Posted in: Apple, Movies, TV | Tagged: Brandon Sanderson, Cosmere

Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere Universe Set for Apple TV Series/Films

Apple TV has picked up the rights to Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere Universe (Mistborn and The Way of Kings) for series and film adaptations.

Apple TV, the only streamer still going big on Fantasy and Science Fiction series, has picked up insanely prolific fantasy author Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere fantasy novels to develop into what they hope will be the Next Big Fantasy Series. Sanderson is probably the most prolific fantasy author, living or dead. His Cosmere universe saga includes the Mistborn and Stormlight Archives books, and several others, totaling millions of words and over ten thousand pages already. Sanderson has been so prolific that he became the subject of an infamous Wired feature article and interview that amounted to a glorified snooty hit piece. Apple TV is developing TV series adaptations of the Mistborn books and The Stormlight Archives.

According to The Hollywood Reporter,  Brandon Sanderson's deal is a rare one, coming after a competitive situation that saw Sanderson meet with most of the studio heads in town. It gives the author rarefied control over the screen translations, according to sources. Sanderson will be the architect of the universe, will write, produce, and consult, and will have approvals. That's a level of creative control that not even J.K. Rowling or George R.R. Martin has over their TV adaptations.

While the Cosmere books are set in various worlds and eras, the underlying premise concerns a being named Adolnasium who is killed by a group of conspirators. The being's power is broken into 16 shards, which are then spread out throughout many worlds by the conspirators, spreading many kinds of magic across the universe. The first Mistborn trilogy of books centered on metal-using magicians who attempt to overthrow a despotic empire. Stormlight Archives' first novel, The Way of Kings, is set in a world with magically powered storms, magically powered knights, and monsters known as the Voidbringers. Some readers have found Mormon allegories in his novels.

Sanderson's literary success and fan following helped pave the way for such a deal. One of the most prolific and beloved fantasy authors working today, he has sold over 50 million copies of his books worldwide. Powered by his unique and loyal legion of fans, he has raised nearly $100 million through crowdfunding, including a record-breaking Kickstarter publishing campaign for four novels that totaled nearly $42 million, the most successful in the platform's history.

Sanderson has been so successful that he headlines his own fantasy convention that has sold out every year since launching earlier this decade in the 2020s, with the next one scheduled for December 3rd to 5th, 2026, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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