Brandon Sanderson's Returning to "Square One" Movie Mistborn Is Actually the Best

Epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is notorious for his prolific output, as well as his transparency about the status of his numerous projects, such as the ongoing fan favorite Born from the mists novels. In his 2024 "State of the Sanderson" blog post (via Brandon Sanderson), where he summarized his progress this year, the author made several announcements about his works; most of them were positive, but there was also the unfortunate news that the Born from the mists the film is officially dead in the water. Unfortunately, this is probably the final nail in the coffin for any hope of seeing Millie Bobby Brown perform. Born from the miststhe heroine Vin.

With Born from the mists not advancing any further, at least in that specific incarnation, that means there are no currently active projects to adapt any part of Sanderson's Cosmere multiverse for the screen. However, with the very foundations of the Cosmere now shaking in the wake of the last Stormy Archive romance, perhaps this is an opportunity in disguise. Sanderson now has the opportunity to re-evaluate which of Cosmere's books would be best adapted as films, and with Storm finished for now, he is well positioned to make that choice.

The Mistborn movie returning to square one means Brandon Sanderson may modify his plan

Fourteen years of development hell could be a sign to reevaluate the adaptation plan

Several years ago, Sanderson's main focus for any adaptation of his work was the nascent Born from the mists films, which were first acquired in 2010. Several changes in option holders and prospective studios subsequently, unfortunately, and this script treatment is dead in the water. There is an opportunity here, however.

Although there is a solid consensus that Born from the mists is the perfect entry point into the Cosmere in general for potential readers, this same argument isn't necessarily true when it comes to how best to present the Cosmere to television or film audiences. Furthermore, Born from the mists itself may no longer be suitable for a film series; although the first set of books is a trilogy, the overall narrative arc of the series is much more chaotic in a way that could better fit into a multi-season TV series.

A more coordinated approach would benefit a Cosmere cinematic universe

Cosmere worlds need to feel alive and connected, yet independent

The Cosmere universe has a complicated timeline; we've seen characters emerge in different worlds with different faces, with only subtle (or not-so-subtle, in Hoid's case) hints to connect them to other appearances. It's the kind of fantasy setting that absolutely cries out to become an overarching cinematic universe that Marvel could only dream of; But if it does happen, it will have to happen with deliberate planningwhich may not sit well with the studios and their apparent reticence to invest in new properties.

Its depth and width mean the Cosmere deserves a unified approach to adaptationjust to avoid replicating errors like Amazon using only The Lord of the RingAppendices as source material for The Rings of Power; the resulting changes to the source material were the cause of much well-founded criticism of this program. Any adaptation of Cosmere that doesn't also take its own multiversal nature into account would likely face a similar backlash.

That doesn't mean the Cosmere has to be the next Marvel Cinematic Universewhere every play is influenced by every other and movies become an endless annual onslaught of spandex and CGI and Robert Downey Jr.; that wouldn't appeal to audiences, and it's unlikely that any studio would want to fund the effort to create a Cosmere Cinematic Universe that has the same degree of moving parts. But what any adaptation of the Cosmere needs – be it Born from the mists, The Stormlight Archiveor even a standalone story like Twilight Sixth – is the space to let yourself feel great.

Born from the mists is probably still the best choice for Cosmere's first on-screen adaptation, as Vin's flaws make her a perfect audience representative as she learns Allomancy and discovers that her responsibilities grow along with her power. But Born from the mists it needs to be able to sustain itself as a show while also teasing the audience with glimpses of how Scadrial is just one battleground amid a much larger conflict. Hopefully, Sanderson's return to square one on the project is an opportunity to reevaluate in order to do justice to Vin's story while also laying the groundwork for the Cosmere in general.

(Source: BrandonSanderson.com)