Apple TV Elevates Its Fantasy Game With A New Shared Universe

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Apple TV is preparing to adapt a popular book series into both a movie and a television show, signaling a major step forward in their production of fantasy content.

Apple TV+ has quickly become the leading streaming service for science fiction, consistently releasing high-quality shows and, importantly, giving them the space to develop. Series like Severance, Silo, Foundation, and Pluribus are all expected to improve over time, solidifying Apple TV+’s position as a top choice for sci-fi enthusiasts.

Apple TV is becoming well-known for its science fiction shows, and it looks like it will soon be a major competitor in the fantasy genre as well, with new fantasy shows in the works.

After Setting 2 Successful Shared Universes, Apple TV Is Bound To Get Its Third One Right

Apple TV+ has successfully expanded two of its shows into larger, interconnected universes. Both Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and For All Mankind are getting spin-offs that will take their stories in new and interesting directions. A Cold War spy thriller will follow Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, while For All Mankind is getting a spin-off called Star City to further explore its world.

While many sci-fi worlds are expanding and gaining attention, the upcoming Apple TV adaptation of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe is particularly noteworthy and should be even more anticipated.

A streaming service has secured the rights to adapt Brandon Sanderson’s popular fantasy novels for both film and television. According to sources, the Mistborn series will become a movie franchise, and The Stormlight Archive will be developed into a TV series.

Apple TV has mainly been building up its science fiction offerings, with less attention paid to fantasy. However, acquiring the rights to the Cosmere Universes could change that, potentially establishing Apple TV as a leading platform for high-quality fantasy. If successful, this could put it in competition with, and even surpass, popular fantasy franchises like Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings.

The streaming service has proven it can successfully build out fictional worlds, which is a good sign for the future of the Cosmere Universe. Even more promising is the approach Apple TV is taking with its upcoming adaptations.

Apple TV’s Take On Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe Has 1 Fantasy Advantage

As a critic, I’ve been watching the buzz around adapting Brandon Sanderson’s incredibly popular books for years, and it’s been a tricky situation. He’s had a lot of offers, naturally, given how successful his novels are, but Sanderson’s always been hesitant to relinquish control. Honestly, it’s easy to see why. He was reportedly pretty frustrated with the Wheel of Time adaptation – despite being credited as a consulting producer, he felt his input wasn’t really valued during the show’s creation, and he doesn’t want a repeat of that experience.

Apple TV is doing something different by letting Brandon Sanderson have a lot of creative control over the new adaptation of his Cosmere universe.

Brandon Sanderson is writing the screenplay for the first Mistborn movie and will also be a co-showrunner on The Stormlight Archive television series. This gives Sanderson a significant level of creative control over adaptations of his own work, which is unusual. Even well-known fantasy authors like J.K. Rowling and George R.R. Martin didn’t have as much say in how their stories were adapted for the screen.

As a huge fan of fantasy, I think Apple TV has really scored with this move. It instantly puts them ahead of the competition in the streaming fantasy space, and honestly, it feels like it all but guarantees their version of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe will be a massive hit. I’m genuinely excited to see where they take it!

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2026-02-21 06:58