Brandon Sanderson Swears He’ll Avoid George R.R. Martin’s Biggest Game of Thrones Fail

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As a huge Brandon Sanderson fan, I was so excited to hear about the Cosmere coming to Apple TV! But what really impressed me was his commitment to his readers. He’s made it clear that the books are always the priority, and that’s amazing. It means he won’t let the show overshadow the incredible stories he’s already created. He’s putting the novels first, no matter how big the adaptation gets, and that’s exactly what we want to see!

Viewers who were disappointed by how the TV show Game of Thrones moved ahead of the books can be reassured. Brandon Sanderson, the author adapting his Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series for television, promises that filming won’t get ahead of his written work. He’s prioritizing finishing the books first, ensuring a careful and controlled adaptation process.

Sanderson’s Partnership with Apple TV is Unlike Martin’s with HBO

Custom Image by Hannah Diffey

Following many meetings in Los Angeles, Sanderson selected Apple as his partner not because of large financial offers, but because of the trust they demonstrated. He’s explained that Apple prioritizes the author’s vision and quality over simply producing a lot of content. This allows him to safeguard the core of his Cosmere universe while ensuring the adaptations feel creatively led, rather than forced or controlled.

Sanderson has a bold and deeply personal plan for adapting his novels to the screen. He’s starting with a Mistborn movie, which he intends to write himself over several months, with the goal of a theatrical release. If that’s successful, he’ll then focus on a Stormlight Archive series. By writing the screenplay himself, he wants to ensure the complex magic systems and grand scope of his stories are captured accurately, while still preserving the subtle details his readers love.

This approach draws a lesson from a well-known example in fantasy publishing. When a popular TV series overtook the original, unfinished book series, the ending became a major source of disagreement among fans. Sanderson avoids this by planning and writing well ahead of any potential adaptations, guaranteeing he has a complete story outline before a show could catch up.

Keeping the Cosmere Books Ahead of the Cameras

Custom image by Yeider Chacon and original cover art for The Stormlight Archive novels by Michael Whelan

It’s challenging to juggle writing novels and working on adaptations for film or TV. Sanderson admits that these studio projects demand significant time and focus, but he sees them as a temporary commitment. He assures his readers that writing new chapters for his books will always be his main priority, even when Hollywood is most active.

Because Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe features many connected planets and characters, careful planning is key. He wants to map out storylines across all books and adaptations beforehand, so fans can enjoy discoveries at the same time, whether they’re reading or watching, and avoid having one version reveal secrets before the other.

Fans are both relieved and thrilled by this news. If Brandon Sanderson can keep writing at his current pace while also overseeing careful adaptations, it could be a fantastic outcome. The fantasy series could succeed both in book form and as a TV show or movie, demonstrating that complex stories don’t need to change their conclusions to appeal to a larger audience.

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2026-02-04 20:48