Once the happy-go-lucky Delight, turned to Delirium by the stresses and strains of the adult world, the character of Delirium won't become a major player in the story until Brief Lives (a decent story possibility for Sandman 2, assuming the first movie is a success), but that doesn't mean it's not worth casting the random, non-sequitur spouting girl at this stage. Dakota Fanning is an actress at a crossroads between the child roles that made her name, like I Am Sam and Charlotte's Web, and more provocative adult parts like The Runaways. This makes her an ideal choice for the mixed up Delirium, trying to associate with the more adult Endless, while they view her as more of a child to be protected or ignored as a distraction. The audience association of Fanning as a former child star and her still childlike appearance would go some way to suggest this. Her years of child roles means Fanning has more big movie experience than most 20 year olds and has already demonstrated sufficient range to play a character this innocent yet damaged. She also has some previous experience at translating Gaiman's work to the big screen, voicing the eponymous lead role in Coraline, comfortably the best Gaiman adaptation there has been. Other options: Another actress that, like Dormer, has worked with Thorne on British TV before going on to appear in Game of Thrones is Hannah Murray (Skins' Cassie), an actress with a distant, waif-like fragility and disconnect from her surroundings in previous roles that she could bring to the part of Delirium if JGL and co were looking for less of a big name. Summer Glau's unhinged River in Firefly, alternating randomness with lucidity, displayed many Delirium-esque qualities, making Glau a popular choice online.
