The Stormlight Archive is one of the biggest contemporary fantasy book franchises, and it’s far from Brandon Sanderson’s only iconic work. In December of 2024, Sanderson released Wind and Truth, the fifth installment of The Stormlight Archive. In State of Sanderson, the author mentioned that he’s going to step back from this particular series for a little while now that the first sequence is complete. Based on this and some of his other updates, it seems that any hope for a screen adaptation of The Stormlight Archive will be on the back burner, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Like all of Sanderson’s projects, The Stormlight Archive is a rich and complex narrative with many layered elements, making it suited for a television iteration if it’s ever brought to life onscreen. However, though Wind and Truth delivered many satisfying Stormlight Archive moments, it’s far from the final installment of the series, even if it wraps up this particular arc and narrative sequence. As seen with projects like Game of Thrones, sometimes it’s best to wait until an author has completed their plans for a series before translating the work to film or television.
Why The Stormlight Archive Adaptation May Not Happen Anytime Soon
Updates for Sanderson’s other projects create a disappointing trend
Since Mistborn has already been postponed seemingly indefinitely, it would be even more difficult to start the process over again with The Stormlight Archive.
If anything, Mistborn would be easier to adapt, as it’s a little more manageable in terms of its characters and world. Since Mistborn has already been postponed seemingly indefinitely, it would be even more difficult to start the process over again with The Stormlight Archive. Sanderson is likely focusing his energy on Mistborn for the time being. Though it’s disappointing that audiences won’t get to see Sanderson’s vivid world come to life in the near future, it makes sense that the author and potential studios would want to take their time.
|
Book |
Year of Release |
|
The Way of Kings |
2010 |
|
Words of Radiance |
2014 |
|
Oathbringer |
2017 |
|
Rhythm of War |
2020 |
|
Wind and Truth |
2024 |
The Stormlight Archive’s Adaptation Shouldn’t Happen Until All The Books Are Finished
Only the first five installments of The Stormlight Archive have been written
It’s hard to say when Sanderson will complete The Stormlight Archive. However, based on the breadth of the world and the number of projects the author is actively working on, the late 2030s would be the earliest that he would finish The Stormlight Archive. Sanderson has a lot of detailed plans for the future of The Stormlight Archive, and while the next books will incorporate a time jump following Wind and Truth, this doesn’t mean a TV show should begin development. Adapting the first sequence without knowing what’s going to come next could be a fatal mistake.
A lot could happen between now and the release of The Stormlight Archive‘s next installment, making the future of a TV show uncertain. It would be terrible if the series began by following the story of the first five books, and then Sanderson’s plans changed, and there was an even bigger break in the story, creating a gap between seasons. If there’s anything to be learned from other fantasy TV shows, a long wait between seasons and a lack of strong source material can kill the momentum of a project.
What Brandon Sanderson Has Said About Adapting The Stormlight Archive Books
Sanderson is very open about his progress on film and TV adaptations
Original cover for Wind and Truth by Michael Whelan
Original cover for Oathbringer and The Way of Kings UK editions by Sam Green
Sanderson has stated that he would want to be deeply creatively involved in a Stormlight Archive TV show and that these screen adaptations are on his mind (via Coppermind). In the 2024 State of Sanderson, he mentioned that other offers and opportunities within Cosmere have come up, but he’s been dedicating his time and energy to Mistborn. Though Sanderson is unquestionably open to screen iterations of his work, it’s important to remember that his first priority is ensuring the adaptation is faithful to the source material and will connect with fans.
Since every book in The Stormlight Archive is a project so close to Sanderson and longtime followers of his work, starting a movie or TV show without the proper time and consideration would go against his sensibilities as a writer. Sanderson has spent many years carefully crafting The Stormlight Archive, so it would be better for any television iteration to be delayed until the time is right rather than get the story wrong or let the project get buried by bureaucracy.
