The Mistborn movie could have been one of the most exciting fantasy projects coming down the pike, but Brandon Sanderson’s disappointing update highlights a harsh reality about such adaptations. In his State of the Sanderson blog post for 2024, the author confirmed that the Mistborn movie is back at “square one” again. According to Sanderson, there was a script and even talent attached. However, because “the studio didn’t want to do it the way the producers did,” the project failed to land a production deal and enter development.
This happening to the Mistborn movie is disheartening, especially more than a decade after news of an adaptation first surfaced. Of course, Mistborn isn’t the only fantasy project to see an unfortunate outcome after being stuck in development hell. Many movies and TV shows don’t even get a clarifying update after they’re left there, and Sanderson’s Mistborn movie news doesn’t inspire hope that this will change any time soon.
The Mistborn Movie’s Fate Highlights A Harsh Truth About Fantasy Adaptations
Projects In This Genre Are Some Of The Hardest To Bring To Life
The Mistborn movie’s fate may not be surprising after years of waiting, but it does confirm a harsh reality about fantasy adaptations. Even after Game of Thrones’ mᴀssive success, studios seem skeptical about moving forward with such projects. If even a series as big and beloved as Mistborn isn’t prioritized, it’s no wonder that so many other fantasy books don’t make it to the screen. Of course, these stories are often difficult to bring to life, requiring hefty budgets and effects. And as Sanderson’s update suggests, there isn’t always agreement on the creative side.
There’s a reason so many fantasy shows are canceled after one or two seasons, even when they do make it through development and production.
The latter is true of all adaptations, but fantasy ones, in particular, require studios and writers to make hard choices about the source material. Their stories are often too vast and complex to squeeze into a movie’s runtime — and sometimes even that of a TV show — necessitating changes. Making changes is risky, even without the larger budgets required for fantasy projects. This raises questions about whether it will pay off. There’s a reason so many fantasy shows are canceled after one or two seasons, even when they do make it through development and production.
Of course, the number of ongoing fantasy TV shows still offers reason for hope. There have been many more additions to the genre since Game of Thrones ended, so the fantasy landscape isn’t that bleak. But Mistborn‘s disappointing update highlights how difficult getting adaptations off the ground can be, shedding light on why so many of them never happen, even when they’re officially announced.
Mistborn Isn’t The Only Fantasy Project Struggling To Be Adapted
Projects Like ACOTAR, Eragon, & The Poppy War Are Other Examples
The struggles of seeing fantasy adaptations all the way through are evident in the number of movies and TV shows currently in development hell. Some of them, like A Court of Thorns and Roses, are based on books that are just as popular as Mistborn. That’s why these stories are chosen for adaptations in the first place, but a shocking number of them never actually happen. Hulu’s ACOTAR show has faced hurdles, and its status remains unclear. And Sarah J. Maas’ other fantasy series, Throne of Glᴀss, was also supposed to become a TV show, but it never did.
An Eragon series was also announced for Disney+ back in 2022, but there has been little news about the project since. A similar silence has surrounded the Poppy War TV show announced back in 2020 (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline) and the Earthsea series announced in 2019. It’s possible some of these fantasy projects are facing similar hurdles to the Mistborn movie — though hopefully, they’ll see better outcomes.
Source: State of the Sanderson, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
