8 Things I Most Need to See in a Movie or TV Show from Stormlight Archive

The Stormlight Archive is a series that I’m dying to see adapted for the screen, and there are a number of specific things I’d like to see in the TV series or film. Author Brandon Sanderson has long discussed the prospect of having his Cosmere book universe developed into a live-action film/TV universe, and while none of his stories are currently being produced by Hollywood, it seems like it’s just a question of time, given its increasing popularity. ONE Born from the mists the film adaptation has been discussed for some time, and The Stormlight Archive it would likely be the next project to follow suit.

When adapting a series as massive and sprawling as The Stormlight Archivethere are several factors at play. My ideas and bucket list items won’t just be the elements of my dream show; they are a collection of thoughts based on previously developed fantasy films and shows that I either like or dislike. With the recent fantasy boom in Hollywood, there are many lessons to learn from the way epic fantasy stories have been adapted. and how the fans reacted. Adapting The Stormlight Archive It wouldn’t be easy, but it’s incredibly fun to brainstorm.

8

The Stormlight Archive must have 10-episode TV seasons

Movie format would not work for Stormlight file

For the purpose of recognizing either option as an ultimate possibility, I will continue talking about this adaptation as a film or TV series. However, I firmly believe that The Stormlight Archive It should be a TV show. I know Brandon Sanderson wants Born from the mists to be a film adaptation, and while I think it should be a TV series as well, it’s certainly more of a possibility. There is no clean way The Stormlight Archive It could work as a feature film.

Let’s look at some other books that have been adapted for comparison. The Fellowship of the Ring is less than half the length The Way of Kings and was adapted into a three-hour film. The Deathly Hallows and Dune both were split into two films. A Game of Thrones is 3/4 the length and was adapted almost 1:1 as a ten-episode TV season. The only way to do The Stormlight Archive what a movie would be like to make several movies for each book (which would take decades) or reduce a significant part of the story.

7

The Stormlight Archive can’t leave out its supporting characters

Supporting Characters Are Essential Stormlight Archive Narrative

The reason why The Stormlight Archive can’t just leave out bits of its story because that would likely mean that the supporting characters would be dropped almost entirely. There are two main components to this: the emotional core of the story and the overarching events, both of which need the supporting cast to move forward. For example, The Way of Kings it needs Bridge Four and the cast of Kaladin’s flashbacks to elevate it and make its story so emotionally compelling.

As for global events, I described certain numbers in The Stormlight Archive like characters from the X Factor. They’re guys like Elhokar, Amaram and Moash. They rank below the main characters in their prominence in the series and often disappear from the story for long periods, only to arrive and propel events forward in unpredictable ways. They are not as prominent as the protagonists, nor as vital as the main antagonists, but it is equally important that they are defined and impactful.

6

A TV series would have to change the Stormlight file format

The structure of Brandon Sanderson’s novel wouldn’t work for an episodic format

Brandon Sanderson uses an interesting formatting system, with each book being divided into separate parts with interludes. This sometimes means that the audience will go a few hundred pages without seeing their favorite character if they weren’t included in that part. A TV series might leave Adolin out of an episode every now and then, but there’s less freedom to make him disappear for two or three episodes at a time.

Not to mention that the pacing of a TV series can be thrown off by an episode filled with a cascade of interludes, so finding a way to balance the flow of characters and interlude chapters is crucial. The Lord of the Rings the films would be an interesting model here, as the way events unfold in the second and third films is completely different from the format of the books. Instead of dividing the films into two parts, as in Tolkien’s novels, the events are interconnected as they could have occurred in real time.

5

Roshar should be a vibrant world that feels like a character of its own

Roshar needs to be carefully constructed as an important narrative element

Bringing Roshar to life seems to be one of the most common concerns for Stormlight Archive adaptation, and I want to address the technical aspect of this. Firstly, I would like to talk about the importance of Roshar as a character in the narrative. Sanderson is known for his unique magical systems and world-building, with each system of the cosmere offering something uniquely compelling. Elements like the storms, spren, flora and the planet’s landscape are all visual elements that must be addressed.

