One of Born from the mists The film’s challenges will be the representation and exposition surrounding its main villainand the format of this 2005 superhero film could be the answer. Although progress in a Born from the mists film has been halted since the WGA and SAG-AFTRA attacks of 2023, Brandon Sanderson has stated that it’s only a matter of time before his stories are adapted for the screen, and his heart seems set on bringing Born from the mists to life as a feature film. As it is his most read work, it is worth discussing what it would be like, even without official plans in place.
On the one hand, Born of the Mists magic system and unique form of combat make it the ideal film. Many of the novel’s scenes are wonderfully cinematic and easy to imagine, and Sanderson created the story with the team-up heist movie format in mind. On the other hand, fantasy adaptations often struggle in Hollywood, with exposition and material not translating well to the big screen. Many of Born of the Mists the main scenes revolve around the characters reading material from a translated text, detailing information about The Sovereign Lord, The Final Empire main villain.
Mistborn Movie Should Be Built Around Lord Ruler Plot Twist
Audiences must be surprised to find out that Rashek is the ruling lord
Before getting into the nature of this revelation, it is important to note why The Sovereign Lord is so crucial to The Final Empire. After nearly two decades, he’s still one of the most compelling villains in Brandon Sanderson’s entire Cosmere universe, and he’s only in the book for a few scenes before he dies. The reason he works so well in minimal time is the way the other characters treat him. From Kelsier’s hatred to Sazed’s academic pursuit, readers see The Lord Ruler as a towering presence looming over the sinister city of Luthadel.
All over The Final Empirethe reader learns more and more about this expedition more than 1,000 years before the events of the novel, which finds men named Alendi and Rashek traveling to the Well of Ascension. To portray this in a film, would likely require flashback scenes that demonstrate this journey, showing the viewer how The Lord Ruler came to bepreparing them for the eventual plot twist that Rashek is the Lord Ruler instead of Alendi. This revelation later provides Vin with the vision to defeat The Lord Ruler by using his Feruchemy against him.
How Batman Begins Hiding His True Villain Could Work for the Mistborn
Batman Begins plays its flashbacks against audience expectations, delivering a worthwhile twist
When Neeson’s character finally arrives in the current timeline, he reveals that he is actually R’as and that he is the film’s main villain.
Batman begins may be a strange medium to compare Born from the mistsbut there’s a trick to the film’s flashbacks that allows the villain’s plot twist to work. Audiences are introduced to Liam Neeson’s character Ducardat the beginning of the film. He is the one who trains Bruce to become Batman through flashbacks, under the suspicion that Ken Watanabe’s character is his leader, R’as al Ghul. When Neeson’s character finally arrives in the current timeline, he reveals that he is actually R’as and that he is the film’s main villain.
Now, applying a premise similar to Born from the mistsIt would be fantastic to include Alendi and Rashek’s story in flashbacks, leading the audience to think that Alendi would be the man who would become the Lord Ruler. Then, in the execution scene where the Lord Ruler steps out of his chariot, the film can reveal by appearance that he is actually Rashek. This might not mean anything to the protagonists yet, but audiences will have to compartmentalize The Lord Ruler, a character they have come to hate, with Rashek, a character they have perhaps expressed some sympathy for in the flashback scenes.
The Lord Ruler plot twist is the main idea of ​​Final Empire
Mistborn exists in the Lord Ruler’s world
On his website, Brandon Sanderson explains the essence of Born from the mists into two main ideas. The first is that he wanted to tell a Ocean’s Eleven-like a heist story in a fantasy world. The second is that he wanted to create a fantasy story in a world where the Dark Lord had already taken control. Luthadel exists in the dark environment that The Lord Ruler created, and understanding him and his history is crucial to Sanderson’s narrative. Read the full quote below:
“I wanted to take the standard fantasy story I’ve read a dozen times, that of a young peasant hero who sets out on a quest to defeat a Dark Lord, and turn it on its head. What if the Dark Lord won What if, in the final climactic moments, he killed the hero and conquered the world?”
The Final Empire exists in a world built on this hypothesis. It’s a purposeful subversion of fantasy norms and expectations surrounding Dark Lord-type characters like Voldemort or Sauron. As the reader embarks on his journey through Born from the mists in text or on screen, a crucial aspect must be the revelation of this evil, constantly leading the viewer to question what they know about The Sovereign Lord. Batman Begins’ The formula allows for a fantastic execution of this premise that can keep audiences fascinated by the mystery.