Includes minor SPOILERS for The Stormlight Archive!
TheMistbornmovie isn’t happening right now, butone of the best alternative options could still lead to the same result:The Stormlight Archiveand the Cosmere in live-action. With a recent boom in fantasy adaptations and shared universes in Hollywood, it’s a shock thatBrandon Sanderson’s Cosmere, which offers the best of both worlds, hasn’t been developed into a film and television universe. Given that theMistbornbooksare his most widely read work, they would seem like the best bet, but the recent attempt fell through.
In the author’s annualState of Sandersonblog post, he revealed that aMistbornmovie was closer than ever to being made, though plans fell through due to the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. TheMistbornfilm is scrapped for the time being, making it a fun time to speculate on alternative options.Given thatThe Stormlight Archiveseries is commonly considered Sanderson’s opus, the main goal should be to bring that to live-action, but it’s a more challenging entry point to the Cosmere. If notMistborn, Sanderson’s first book,Elantris, could be the ideal launch-off.
An Elantris Movie Or Show Could Still Set Up An Adaptation Of The Stormlight Archive
Elantris Could Be The Key To Getting The Cosmere Off The Ground
Elantrisisn’t Brandon Sanderson’s most popular book, as it was his first to be published, and he’s even admitted that it’s not his most refined work of prose. That being said, the quality of the prose matters far less when you’re an esteemed bestselling author like Sanderson, and even the lesser-received books are sought after. In addition,the most common critique ofElantrisis the writing technique itself, whereas the ideas and world-building on the Cosmere planet Sel are still fascinatingand could offer a vibrant movie setting.
With newElantrisbooks coming out around the same time a film or television show begins to generate buzz, it’d be an opportune moment for new fans to discover the Cosmere
To sell readers further on anElantrisadaptation, it’s worth mentioning thatBrandon Sanderson’s upcoming booksfor the back half of the 2020s include two moreElantrisnovels, finally delivering long-awaited sequels. With newElantrisbooks coming out around the same time a film or television show begins to generate buzz, it’d be an opportune moment for new fans to discover the Cosmere, synergizing the marketing of new books and a Hollywood adaptation. And with newMistbornbooks releasing around the same time, too, that would be the obvious next step for adaptation.
Elantris 3
Summer 2030
Elantrisdoesn’t have quite as many direct connections toThe Stormlight ArchiveasMistborndoes, but it can still set up many of the critical ideas of the Cosmere, like Investiture and Shards, paving the way forward for a joint universe. As mentioned,The Stormlight Archiveis Sanderson’s opus, but it’d be hard to dive straight into it without starting with a shorter book adaptation.Most Cosmere readers don’t begin withThe Stormlight Archive, so it’d make sense to carry over that same logic to visual media.
Elantris' Connections To The Stormight Archive Explained
Elantrishas a few connections toThe Stormlight Archive, including a couple of character appearances: one in Shadesmar and one actually on Roshar. A Cosmere organization called the Ghostbloods also brought a seon, which is essentially a floating ball of light fromElantristhat can be used as a magical telephone to connect with other people who have them, from Sel to Roshar. These connections are fairly minimal, but it’s possible that one of the character appearances could have larger consequences earlier on, andthe seon would be important to establish in a Cosmere cinematic universe.
In terms of broader Cosmere connections, the introductions of Investiture and Shards are important for the overarching narrative Sanderson is trying to tell. Almost like with the Infinity Stones in the early MCU films, it would be crucial for audiences to notice a connection between each Cosmere movie or series, with each one involving some conflict or lore pertaining to the Shards. Though Investiture is different on each planet, the existence of magic systems is the primary similarity in each of Brandon Sanderson’s books, and it’s all vital to where his story is heading.
A Mistborn Movie Or TV Show Still Needs To Happen Before Stormlight Gets Adapted
Mistborn Would Ease Audiences Into The Stormlight Archive
It would be strange for anElantrismovie to lead straight intoThe Stormlight Archive.HavingMistbornera 1 on film or TV before audiences get to Roshar is pretty important, as it happens earlier on the timeline(which ends up mattering more in the laterStormlight Archivebooks). Aside from logistical Cosmere purposes, there’s a reason whyMistbornis Sanderson’s most widely-read work. It’s the perfect balance between enormous long-form epic fantasy likeThe Stormlight Archiveand standalone novels likeElantris, offering something that’s easily accessible but also immensely fulfilling.
I Really Hope Mistborn Era 3 Finally Explains The Most Mysterious Character From Brandon Sanderson’s Books
I can’t wait for Mistborn: Ghostbloods, and I’m really hoping it finally reveals a bit more about one of the most mysterious Cosmere characters.
The benefit of reading Sanderson’s books is that there’s a very gradual progression, allowing readers to ease into the process of reading epic fantasy. Readers can start withElantrisorTress of the Emerald Seato familiarize themselves with how things work without committing to an overwhelming project. From there, they can lead into theMistborntrilogy, trying something a bit more challenging before fully embracing the behemoth ofThe Stormlight Archive. It makes sense that adaptations should abide by a similar logic.
Adapting Elantris Before Mistborn Could Help The Cosmere Cinematic Universe
Elantris Is Less For A Studio To Commit To At First
AdaptingElantrisinto a film or TV series and then leading intoMistbornwould help build momentum, justifying the expense of something likeThe Stormlight Archive.Elantriswould be the project to pique the interest of casual, movie-going audiences, andMistbornwould be the adjacently connected project that would get them addicted. Just like with the book reading process, this would allow for a gradual progression to slowly lure viewers into a new franchise before pulling out the checkbook for a CGI-heavy project likeThe Stormlight Archive.
FilmingElantriswouldn’t exactly be cheap, but the fact that there’s currently only one book makes it a bit more manageable. If a film studio adaptedThe Final Empire, they’d be committing to a three-part story. If the first movie went awry, they’d have already expended some resources on sequels they’d likely end up scrapping.Elantrisis a bit less for a studio to commit to thanMistborn, and it would allow Sanderson’s stories a chance to reach widespread audiences, proving the worth of adapting all of them to the screen.
