The Mistborn movie is back to square one, and the most likely replacement for a Cosmere adaptation is a mixed bag. A film adaptation of Brandon Sanderson’s beloved Mistborn book series has been a prospect for over a decade, and with the author continuously growing in popularity, 2023 looked like the year it was finally going to happen. However, due to the effects of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the development of the Mistborn movie was scrapped, with Hollywood no longer as interested in taking risks on fantasy projects.
Brandon Sanderson explained in his annual State of Sanderson blog post that the Mistborn film adaptation was remarkably close to beginning production, with well-known actors attached to star in the project. With the project being scrapped, though, there’s only one other Cosmere project that the author has been pitching to studios, which is Tress of the Emerald Sea. It’s a 2023 standalone Cosmere novel that was released as part of the author’s record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, and it could be exciting to watch on television.
An Animated Tress Of The Emerald Sea Series Sounds Great
Tress Is Perfectly Suited For An Animated Adaptation
Animation made for all ages is arguably more popular than ever, with beautiful shows like Arcane making waves on Netflix. Not to mention, Cosmere fans have always been interested in seeing stories like Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive portrayed in anime art style. Tress of the Emerald Sea, in particular, is one of Sanderson’s most gorgeous and vibrant novels, with the Kickstarter edition offering some stunning, colorful art pieces to offer a taste of Lumar. If any project in the Cosmere absolutely deserves to be animated, it’s this one.
If any project in the Cosmere absolutely deserves to be animated, it’s this one.
Narrative-wise, Tress of the Emerald Sea is likely Brandon Sanderson’s most approachable novel, with him even suggesting it to new readers who’d want to try out his books. Unlike the dense Stormlight Archive books that typically require a seasoned fantasy reader to fully embrace, Tress is easily accessible to someone who’s new to the genre, offering a more whimsical, romantic, and joyful reading experience than the author’s other enormous volumes. It’s perfect for a light-hearted and fun animated series, and there’s no doubt that this should happen.
Tress Of The Emerald Sea Won’t Be Enough To Kick Off The Cosmere
The Mistborn Movie Still Needs To Happen
Tress of the Emerald Sea is still in the very early stages of development, according to Sanderson’s blog post, but it’s still the furthest along Cosmere adaptation he has. If this adaptation were to be made, it would be a beautiful treat for Cosmere lovers and animation fans, but it’s not the mainstream hit needed to kick off a Cosmere universe in film and television. Even if the series somehow managed to be as immensely popular as Arcane, the possibility of it directly translating to more Cosmere adaptations isn’t as likely as something like Mistborn.
As much as animation is a beloved genre, the unfortunate circumstance is that it’s still not taken as seriously by Hollywood. In just the past few years, controversy surrounded the Max streaming service for removing beloved animated series from their library and for canceling the Coyote vs. Acme live-action animation movie. Tress of the Emerald Sea is worth developing as a TV show, but it’s not going to cause the mainstream Cosmere boom that Mistborn has the potential to land.
A Mistborn Adaptation Is Still Crucial To The Cosmere’s Future
Mistborn Could Make The Cosmere A Mainstream Hit
Mistborn is a crucial book to adapt if Brandon Sanderson wants the Cosmere to be a full-on cinematic universe. In an era where every studio wants a shared universe like the MCU or a fantasy series like Game of Thrones, there’s nothing that offers the best of both worlds quite like Sanderson’s books. If the material is handled correctly, managing to appeal to Sanderson’s book readers as well as broader audiences who aren’t as familiar with contemporary fantasy novels, it could be a monster franchise in Hollywood.
The appeal Brandon Sanderson has as an author isn’t normal. He’s managed to achieve book marketing success that far surpᴀsses almost all of his fellow high fantasy authors who don’t have major adaptations, and it’s largely because of his ability to connect with fans on social media, his podcast, his crowdfunding campaigns, and more. There’s mᴀssive, untapped potential here for Hollywood to unlock, and Mistborn is the key to doing so, offering a story that’s both easy to access and addictive, justifying the costs of sequels and the production of other projects like The Stormlight Archive.
