Apple TV’s Mistborn is a Perfect Fantasy and Steampunk Franchise

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Apple TV+ has secured the rights to Brandon Sanderson’s expansive Cosmere universe, beginning with his popular Mistborn novels. The plan is to launch this epic fantasy world with a series of films based on Mistborn. In addition, a high-budget TV series adaptation of The Stormlight Archive is also in development. Apple TV will initially focus on the first Mistborn storyline, aiming to establish a strong base for a larger, interconnected franchise.

The Mistborn series currently consists of seven novels and one novella, published between 2006 and 2022. While often labeled as epic fantasy, Mistborn actually blends multiple genres in a unique way. This makes it ideal for Apple TV to develop into a franchise that breaks away from typical genre limitations – something rarely seen in film or television.

A Brief History of the Mistborn Novels

Brandon Sanderson wrote the Mistborn series, starting with Mistborn: The Final Empire in 2006. The initial trilogy, often called “Era One” by fans, continued with Mistborn: The Well of Ascension in 2007 and Mistborn: The Hero of Ages in 2008. This first period of the series also includes the novella Mistborn: Secret History, published in 2016.

The series starts with a twist: the villain actually won against the chosen hero, fundamentally changing the world. Imagine if Voldemort had succeeded and taken over the magical world. This idea forms the foundation for the first part of the story, which follows a group of Allomancers – people who can use metals to gain superhuman abilities like increased strength and speed – as they try to rebel against a tyrannical empire ruling over the land of Scadrial.

The second era of the Mistborn saga, known as the Wax and Wayne series, consists of four novels published between 2011 and 2022. The series begins with Mistborn: The Alloy of Law (2011), then continues with Mistborn: Shadows of Self (2015), Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning (2016), and concludes with Mistborn: The Lost Metal (2022). These books are set roughly 300 years after the events of the original Mistborn series. The story centers around a protagonist who arrives in a bustling city and becomes entangled in a complex web of crimes, ranging from unusual thefts to abductions.

The feeling of the first and second periods in this story are very different. The first combines a world ruled by a cruel tyrant with an exciting robbery story. The second moves to a setting inspired by the American West and steampunk. The author, Sanderson, is planning two more periods. The third, officially titled Ghostbloods, will be set in the more recent past, focusing on the beginning of the computer age in the late 1980s and 1990s.

As a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson, I’ve been following the Cosmere for years, and honestly, Ghostbloods is still a bit of a mystery beyond the basic setting. What’s even more vague is Era Four – he’s thinking of making it a full-blown space opera! Now, the cool thing about the Cosmere is that all these eras exist in the same universe, but each series feels totally different, genre-wise. And that’s also the frustrating part. It’s why, for a long time, it felt impossible to turn it into a truly cohesive cinematic universe – it just jumps around too much!

Mistborn has the Potential to Become One of the Most Unique Movie Franchises Ever

The project is currently in its initial phases, but some information is available. Author Brandon Sanderson will have a major role in the creative process, which fans are hoping will lead to adaptations that stay true to the source material. Sanderson is writing the script for the first Mistborn movie and is expected to continue writing for future installments.

The movie series will begin with the first era of the story. Although the exact plan isn’t finalized, it’s likely that each book will become a separate film. This provides a strong base for a long-lasting Mistborn franchise. Because the Mistborn series is extensive and continues to grow, success would mean years of content, which is great news for the streaming platform.

What makes the Mistborn series so compelling is how the story intentionally evolves. It doesn’t just stay within the same setting; Brandon Sanderson deliberately designed it to move between different genres as the series progresses. This is unusual for a long-running book series, where authors typically focus on one or two genres. Mistborn’s shifting genres feel realistic, reflecting how life and the world around us change over time.

It might initially appear simple, but this series is actually incredibly expansive. It has the potential to become a long-running franchise, constantly evolving with each new story. What sets it apart from typical fantasy is its versatility—it isn’t limited by genre conventions and could easily shift into modern, futuristic, retro, dystopian, or even western settings. Thanks to the unique way the author structures the novels, these genre shifts feel seamless and don’t create a disjointed or confusing experience.

This situation is unusual, but it signals a change for big movie and TV franchises. Viewers are starting to feel exhausted by never-ending series. Take the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for instance – it’s been running since 2008 with dozens of films and shows. While each installment has its own style, many Marvel fans are growing tired of the formula. This is a major reason why recent Marvel movies aren’t performing as well financially as they did before the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

It’s not just the Marvel Cinematic Universe that’s facing challenges keeping fans engaged. Major franchises like DC, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and even Fast & Furious are finding it harder to hold onto their core audiences. While these franchises remain popular and profitable, they’re not as dominant as they once were. Many fans are simply feeling burnt out by the constant stream of content that often feels repetitive.

The Mistborn series has the potential to redefine how we think about franchises. It’s built to constantly change and evolve, ensuring fans always have something new to experience as each story arc concludes and another begins. This approach is largely new to film and television, and it could be exactly what Hollywood needs to truly connect with and captivate audiences.

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2026-02-12 03:10