More than most fantasy series, Brandon Sanderson’s books run on the engines of their worlds. The events of the series progress as the characters begin to understand elements of their magical system or ecosystem.and it is essential that nothing is done to immerse the viewer in Roshar’s environment. The Stormlight Archive the adaptation needs to be created not only with the details in mind, but also with an understanding of why each detail is important to the story.

4

Brandon Sanderson is set to co-write the script

The author must be involved in the production

While it may seem obvious that Brandon Sanderson should be involved, I want to talk about what the nature of that involvement should be. With programs like The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Timeit’s difficult to avoid division over the shows’ fidelity to the source material, given that the authors have passed away. In Dragon House and The wizardfans speculated about the original authors being written out of the production.

To avoid these issues, Brandon Sanderson needs to play a substantial role, which seems like something he would be inclined to do. Having him as co-executive producer, directly involved in writing the scripts, casting and developing the series, is ideal, but it would need to be balanced with industry professionals who can understand the logistics of how decisions can be translated to the screen. He needs to have power, but there is also There need to be checks and balances to combine book authenticity with Hollywood practicality.

3

Stormlight file must use Mandalorian’s StageCraft technology

The Mandalorian shows how Roshar can come to life

Now for the technical aspect. Bringing Roshar to life seems like a huge hurdle for a TV series. Game of Thrones was given a huge CGI budget to perfect the look of things like dragons, but that’s partly because most of its world could be filmed in Belfast. To perfect an alien planet like Roshar, a sci-fi show like The Mandalorian is the best modeland it’s fascinating to read about their advanced StageCraft technology.

Essentially, StageCraft is a replacement for a typical green screen that utilizes a curved LED screen that reproduces computer-generated images. Instead of these visuals being edited after the fact, they are present on set, allowing actors, cinematographers, and everyone else present to immerse themselves in the world. Brandon Sanderson mentioned regions of Utah that would be great for filming The Stormlight Archive from the outside, but this would be an exciting embellishment to bring Roshar to life as he exists in the books.

2

Shardbearers and Parshendi must be treated with practical effects

CGI for character designs should be used sparingly

Shardbearers and Parshendi are just two examples of things in The Stormlight Archive which one might not think would translate well to the screen. I mean, knights in vibrant blue armor and giant swords are highly fantastical, but I was admiring some of the art in the new RPG Cosmere, and it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch that armor like this could be made to look realistic. As for Parshendi, it may take longer, but doing the effects with makeup and prosthetics seems like it would be much more visually pleasing.

What worries me most is the overuse of CGI and ending up with something that looks like 2016 War film. Computer effects have come a long way since then, but everything about the film felt cartoonish and off-putting in a bizarre way. Prosthetics on alien or fantasy creatures have almost always worked better than CG character designs in franchises like Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings.

1

The Stormlight Archive’s script needs to be faithful to its main characters’ arcs

Getting the characters right is key to the Stormlight Archive

I spent a lot of time thinking specifically about The Way of Kings and how that would translate into a TV season. When considering an adaptation, especially on a television budget, it seems fair to say that the amount of action and battle sequences would be toned down. It’s probably impossible to get a 1:1 adaptation with the huge amount of war going on in that first book, and that’s just one example of the changes that would be made to suit a new medium. However, what needs to remain are the character arcs of Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, and Adolin.

In essence, The Stormlight Archive is a character-based series. I’m fascinated by the show’s story and world-building, but I’m in love with the show because of its characters. The most important thing to me in an adaptation is that the characters I’m watching on screen are representative of the words on the page. The show can make changes to formatting, pacing, action sequences and even alter the timeline of events to have a more succinct television narrative, but the characters need to feel like they belong. The Stormlight Archive.