Apple TV is planting its flag in a new fantasy mega-franchise that some have heralded as a potential Harry Potter replacement. For decades, J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World has been the standard that other beloved fantasy adaptations have sought to reach. While many have come and gone, few managed to reach the level of popularity of the Potter series, but this one could do it.
Apple TV acquired the movie and TV rights to author Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn franchise. Sanderson's hit book series has drawn numerous comparisons to the Harry Potter series, making this movie a major player in the fantasy-adaptation landscape that had been lurking in the tall grass for years. The Hollywood Reporter detailed the new deal, revealing that Sanderson's Mistborn series is being optioned for a full-fledged movie from the streamer, and his The Stormlight Archive series, also set in his Cosmere universe, for a TV show.
Sanderson will reportedly have an unprecedented level of creative control over the projects, writing, producing, and overseeing every detail of the incoming adaptations.
This comes weeks after Sanderson teased a potential movie set in his unique fantasy world, telling fans on his personal blog that he was close to cracking the Mistborn movie.
The Mistborn books kicked off in 2006, telling the story of a group of young, magic-wielding heroes who set out to commit the perfect crime against a dystopian totalitarian regime in a world covered in ash. The series has since spawned seven mainline books as well as the Stormlight Archives spin-off series.
In the nearly 20 years since the franchise debut, Sanderson has sold over 50 million books worldwide, making the series one of the most significant literary hits of the modern era.
How Does Mistborn Compare to Harry Potter?
Mistborn follows in the footsteps of The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and Percy Jackson as yet another on-screen translation trying to live up to the hype of the Harry Potter franchise.
Potter laid the groundwork for these other franchises in the early 2000s, and only a select few have become the multimedia mega franchise the Wizarding World has. Just look at how all-consuming Harry Potter is. Movies, theme parks, and an incoming HBO TV show all make up just a small part of the Potter franchise's wider footprint, making it a high mark for anything to follow.
While it is a tall order, Mistborn has the potential of getting there as well. Brandon Sanderson's hit fantasy series has many similarities to the Harry Potter books. It is a hit young adult adventure featuring a young cast in a magic-filled world.
It also sees these teenage characters altering their respective universes' status quo in an epic clash spanning years/decades.
If Sanderson's Mistborn can translate some of what made fans fall in love with books in the first place, then it will be on its way to reaching the heights of Potter.
