Brandon Sanderson explains why he chose Apple TV+ for his Cosmere adaptations and reveals creative control details

Last week, Apple TV+ announced a major deal with Brandon Sanderson. Instead of choosing between film and television, the streaming service will tackle both formats at once – adapting Mistborn as a feature film while turning The Stormlight Archive into a TV series.

Sanderson posted a video on his YouTube channel detailing the deal and how it will affect his writing work. The author reassured fans that Mistborn: Ghostbloods will release in 2028 as scheduled, along with the next Stormlight book.

The author admitted the adaptations "will impact my writing schedule, [but] not to the point that I think you need to worry." He added that he's already built the necessary time into his work schedule.

Regarding the series and film, Sanderson said he spent years searching for the right partner. This past May, he pitched the project to "all the major streamers and studios [in Hollywood], and I had a lot of great experiences." Everyone competed for the rights, but Apple TV+ won thanks to productive meetings from start to finish.

The deciding factor was creative control. Under the agreement, Sanderson will write the screenplay, serve as producer and consultant, and approve the cast. As the Hollywood Reporter notes, this gives him significantly more authority than, say, George R.R. Martin has. The author will also co-showrun the series – the search is currently underway for a partner in that role.

Sanderson emphasized that Apple's approach to content production attracted him, including its "very careful rollout of specific films." While it'll be some time before the movie and show arrive, the author is confident in the venture's success and urged fans to prepare: "Follow me along as I write the screenplay, hear me grouse about how difficult it is to take a 200,000-word book and condense it to a two-hour movie. That's going to be our next six months or so."