If you say the name “Joel Schumacher” around any comic book movie aficionados, chances are a look of dread will wash over their faces, as they grab the nearest torch, pitch fork or lynchin’ rope. Schumacher was the director who hanged and quartered the Batman series withBatman Forever and Batman and Robin and flushed the reputation of comic book movies down the drain. Unfortunately for fans of The Sandman (DC Vertigo), Schumacher has expressed an interest in directing a Sandman movie, reports IESB.

“I’d rather no Sandman got made than [make] a bad one,” said Sandman creator Neil Gaiman last year at the San Diego Comic Con, in a comment completely unrelated to Schumacher’s interest in the project.

Although Schumacher’s latest film, Number 23, looks somewhat promising, the man hasn’t made a good movie since… well, ever. Sure, The Lost Boys was good for its time and struck a nerve in cult culture. Other than that, if Schumacher’s filmography was erased from existence, it would be surprising if anyone noticed.

So far, this talk of a Schumacher directing the Sandman movie is just something Schumacher would like to do. Kind of like how Dolph Lundgren would like to make an action comedy with Chuck Norris, as we reported yesterday. Considering that Warner Bros. has the DC rights and Gaiman wants to make a good movie adaptation, breathe a sigh of relief that Schumacher probably won’t get anywhere close to this project.