Back in 2007, when Gaiman suggested a Terry Gilliam-directed Sandman film, the popular suggestion for Dream was Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas star Johnny Depp. A run of disappointing big Disney movies from Pirates of the Caribbean 4 and Alice in Wonderland to this year's big flop The Lone Ranger have meant that Depp is no longer the actor of the moment. However, this is just the fickle flipside to Cumberbatch's current popularity, and it doesn't mean that Depp is no longer suitable to be Dream. Indeed, the fact the 50-year-old actor is that bit older than the others on this list may count in his favour when it comes to playing an ancient immortal. It also means that Depp has a more significant body of work with much of it coming within the dark fantasy genre, messy haired goth is his role in most Tim Burton films. Throughout his career, from his breakthrough in Nightmare on Elm Street to Alice and The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, Depp's roles have seen him navigating the kind of ever-shifting worlds of imagination that make up the Dreaming. Meanwhile the likes of Sweeney Todd saw him imperious, threatening, but also suffering romantic tragedy. Nominated for 10 Golden Globes and 3 Oscars, the quality and range of Depp's acting is in no doubt, however much he may default to quirky weirdo mode when in blockbuster movies. Even with some negative critical reaction to his recent work, Depp remains a massive star. His attachment to a project whose development has been very tricky could be the financial incentive finally to get it made. However, with Pirates and Alice sequels lined up, that same A-list stardom means he doesn't have an enormous amount of time to sign on for what could be another ongoing franchise. Recent rumours linking him to Marvel's Dr. Strange, another magical fantasy comic character but one owned by his usual backers Disney, might be more plausible.
