Warner Bros.' adaptation of Neil Gaiman's classic comic book Sandman is getting closer to becoming a reality. The Hollywood Reporter has word that Eric Heisserer (Hours) has come aboard to write the screenplay, based on a treatment written by David S. Goyer. The treatment was written to help launch the search for a screenwriter, which has now been completed.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt came aboard to star and direct the Sandman adaptation back in December 2013, but he later admitted that he was only producing. Tom Hiddleston was being sought to play Morpheus, but his involvement was never confirmed. Now it seems that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to star, produce and direct the adaptation.

It is believed that the actor/director will play Morpheus, the personification of Dreams in a family known as The Endless, whose members represent other aspects of life such as Death, Delirium, Desire, Destruction, Despair and Destiny. The story follows Morpheus, who escapes after being held captive by a wizard for the past 70 years. He goes on a journey to get revenge for his imprisonment, while trying to rebuild his empire and adapt to the current society.

Jack Thorne (A Long Way Down) was attached to write the script back in 2014, but it isn't known if Eric Heisserer will rewrite his screenplay, or start over from scratch. New Line is hoping to turn this movie into a full trilogy, but that will surely depend on how Sandman fares at the box office. New Line hasn't set a release date at this time, and it isn't known when production may begin.

Eric Heisserer's writing credits include the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Final Destination 5, The Thing and Hours, which marked his directorial debut. He also wrote the script for Universal's upcoming Van Helsing reboot, The Conjuring: The Enfield Poltergeist and Lights Out, whih he also produced. What do you think about this Sandman adaptation moving forward?