Prime Video’s #1 Fantasy Hit Will Be Dethroned by The Lord of the Rings Ultimate Successor

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While Prime Video’s The Rings of Power is currently a dominant force in fantasy streaming, its position isn’t guaranteed. A strong competitor is emerging with everything needed to challenge any major platform: a large scope, careful planning, and a commitment to faithfully adapting the original story. That competitor is The Stormlight Archive, Brandon Sanderson’s epic fantasy series coming to Apple TV.

What really excites me about this possible adaptation isn’t just the money behind it or the buzz – it’s the creative vision. Brandon Sanderson has been remarkably open about his plans, and it’s clear he truly gets what made The Lord of the Rings so successful – not just that it was successful, but why. That level of understanding feels really rare in fantasy TV these days, and it gives me a lot of hope for this project.

Sanderson is Studying Tolkien, Not Just Imitating Him

Brandon Sanderson recently shared that he’s been studying Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, especially the extended versions. He realized that the entire film series is about the same length and has a similar amount of story as a full season of television. He believes this combination of grand scale and focused storytelling is precisely what his Stormlight Archive series needs to achieve.

Instead of aiming for a literal, word-for-word translation, Sanderson is concentrating on figuring out what elements of the source material Jackson’s team kept, and what they deliberately left out. This careful editing process is similar to how Tolkien’s long books were successfully turned into popular movies—avoiding an overly complex or unwieldy adaptation.

This approach sets The Stormlight Archive apart from many contemporary fantasy series, which often mistake extravagance for substance. Sanderson clearly aims to create seasons that feel satisfying and focused, even when adapting his lengthy novels. If Apple TV+ embraces this philosophy in their collaboration with Brandon Sanderson, the adaptation could feel less like typical streaming content and more like a major cultural moment.

Learning From Game of Thrones’ Greatest Mistake

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Brandon Sanderson also looks to Game of Thrones as a cautionary tale. The popular HBO series was incredibly successful until it ran out of books to adapt, leading to a controversial ending that disappointed many fans. Sanderson is very conscious of this danger and has made it a priority to finish writing his novels at the same time the show is being made, to avoid a similar outcome.

A possible way to handle the series’ length is through the natural pause point after book five, using the time jump already planned in Stormlight. Although Brandon Sanderson hasn’t confirmed this approach, he’s carefully considering how to balance the demands of writing and publishing with the need to tell a good story, rather than rushing the ending.

He also wants to avoid long waits between seasons. In today’s world, audiences lose interest quickly, so consistently releasing new content is crucial for staying popular. If Apple can keep up the pace, The Stormlight Archive has the potential to challenge and eventually surpass Prime Video’s The Rings of Power in the fantasy genre.

Prime Video’s popular fantasy series succeeded because of careful planning and creative vision. Guided by Brandon Sanderson and inspired by Tolkien, The Stormlight Archive could become the next great fantasy epic. It aims to be more refined and thoughtfully paced, focusing on the experience of the story rather than simply being bigger or more dramatic.

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2026-02-08 16:09