Many fantasy masterpieces are still waiting to be brought to the screen, but one can finally get the movie or show it needs thanks to an unexpected update. Fantasy books make for great TV shows and movies; one only needs to look at the success of franchises like Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter to confirm that. However, there are many books worthy of adaptations that don’t have them yet — from projects stuck in development hell to stories that haven’t been picked up.
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Some of the best fantasy books of 2025 are still waiting for their shot on-screen, and there are many older novels that have been overlooked for longer than that. Sadly, a story’s popularity doesn’t guarantee it’ll get an adaptation, either. Brandon Sanderson’s books are perhaps the best evidence of that, as the iconic fantasy author is still working to get projects like The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn made into movies or shows. An adaptation of the latter sounds like it’s making progress again, though, despite efforts returning to “square one” in 2024 (via his State of the Sanderson). And a surprising update could tilt things further in the book’s favor.
A Mistborn Video Game Is Closer Than Ever to Actually Happening
In his 2025 State of the Sanderson blog post, Sanderson revealed that his fantasy epic, Mistborn, might be getting a video game — or that there’s some “real interest” in such a development, at least. The project is still in the early stages of development, but the author feels positive about the possibility. He’s also in contact with developers and others in the industry, suggesting they understand the popularity and potential of his work. Here’s what he had to say on the subject:
“I’ve started to get some real interest on the video game front, and I feel I’m finally getting established enough that we can make a Mistborn game happen. To that end, I’ve started talking to some AAA developers.
This is at Step One only, but it’s an encouraging One. These rights were tied up with the film rights for the last… oh, six~seven years, so I didn’t get to test the market on them until recently.
I’m trying to do things differently this time in an effort to retain control of my video game rights. I already have interest from some major players in the Video Game industry (who I like a lot). So if you are a decision maker at a AAA studio, or a major independent, and you’ve always wanted to make a Mistborn or Stormlight game… well, you would want to contact my reps now.”
His update is exciting for many reasons, including the fact that Mistborn offers strong source material for a video game to build on. The books’ metal-based magic system and non-stop action lend themselves to an adaptation. It’s easy to imagine what a Mistborn game could look like — in some ways, even more so than a TV show or film. Fans of the series shouldn’t give up on a screen adaptation, though, as Sanderson’s 2025 post revealed one of those is making progress again, too. And a successful game could actually help that endeavor, pushing the series closer to the adaptation it desperately deserves.
How a Successful Mistborn Game Could Help the Series Get the Adaptation It Deserves
While a Mistborn game could temporarily take Sanderson’s attention off of a TV show or movie, it might actually help one become a reality. It’s clear that Hollywood is already picking up on the potential of Sanderson’s stories. Assuming it’s successful, a video game could drive that point home. The project’s performance could serve as a test run for an even bigger Mistborn adaptation. If the game makes money, it stands to reason that a film or TV show would also be profitable. After all, it will attract the same people playing the game, in addition to fans outside the gaming community.
And the success of video game adaptations in recent years gives Hollywood further cause to make this connection. With titles like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Sonic the Hedgehog doing well at the box office — and series like Fallout and The Last of Us dominating on the TV front — it would be wise to capitalize on another successful game. Hopefully, one based on Mistborn materializes and proves impressive.
A Video Game Isn’t Mistborn’s Only Chance to Prove Its Screen Potential
A successful video game could incentivize Hollywood to move on a Mistborn movie or show, but it’s not the only opportunity to convince studios it’s worthwhile. Sanderson is also working on Era 3 of the fantasy saga, better known as Mistborn: Ghostbloods. And if the books come out before anything happens on the adaptation front, they could get enough attention (and make enough money) to win studios over. Given Sanderson’s warning that he’d have to stop writing to focus on a film or TV series, it’s possible one will happen before Era 3 gets off the ground. But if attempts at a Mistborn adaptation remain stalled, more books could help its traction.
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