Stop what you're doing Brandon Sandrson fans: some mind-blowing news just dropped. The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively revealed that the genre's most prolific author has signed a huge film development deal with Apple TV, the streamer behind such series as Foundation, Silo, Severance, Murderbot and more. And this deal doesn't just cover one book or series: it seems to cover the entirety of the Cosmere, Sanderson's interconnected fictional universe where most of his fantasy books occur.
If you're a reader of Sanderson's, you don't need me to tell you what a big deal this is. The author has been extremely transparent over the years about his struggles getting some of his series, like Mistborn, adapted for the screen. Well, those fortunes are about to shift in a major way. We may have the next great fantasy film franchise on our hands!
According to THR, Apple has landed this "unprecedented deal" for the Cosmere after Sanderson met with most every major studio head in Hollywood. As of this writing, the Cosmere is comprised of more than two dozen novels and shorter works, taking place across numerous worlds with different magic, cultures, physics, flora and fauna. But Apple wants to start in the most logical place: they're eyeing Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive for development first, for movies and television, respectively. Those are Sanderson's two main series within the Cosmere, and there's no doubt whatsoever that they would give the adaptation franchise its biggest initial splash.
The Stormlight Archive television show even has an executive producer attached: Blue Marble, which is run by Theresa Kang. The ball is already rolling, and we may actually get to see Roshar on the small screen! Still pinching myself, over here.
Brandon Sanderson will have "rarefied control" over the Cosmere adaptation
Another fascinating piece to this deal is that Sanderson will reportedly have be the "architect" of this film universe; he will write, produce, consult, and have approvals over creative decisions for the franchise. As Borys Kit writes for THR, "That's a level of involvement that not even J.K. Rowling or George R.R. Martin enjoys."
While that may sound insane if you're not familiar with Sanderson's works, I think anyone who's been following along with his weekly YouTube updates for a while won't be too surprised about this. After having multiple film adaptations fall through over the years, Sanderson has repeatedly assured fans that he intends to be as hands-on as he possibly can whenever his works finally do get adapted. Well, that day is now. Apple is developing a Cosmere franchise, and Sanderson is going to be the primary creative driver behind it, just as Adonalsium intended.
Apple TV has finally found its flagship fantasy franchise
Beyond how exciting it is that Sanderson's books will be coming to the screen, we also need to talk about the wider implications of this in the current fantasy TV landscape. Right now, studios are paring back and trying to get the massive budgets that became commonplace during the streaming wars under control. That has made the liklihood of a full-blown Cosmere adaptation feel somewhat low — until now. Apple is unique among the streamers in that it has ridiculously deep pockets; its streaming platform is the equivalent of a side hustle, rather than its entire business model.
Despite that, Apple TV has slowly gained a reputation for having a commitment to the authentic creative development of its series, and for giving them enough breathing room to actually come into their own. In other words, they don't ruthlessly cancel things after one season, like Netflix or Prime Video, even if they're cult favorites like For All Mankind, the best show that no one watches. Out of all the streamers and networks out there, Apple TV feels like the absolute perfect home for a massive swing like adapting the Cosmere. They'll give it the time and support it actually needs to have a real chance at getting off the ground.
Apple TV has also carved out a very good niche for itself as the go-to streamer for smart, adult-oriented science fiction. Based on the projects that get developed there, there's a sense that the people behind the studio actually like this stuff, and they choose projects the way I would expect passionate book nerds to, rather than just out-of-touch execs. From Foundation to Silo to Murderbot to the upcoming Neuromancer, Apple just keeps picking series to develop that seem like no-brainers — for people who actually like sci-fi books.
But the studio has yet to have a true fantasy flagship series. With the Cosmere, that would be set to change in a big way. Not only would Apple TV finally have its own fantasy juggernaut, but it would be poised to compete with the other biggest titles in the field like HBO's Game of Thrones universe and Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. And it would have the added benefit of being more of a genre bending experience that perfectly suits the Apple TV brand, since the Cosmere has naturally grown more toward science fiction that deeper into the overarching franchise Sanderson gets.
So that's the big news! Take a few breaths, and process. I imagine it won't be long before Sanderson himself chimes in to give his take on all of this; keep an eye on Sanderson's YouTube channel for updates.