After news broke last week that Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe novels had been picked up by Apple TV in an “unprecedented deal,” the bestselling fantasy author shared a video with his fans to detail what, exactly, the deal will mean going forward.
In his “Weekly Update” video that he shared to YouTube on Tuesday, Sanderson said that he is feeling “really happy” and “confident” about the deal with Apple.
The author, who lives in Utah, said that he has been exploring the possibility of adapting his Cosmere novels — which include his “Mistborn” and “Stormlight Archive” series — for some time, but that he believes “this feels really different this time.”
“I’ve long been looking for a partner, not just someone to sell things off to,” Sanderson said. Though he said that he was drawn to Apple because of the level of control the streamer was willing to offer him in the adaptations, he said, “But it’s less about control and it’s more about partnership, and the partnership felt right with Apple.”
What Brandon Sanderson said about working with Apple
Sanderson’s deal with Apple TV is a “rare one,” The Hollywood Reporter reported last week, calling his level of control “unprecedented” — even when compared to adaptations of works by other popular fantasy authors like J.K. Rowling and George R.R. Martin.
But, according to Sanderson, Apple was not his only offer.
In May, he flew out to Hollywood and pitched to “all the major streamers and studios,” he said, meeting with studio heads and “really exciting people who are doing really interesting things.”
“Basically, everybody tried to bid on ‘Mistborn’ and ‘Stormlight,’” Sanderson said, though he ultimately decided to go with Apple’s offer.
Sanderson has since returned to Hollywood for follow-up meetings with Apple, sharing in the video that he had just returned the day before from more meetings with the streamer.
“They all went really well,” he said. “This feels really different this time. … I’m confident — confident this time that it’s going to go really well.”
What Brandon Sanderson said about ‘Mistborn’ and ‘Stormlight’
The “goal” is to adapt his “Mistborn” novel as a feature-length movie and the “Stormlight Archive” series as a streaming TV series, Sanderson said, though he acknowledged that those plans could change.
However, he said that he has already begun work on a screenplay for “Mistborn,” calling it his “full-time work” for the next few months. He’s planning to turn in the screenplay to Apple sometime during the summer.
Not only will Sanderson write the “Mistborn” screenplay, but he will also be co-showrunner on the “Stormlight” series, though he said they are still searching for the second showrunner to work with him.
“I’m going to be deeply involved,” Sanderson said.
Though he expects the work on the adaptations will keep him busy, Sanderson said that he still intends to keep up with writing novels. His next book in the “Mistborn” series, “Ghostbloods,” is still on schedule for release in 2028, he said, with its sequels coming one per year after that.
As for the “Stormlight Archive” series, Sanderson noted that he had already scheduled a break for himself when it came to writing the next novels in the series — and he did that on purpose.
“Part of the reason why I knew I was going to need some more time here is I’m going to be doing a lot of stuff with Hollywood,” he said. “I’m going to be making sure these things come out right.”
What else to expect from Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson recently sold his 50 millionth book, as the Deseret News previously reported, during his fifth annual fan convention, Dragonsteel Nexus, which took place in December in Salt Lake City.
Also during the convention, Sanderson announced a surprise new Cosmere novel, “The Fires of December,” which will likely be released in December of this year.
Dates have already been announced for next year’s Dragonsteel Nexus convention — it will be held Dec. 3-5 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, though tickets are not yet on sale.