Fantasy fans have been waiting on a Mistborn movie since one was first announced back in 2010, but it’s been a long and bumpy road to bring Brandon Sanderson’s books to the screen. Apple TV’s groundbreaking deal to adapt the Cosmere will finally see it happening after years of Mistborn being stuck in various stages of development hell. And the author’s latest update proves the wait was worthwhile, as agonizing as it was.
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There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to Apple TV’s deal. We’ll get to see one of the 21st century’s best fantasy stories on the screen, and we could see other deserving fantasy books picked up by studios as a result. In addition to the great ways Sanderson’s universe could shake up the fantasy genre, his level of creative involvement sets a new standard for adaptations. The Hollywood Reporter‘s initial report suggested he’d have more creative input than George R.R. Martin does with HBO’s Game of Thrones universe. And Sanderson has given an update on exactly how he’ll contribute to the upcoming film. It’s so exciting that it puts a positive spin on all the years it took to get here.
Brandon Sanderson Will Write the Screenplay for the Upcoming Mistborn Movie
In a Reddit post, Brandon Sanderson gave an update about his new deal with Apple, shedding light on why he chose the company to adapt his books. His reasoning mostly had to do with Apple being open to his participation on the creative end. He also noted the quality of its shows and films have impressed him in recent years. And on the heels of this explanation, Sanderson revealed just how involved he’ll be in the upcoming Mistborn film. According to the author, he’ll be penning the screenplay, which is incredible news:
“I will be writing the Mistborn screenplay myself over the next 5 months, as my full time work. Goal is for a theatrical Mistborn, then Stormlight show after. Focus on doing it carefully and right.“
With Sanderson writing Mistborn‘s adaptation, it’s a lot more likely it will do the book series justice. After all, there’s no one more qualified to decide what to change, what to keep, and how well the end product captures the heart of the original story. Thanks to this update, fans can rest assured that the project is in good hands — the same ones that molded this fantasy universe in the first place. It’s everything one could hope for with a book-to-screen adaptation, and it makes me grateful that one never worked out before now.
The Author’s Involvement Makes the Long Wait for a Mistborn Film Worth It
Sanderson’s heavy involvement in creating the Mistborn movie makes all the years of disappointment worthwhile. Plans for a film adaptation have fallen through more than once. Paloppa Pictures LLC acquired the rights in 2010, then let them expire. And Sanderson was more recently in the process of developing a film with the intention of Epic Games adapting it (via TikTok). This didn’t go according to plan, either, eventually causing him to request his rights back. In the midst of this, the author told Polygon he’d only strike a deal if he felt it was right for his work. This led to the sinking suspicion that Mistborn might never get the adaptation it so desperately deserves.
Fortunately, that’s proven untrue, with things turning around quickly since the project returned to “square one” back in 2024 (via the State of the Sanderson). And in hindsight, it’s for the best that prior attempts to bring Scadrial to the screen went nowhere. If they had, Sanderson might not have gotten a deal that works so strongly in his favor — and he might not be the one penning the newest version of his story.
The Latest Update Comes With a Catch for Brandon Sanderson’s Books
Although Sanderson’s update is incredibly exciting, there is one catch to the author penning Mistborn‘s screenplay: it may temporarily stall his writing for Era 3. Sanderson has been hard at work on Mistborn: Ghostbloods this year, with his YouTube updates tracking his progress on the looming series. He recently revealed that he’s finished with the first book, but he’s still got two more to go — and he’ll need to break for the screenplay before tackling either. The author warned this could happen in his 2025 State of the Sanderson blog post, and he reiterated the need to shift focus in his Reddit update.
That said, he also vowed not “to get too distracted to do books.” And with Sanderson planning to complete Era 3 and publish its first installment in 2028, there’s time for everything he wants to accomplish. Even if Ghostbloods ends up slightly delayed because of this, it’s a small price to pay for an adaptation we’ve waited over a decade for.
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