English author Neil Gaiman’s latest book adaptation is going straight to Netflix. Based on a series of comic books of the same name, published by DC and written by Gaiman, The Sandman is iconic in certain circles. Blending history and mythology, Gaiman creates a world that tells the story of how the world works behind the scenes and who is responsible for specific parts of it, like your Dreams.

The official Netflix description for The Sandman says, “After years of imprisonment, Morpheus — the King of Dreams — embarks on a journey across worlds to find what was stolen from him and restore his power.” Netflix has indeed done a wonderful job of casting a group of talented actors to take on the epic roles from the comic books. The cast consists of mainly English actors and looks to be shaping up for a wonderful adaptation of the comic books. Ahead of its August 5 premiere, here’s a look at where you may have seen some of The Sandman actors before.

Tom Sturridge

     Netflix

Tom Sturridge is probably the most well known for his role in the British comedy film The Boat That Rocked, which had an all-star cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, and Kenneth Branagh. The film goes back to the 60s to tell the fictional story of a pirated radio station that played rock/ pop music to the UK from a ship in the North Sea while the government tried to shut them down. Sturridge also starred in the adventure drama film, On The Road, where he portrayed Carlo Marx (Allen Ginsberg), the poet and friend to both Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, based on Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel of the same name. The film had mixed reviews, but ultimately received one Hollywood Film Festival win and two nominations at Cannes Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival. More recently, Sturridge acted alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Zawe Ashton in the satire horror film Velvet Buzzsaw, which shows the pitfalls of mixing art and business. In The Sandman, Sturridge will play Morpheus/Dream, the King of Dreaming himself.

Gwendoline Christie

     Warner Bros. Television and Netflix

If you’re a fan of fantasy films and television shows, you’ve most likely seen Gwendoline Christie. Christie is most well known for her role in Game of Thrones as Brienne of Tarth, a role she hopes to return to in the upcoming Jon Snow spinoff. Brienne is the only daughter of Lord Selwyn and while noble in birth, she seems to prefer the sword. Christie also starred in the Star Wars sequel trilogy as Captain Phasma. Phasma is a human stormtrooper and Captain of the First Order, who prefers to keep her true looks under wraps, using a special set of chrome Stormtrooper armor. In another smaller role, Christie gave life to Commander Lyme, the leader of the rebels in District 2 of Panem in The Hunger Games, starring alongside Jennifer Lawrence. In The Sandman, Christie will play Lucifer Morningstar, the ruler of Hell.

Jenna Coleman

If you’ve watched anything on the BBC in recent years, you’ve probably seen Jenna Coleman. Coleman is best known for her BAFTA-nominated performance as Clara in Doctor Who. Clara is The Doctor’s companion and friend for multiple seasons. Coleman’s wit and dramatic line delivery make her one of the best we see throughout the show. Moreover, the actress is also known for playing main character in the Emmy-nominated series Victoria, in which she portrays a younger Queen Victoria at the height of her reign. Coleman was most recently seen in the lead role as Marie-Andrée Leclerc in the miniseries The Serpent, which portrays the real-life story of murderer/thief, Charles Sobhraj. In The Sandman, Coleman will play two versions of Johanna Constantine: an 18th century ancestor and a present-day descendant who is a detective investigating Dreaming, which per Bleeding Cool is an “updated” John Constantine.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste

Kirby Howell-Baptiste is known for her role as Nicole Malloy in the Veronica Mars revival episodes. Her character is a breath of fresh air in a show that needed a sarcastic humor, which Veronica (Kristen Bell) could connect with. Howell-Baptiste starred alongside Bell again in The Good Place as Simone Garnett. Simone is a happy character with a great way of explaining her work to others, but when she dies struggles with the truth. In The Sandman, Howell-Baptiste will play Death, Dream’s kind and wise sister.

Mason Alexander Park

As a non-binary actor, Mason Alexander Park, has become best known for playing Hedwig on the first Broadway national tour of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Besides the stage, Park has also starred as Gren in the live-action version of Cowboy Bebop, a Netflix adapted anime, alongside John Cho. In The Sandman, Park will play Desire, Dream’s androgynous sibling who doesn’t really get along with them.

Donna Preston

     Slater King

Donna Preston is a relative unknown to many people. In the past, she has taken on smaller roles and guest spots in a few films. You may have seen her in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald as Circus Compère in the scene where the magical circus is being taken down. She was also in The Hitman’s Bodyguard as Sonia’s cellmate. In The Sandman, Preston will play Despair, Dream’s deformed sister who is twins with Desire.

David Thewlis

With over 100 acting credits to his name and tons of work on the big and small screen, David Thewlis is sure to dazzle in anything he does next. Thewlis is most well known for playing Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise. Lupin becomes a father-figure and mentor to Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, who starts teaching Harry’s Defense Against the Dark Arts class in their third year. Thewlis’ portrayal of the mind-mannered werewolf is an excellent example of his skills as an actor. More recently, Thewlis was Sir Patrick in Wonder Woman (alongside Gal Gadot), where he also showcased his range playing an unassuming British politician with a serious secret. In The Sandman, Thewlis will play Dr. John Dee, whose attempts to find the truth could place the whole world in peril.

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry is probably best recoginized for his voice rather than his face, although he does have over 150 credits to his name. He has done amazing and incredible voice work over the years. Fry is the most recognizable as the Narrator/Guide in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, and as the audiobook narrator for the British versions of the Harry Potter series. In The Sandman, Fry will play Fiddler’s Green/Gilbert, a location in the Dreaming that takes human form to assist Dream.

Mark Hamill

     Via: Lucasfilm Ltd.

Mark Hamill should need no introduction. The man is legendary in his own right, with over 300 acting credits and countless hours of film work. But if you need more information, Hamill is most known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise. In The Sandman, Hamill will voice a scarecrow with a pumpkin head, who is pretty much the janitor of the dream world, named Mervyn Pumpkinhead.