How Apple TV’s Upcoming Fantasy Show Could Run for 10+ Seasons (& Might Not End Until the 2040s)

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As a fantasy fan, I’m really excited about Apple TV’s new show – and apparently, it could run for over ten seasons! They’re even saying it might not wrap up until the 2040s, which honestly, makes sense given the books it’s based on. There are a lot of fantasy adaptations out there that could have long runs – I’m thinking of the animated Wheel of Time remake, for example. But let’s be real, so many of them get cancelled these days, especially with streaming, and we never get a proper ending. It’s a shame, but it seems like a lot of great fantasy projects just don’t get the chance to fully tell their stories.

Most fantasy shows don’t last very long, especially those that finish their stories on their own terms. While shows like Supernatural are exceptions, reaching over 10 seasons, even popular series such as Game of Thrones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Vampire Diaries typically run for about 7 or 8 seasons. However, the upcoming adaptation of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe by Apple TV has the potential to be a major hit and could even last for over a decade – potentially into the 2040s – thanks to the sheer amount of source material available.

The Stormlight Archive TV Show Could Run for 10+ Seasons on Apple TV

Now that The Stormlight Archive is being adapted for television, the upcoming Wheel of Time remake won’t be the only fantasy series with the potential to run for ten seasons or more. Brandon Sanderson’s epic series currently has five massive books – each over 1,000 pages long – and he plans to write another five to follow. Plus, there are shorter stories (novellas) that could be adapted into individual episodes. This provides plenty of content for a long-running show, especially if Apple TV dedicates an entire season to each book. Given the books’ length, some seasons might even cover multiple books, similar to how Game of Thrones used two seasons to adapt A Storm of Swords.

As a huge fan, I’m already picturing this adaptation of The Stormlight Archive going on for a really long time – potentially even into the 2040s! That’s because there are still five books to release before we even get to the TV show. And if both Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive do well, I could totally see Apple TV releasing seasons of Stormlight and then filling in the gaps with shows based on Brandon Sanderson’s other amazing Cosmere books. Honestly, with all the story there is, this could easily be a fantasy show that we’re watching for decades!

Apple’s Stormlight Archive Adaptation Could Run Into the 2040s

Okay, so here’s the deal with the Sanderson adaptations. We’re still in the dark about when The Stormlight Archive show will actually start filming or hit screens. Right now, it sounds like the Mistborn movie is the main focus, which makes sense – it’s a great way to introduce people to Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe. If Sanderson wants to be heavily involved in both projects, Stormlight is probably going to be put on hold for a while. He’s currently writing the Mistborn screenplay and still needs to write Era 3 of Mistborn books! Honestly, I’m starting to think we might not see The Stormlight Archive really get going until the 2030s. And considering how long streaming shows take – a year or two per season, usually – it could easily be the 2040s before they adapt all five Stormlight novels. It’s a long wait, but hopefully worth it!

To finish the later books in the series, Sanderson will need to write them himself, and he doesn’t want the adapted version to get ahead of the original story. However, with work on the adaptation and his commitment to writing three more Mistborn books, he won’t be able to return to The Stormlight Archive anytime soon. He even told fans in his 2024 update, released with Wind and Truth, that it would be a while before he could start on the next Stormlight book. He plans to finish the Ghostbloods trilogy, as well as the sequels to Elantris, before returning to Stormlight. His 2025 update confirmed that Mistborn and other sequels remain his main priority.

Apple TV’s plans for Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe are flexible, and they might decide to create shows based on novels like Elantris or Warbreaker, or even some of Sanderson’s currently unannounced projects. This could potentially delay the production of later books in The Stormlight Archive, but that might actually be beneficial, giving Sanderson more time to write them.

Brandon Sanderson’s Planned Time Skip Will Benefit His TV Adaptation

Adapting Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive will likely be a long process, but that could actually be a good thing. Sanderson is planning a significant time jump within the story – about ten years – between the current book, Wind and Truth, and the next five. This means any pauses in production or changes to the actors won’t feel disruptive to the storyline. This all depends on Apple TV continuing to invest in the series for the long term, but given Sanderson’s popularity, that seems likely. A show that runs through the 2030s and 2040s would give Apple a major advantage in the fantasy television market.

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2026-05-12 04:41