I’ve been wanting Mistborn to be adapted in a particular way for years, but Brandon Sanderson’s complaints about the fantasy genre on streaming prove that it’s not the right time. A Mistborn movie adaptation has been discussed for a long time, especially now that the author’s Cosmere universe has begun to rapidly develop with titles like The Stormlight Archive. However, I’ve long advocated for Mistborn to be brought to life as a prestige television series, much like Game of Thrones, which could flesh out the story in a longer form, allowing its complete richness to be shown.
The fantasy genre took off in Hollywood following the game-changing success of Game of Thrones. With that in mind, Brandon Sanderson’s vast assortment of best-selling novels seems like a no-brainer to adapt to the screen. In the author’s State of Sanderson post from late 2024, he confirmed that the Mistborn movie adaptation was scrapped, meaning that none of his titles are anywhere close to being brought to life. While certainly disappointing for Cosmere fans like myself, there are several blessings here in disguise, and some of Sanderson’s comments on fantasy TV confirm that.
A Mistborn TV Show Looks Far Less Likely After Brandon Sanderson’s Fantasy Complaints
The Current Streaming Slate Isn’t Great For Fantasy Adaptations
As excited as I was for titles like The Wheel of Time, The Witcher, and The Rings of Power, none of the shows have really lived up to my expectations or love for the books. I don’t think any of them are altogether terrible, as each production has moments of excellence that resemble the greatness of their respective titles. It’s nice to know that Brandon Sanderson, one of the premiere authors in contemporary fantasy, agrees with my stance. In an interview with Polygon in January 2025, Sanderson said the following in regard to his books being adapted.
I have had a lot of offers for The Stormlight Archive, people wanting to make prestige television for cable networks or streamers. Very nice offers from very great people that I would want to work with. And I’ve said no because I don’t feel it’s the right time for Stormlight Archive yet. I am in the fortunate position where I can walk away from some of the best deals that might be offered to authors, and do what I think is best for the story.
Hopefully I will recognize it when I see it. But the reason I don’t know is, I’m not convinced that we have hit stability in the streaming market. Streaming has had a big problem with epic fantasy, and this has me worried. Rings of Power and Wheel of Time have not gone as well as I would’ve hoped. Shadow and Bone lasted only two seasons, after a very strong first season. Streaming hasn’t figured out epic fantasy yet.
This comment was about adapting The Stormlight Archive, but the same logic would surely apply to Mistborn if Sanderson wanted to develop the project as a TV series. The author has even expressed before that “it would be much easier to get a Mistborn television show off the ground than a film“ (via Reddit), but he’s voiced hesitance about the current state of the streaming industry for multiple reasons. In the same Reddit thread, he explained that he doesn’t believe television has the potential for the same cultural impact as a movie would have.
Brandon Sanderson wrote the final three books of The Wheel of Time.
As much as I’d like to see Mistborn as a TV series, Brandon Sanderson isn’t on board with current streaming trends, particularly regarding fantasy shows. He’s highlighted issues with the development of The Wheel of Time in a clip from his podcast, which can be seen below. He examines how the episodic structure of writing television has ultimately been detrimental to the long-form storytelling of Robert Jordan’s book series, explaining some of the specific ins and outs of development that have led to these problems.
Brandon Sanderson Makes Good Points About The Wheel Of Time & The Rings Of Power
Streaming Fantasy Shows Are Struggling With Episodic Format
The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time undoubtedly have fanbases, but Prime Video’s goal with these shows was to develop a Game of Thrones equivalent. In that sense, they’ve fallen short in both critical acclaim and viewership. It’s common to say that these series take creative liberties with their storytelling, changing the source material in unnecessary ways, but that’s often an oversimplification of issues. The problem isn’t often that the showrunners just decide to make changes because they can, but more so that they need to accommodate the norms of the television medium.
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Mistborn: Era 3 will see a major conflict between two of Brandon Sanderson’s most popular characters, and it’s going to be challenging to read.
In his Reddit comments, he used Rosamund Pike’s Moiraine in The Wheel of Time season 2 as an example, citing how the character lost her powers. This was a notable change from The Great Hunt, the book from which season 2 was adapted. Sanderson explained that the decision was to provide Pike, the show’s top-billed actor, with a storyline for the season while she primarily remains absent in the text. This is an excellent example of a broader issue in Hollywood fantasy adaptations.
Streaming’s Fantasy Struggles Make Me Feel Better About Mistborn Not Becoming A TV Show
I Don’t Want To See Mistborn Succumb To The Same Fate As Other Shows
As much as I’d love Mistborn on television, I’d rather not have it than have something as divisive as The Wheel of Time or one of the other ongoing fantasy shows. There have been some outstanding moments in the 2020s fantasy shows, but the primary issue I have with these series is that they don’t feel like the books they’re meant to represent. The Rings of Power has great Tolkien-esque moments, but there are plenty of times when it feels nothing like The Lord of the Rings. The same can be said for The Witcher or The Wheel of Time.
Mistborn, to me, is equally as mood-driven as it is character-driven. A television adaptation doesn’t just need to cast the right Vin and Kelsier; I want its world to feel like the sinister Luthadel that I experienced when reading the trilogy for the first time. I want Mistborn’s magic system to feel as authentic and befitting of that world as it does in the books. I want the characters to feel like people who have been affected by the horrors of the Lord Ruler’s reign. I don’t see any of those things happening in contemporary fantasy television.
A Mistborn Movie Will Come With Its Own Set Of Obstacles To Overcome
Adapting An Epic Fantasy Novel Into A Film Is A Challenge
A Mistborn movie could be ideal, but film adaptations of fantasy have their own obstacles. I often consider 2017’s The Dark Tower as the pinnacle of a fantasy film that doesn’t remotely resemble its source material: a 90-minute action film to adapt an extensive, complicated series. The Final Empire is a significantly longer book than the first in Stephen King’s series, and it can’t afford to be a short movie. However, getting a Hollywood studio to invest resources into an epic-length feature film is going to be a challenge.
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Mistborn Era 3 Is Still Years Away, But Expect These 10 Cosmere Connections When It Debuts
Mistborn: Era 3 is Brandon Sanderson’s next big series, and I’m expected to see these Cosmere connections happen throughout the series.
There’s a belief that movies should be between 90 and 120 minutes in hopes of making them approachable to audiences. Mistborn might have potential viewership from Brandon Sanderson’s book readers, but it also needs to attract newcomers if it wants to achieve financial success. Shortening the film seems likely, but it runs an enormous risk of losing valuable story elements, limiting certain characters, and reducing the potential for Cosmere lore and connections, which would be essential in later expanding his universe.
Sources: Polygon
Mistborn
- Character(s)
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Vin, Kelsier, Sazed, Marsh, Elend Venture, Waxillium “Wax” Ladrian, Wayne, Steris Harms
Summary
The Mistborn series, created by Brandon Sanderson, is a high-fantasy saga set in the world of Scadrial, where magic is powered by metals through a system called Allomancy. The series focuses on political intrigue, heists, and the battle between good and evil. The first trilogy, Mistborn: The Final Empire, follows the struggle to overthrow a tyrannical ruler, the Lord Ruler. Later books in the series, including Era 2, take place hundreds of years after the events of the original trilogy, expanding the story into new settings with new characters, all while maintaining connections to the original storyline.