When it was first announced in January 2026 that Brandon Sanderson was teaming up with Apple TV to create a far-ranging adaptation of the Cosmere, fans everywhere rejoiced. Sanderson had been trying to get his work onto the big or small screen for years, but for various reasons, it never panned out. This time felt different. Sanderson retained creative control over the story aspects of the adaptations, and Apple was seemingly prepared to go all-in on his wider interconnected universe of stories, ordering both a Mistborn movie and Stormlight Archive television show.
In short, it was basically a dream scenario come true. Since then, we've been eagerly tracking Sanderson's progress as he penned the script for the Mistborn movie himself, dropping teases for things like the future of the Stormlight Archive show along the way.
Part of what makes it all so exciting isn't just Sanderson though; it's his choice of streaming service. Apple TV has shown a commitment to creating excellent shows, and not only that, but giving them time to find their legs as well in ways that other streams like Netflix often don't.
During a recent interview with Collider at Fan X in Salt Lake City, Utah, Sanderson was asked about his reasons for choosing Apple as the home for his Cosmere adaptation. And while his answers aren't wholly surprising, his confidence in speaking about his partnership with the studio is extremely promising for what's to come. Ultimately, it came down to two factors: the quality of Apple TV's productions, and their willingness to keep Sanderson involved in the process.
Silo and Murderbot helped convince Sanderson to partner with Apple TV
"I think they make fantastic stuff," he said. "They've done a really good job with Silo, which is by one of my buddies. And they did a really good job with Murderbot by Martha Wells, whom I love, and I love those stories. Apple TV seems to do fewer things, better. And they had just done F1 in theaters and they agreed to do Mistborn in theaters as well."
"And then, they were just really willing to work with me. They were really excited by me being part of it," he continued. "We talk about my creative control, but it's really more the partnership, where they really felt like, I didn't even need that. I have it, but [working with them] felt like I didn't need it because they wanted to let me take the lead on the narrative."
Ever since Sanderson's deal with Apple TV was announced, there has been so much discussion about his broad creative control over the project. Not only is he writing the screenplay for the first Mistborn movie, but he's also serving as a co-showrunner on The Stormlight Archive television show — and unlike penning a script, being a showrunner is an extremely involved and far-reaching job. It's a serious vote of confidence for Apple to agree to those terms, just as it is for Sanderson to sign over the film and TV rights to so many of his Cosmere stories.
That makes these answers from him all the better. I love how Sanderson de-centers the creative control given this opportunity, and instead points out how little he feels he truly needs it because of how collaborative the folks at Apple have been. Obviously he'd need to get whatever arrangement he wants in writing, but the ideal scenario is that Sanderson won't have to actively fight for things at every step of the way. There's a much better chance for Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, and the Cosmere adaptation at large to go well if there's a harmonious relationship between Sanderson and the studio, and from the sound of things, they're off to a great start on that front.
As of this writing, Sanderson is done with the first draft of his Mistborn script, and revealed in a recent weekly update video that he will soon be flying out to the Apple TV offices to work through the studio's notes with them before he starts writing his second draft. It's going to be a long process before we see the worlds of Scadrial or Roshar on our screens, but hopefully all this collaboration leads to the adaptation of fans' dreams.
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