When it comes to adaptation news, it's been a great year for Brandon Sanderson fans. The beloved fantasy author has announced that several of his books are making the leap to the screen, two of which are part of his deal with Apple TV — and another that's being tackled by the same studio as Netflix's One Piece. After years of waiting for Sanderson's novels to become movies or shows, it's great to see some making progress toward that end.
With Sanderson's regular YouTube updates and annual State of the Sanderson blog posts, the author keeps fans updated about any projects underway, both on the page and in Hollywood. Of course, this occasionally comes with disappointment. 2024's State of the Sanderson temporarily brought hopes of a Mistborn movie back to "square one," and 2025's blog post revealed that Snapshot is "dead" and Tress of the Emerald Sea is back to Step Zero.
Fortunately, things are looking up in 2026, as the year is full of news of Sanderson adaptations
— and they all seem to be forging ahead. Here's what's coming down the pike, from a long-awaited film to a TV project that'll fit right in with all the great sci-fi series of the 2020s.
1. The Mistborn movie
Probably the closest Brandon Sanderson adaptation to becoming a reality, the Mistborn movie will be made as part of Apple TV's deal to adapt the Cosmere. The Hollywood Reporter revealed back in January that Apple had acquired the rights to the massive literary universe. Mistborn is among the first projects on the studio's to-do list, which makes sense given it's an ideal starting point to jump into the Cosmere.
According to THR, Sanderson's deal grants him creative input greater than that of George R.R. Martin and J.K. Rowling with Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, respectively. The author himself is penning the screenplay for the film, which will cover the events of Mistborn Era 1's first book, Mistborn: The Final Empire. He's already making progress where that's concerned; Sanderson's most recent update revealed that the script is at the 80% mark.
There's still plenty to do before Mistborn makes its way to the screen, from revisions of the script to the production and post-production processes. It's likely to be worth the wait, as Mistborn's unique magic systems make it a cinematic experience that will translate well to film. The story follows a young girl who discovers she's someone who can manipulate metal, then falls in with a band of criminals looking to overthrow their world's tyrannical ruler.
After multiple failed attempts at bringing this story to life on-screen, it's about time Mistborn gets its moment in the spotlight. And if the first film does well, there are six more Mistborn books to adapt.
2. The Stormlight Archive
In addition to Mistborn, the other Sanderson series that Apple TV is prioritizing is The Stormlight Archive. That's no surprise, as it's the author other blockbuster hit. While Mistborn will become a film, The Stormlight Archive is slated to be a TV series. Considering each of the current books is around 1,000 pages, that's probably a smart choice.
The Stormlight Archive adaptation is still in the early days of development, but Sanderson will once again have creative input. He's serving as co-showrunner for The Stormlight Archive series — the other showrunner has yet to be announced — and he'll write the pilot episode. Per THR, Blue Marble is involved in producing the series.
The Stormlight Archive offers another cinematic magic system to adapt, and its scope is much larger than Mistborn's. It'll take work to do the sprawling fantasy story justice on-screen, but fortunately, Sanderson's involvement offers hope of getting it right. With five huge books, there's plenty of runway for the series to work with. And Sanderson intends to write another five for The Stormlight Archive's second arc, though it'll be a while before that happens.
3. Skyward
Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive promise to dominate Sanderson's Hollywood work, and with any luck, they'll lead to even more Cosmere adaptations. However, it was recently announced that one of Sanderson's non-Cosmere series is also getting the adaptation treatment.
Skyward, the author's young adult sci-fi novel, will become a TV show. Tomorrow Studios, the company responsible for the live-action One Piece, will tackle the project, with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alums Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen writing the pilot episode with Sanderson.
Skyward is set on a planet populated by humans regularly under threat from alien attacks. It follows a girl who dreams of becoming a pilot and protecting her people — though her ambitions are complicated by her father's treason. Spensa's story has all the hallmarks of a successful YA series, and it'll fit right in with the current influx of sci-fi shows on streaming.
Not much else is known about the Skyward series, but as there are four main books and more stories written by Janci Patterson, there's a lot of material for the adaptation to pull from.
Add us as a preferred source on Google