perfect candidate.
Y: The Last Man
By Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
Why It's Awesome: A dystopian near-future in which all but one human male have been wiped out by a mysterious plague is a setting rife for the picking. Sociopolitical commentary, ethics, and equality can be explored side-by-side with the struggle for survival and sanity in a world where over half the population dropped dead overnight.
What's the Holdup, Then?: Other than the obvious balking at a 99% female cast, Hollywood doesn't really funnel money into political dystopias. Thanks for ruining everything, Kevin Costner. On top of that, the story involves a two-year trek across the width of America followed by an extended voyage across the Pacific, and that's only part of the story. That kind of character intimacy — living with these people as they trek through broken towns and roving bands of marauders — is more easily captured on the small screen than the silver.
