Apple TV lands Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere — Mistborn movies, Stormlight TV series

Apple TV has closed an "unprecedented deal" for Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere universe, giving the streamer rights to works including the Mistborn novels and The Stormlight Archive, according to The Hollywood Reporter via MovieWeb. MovieWeb reports Mistborn is reportedly set to be adapted as movies while The Stormlight Archive will be developed as a television series, and Stormlight has already added Theresa Kang's Blue Marble to produce.

The report says Sanderson will have unusually broad creative control on the adaptations — writing, producing, consulting and ultimately holding approvals — a level of oversight MovieWeb contrasts with how Game of Thrones was handled under George R.R. Martin. MovieWeb notes Sanderson has sold more than 50 million books, with more than 70 titles in print, and that he raised over $40 million via a Kickstarter to complete four novels; the article suggests that strong fandom and Apple’s tendency not to cancel shows with big fan bases could allow the Cosmere to become a long-running franchise.

The report places the move in context with other recent fantasy TV efforts, saying Sanderson’s work still trails Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings in sales and cultural recognition, and noting mixed reactions to other adaptations such as Prime Video’s The Rings of Power and the cancellation of The Wheel of Time, as discussed by MovieWeb.

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