Acclaimed literary fantasy universe from beloved author set for future adaptations on Apple TV in landmark deal

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Fantasy shows are incredibly popular with streaming services, thanks to the success of HBO’s Game of Thrones and its related shows. Now, Apple TV+ seems determined to become a major player in this genre as well.

As a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy on screen, I’m really excited to hear the streaming service isn’t stopping with adaptations like ‘Foundation’, ‘Wool’, and ‘The Murderbot Diaries’. Apparently, they’re now working on something based on the books of Brandon Sanderson, which is fantastic news! He’s a truly beloved author, and I can’t wait to see what they do with his world.

Apple TV has made a remarkably large deal to obtain the rights to Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere, a vast and connected fantasy world that includes 24 novels, plus graphic novels, short stories, and other works.

The streaming service is planning to turn the Mistborn books into a movie and The Stormlight Archive into a TV show. They have a large collection of books from across all of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe to work with.

The author shared that he’s tried to bring this project to Hollywood before, explaining he first started looking for a production company to adapt it back in 2016.

He explained why he chose Apple TV as his streaming partner, saying they understand his vision and offer the right balance of creative freedom and oversight for adapting his work. He wants a collaborative relationship, and believes Apple TV provides that.

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He complimented the platform’s history of producing excellent shows, noting that “Apple focuses on quality over quantity compared to some other studios.”

“I find virtually everything of theirs I watch is excellent and creator driven,” he continued.

Sanderson announced he’ll be dedicating the next five months to writing the screenplay for Mistborn. He assured fans he plans to take his time and ensure it’s done well.

I’m committed to prioritizing reading and finishing my books. But to do a good job, I need to fully focus and dedicate my time and energy to it right away.

The Stormlight Archive, an epic fantasy series planned to span ten books divided into two five-book sections, is already in development for television. Blue Marble, the production company behind the Apple TV+ series Pachinko, will executive produce the adaptation.

While Amazon is making shows based on JRR Tolkien’s fantasy worlds and HBO continues its successful collaboration with George RR Martin, Apple TV+ is now aiming to establish itself in the fantasy genre with this major agreement.

It’s easy to see why they chose Brandon Sanderson, a hugely popular author with over 50 million books sold around the world.

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I’ve always been amazed by how this author doesn’t just write stories, but builds entire worlds that connect across different series. It’s incredible how popular they are – they consistently sell out fantasy conventions! And I’ll never forget how they stepped in to finish the Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan’s death – a truly remarkable act of dedication for a series so many of us love.

Brandon Sanderson recently had meetings with leaders from several large film studios. After a competitive process, he reached a unique agreement giving him a lot of say in how his books are adapted for the screen.

The deal allows Sanderson to not only write and produce projects based on his books, but also to act as a consultant and maintain creative control over his world – a remarkably high degree of author involvement for a book-to-screen adaptation these days.

With more and more movies and shows being based on popular books, this new agreement could change the way authors and studios work together.

Fantasy fans have plenty to be excited about with upcoming projects like Apple TV’s partnership with Brandon Sanderson, plus Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’s popular Empyrean series.

Authors

Nicola AustinFreelance Writer

Nicola Austin is a freelance journalist with a passion for sci-fi, fantasy, and animation. She’s written for many publications, including Empire, Digital Spy, and SciFiNow, covering TV and film. And she firmly believes that The Mummy is a classic 90s film!

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2026-01-29 16:35