Apple TV is betting big on the next major fantasy franchise, “The Stormlight Archive,” securing the screen rights to Brandon Sanderson’s expansive Cosmere universe in what sources describe as an unprecedented deal.
This is a major coup for Apple TV which is now positioned to potentially build a sprawling, interconnected fantasy epic on par with The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, or the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but rooted in Sanderson’s meticulously crafted magic systems and cosmology.
The Stormlight Archive series could run into the 2040s on Apple TV.
Amanda Mullen for ComicBook:
Supernatural is a rare example of one surpassing 10 seasons, but even hits like Game of Thrones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Vampire Diaries clock in around 7-8 outings. There’s one exciting adaptation that could reach double-digit seasons, however, now that Apple TV is tackling the Cosmere. Depending on how many books from Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy universe the streamer adapts, its biggest show could even last into the 2040s. There’ll be more than enough material for it to last all those years.
With The Stormlight Archive set to become a TV show, the upcoming Wheel of Time remake isn’t the only project with the potential to span 10+ seasons. Sanderson’s epic currently consists of five books — each of which clocks in at 1,000+ pages — and he intends to write a second arc, which will feature five more novels. That’s not to mention that The Stormlight Archive novellas, which could add episodes here and there. It’s certainly enough material to warrant such a long run, especially if Apple TV dedicates one outing to each book. With the books being as long as they are, they could also span multiple seasons.
Such a massive run would likely bring The Stormlight Archive into the 2040s, especially accounting for the need to release the next five books first. If Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive are successful, it’s also possible that seasons of the latter will be broken up by spinoffs based on other Cosmere novels. With so much to cover, it’s easy to imagine Apple TV’s fantasy show spanning decades.
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