Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson has announced the completion of the first draft of his Mistborn movie script. This milestone was reached in accordance with his estimated July deadline, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the novel Mistborn: The Final Empire.
Sanderson, known for his diligent updates on numerous writing projects, revealed the news on X. The Mistborn adaptation is part of a larger deal with Apple to bring his Cosmere shared universe to screens. Sanderson has expressed a desire to emulate the approach of DC Studios chief James Gunn, focusing on a robust script to minimize potential reshoots and aiming to keep the film's narrative as faithful as possible to the original novel.
Mistborn: The Final Empire, published 20 years ago, introduced readers to a post-apocalyptic world ruled by the immortal Lord Ruler. The story follows Vin, a young thief who discovers latent magical abilities and joins a crew in a plot to overthrow the existing government. The series delves into the cosmic forces known as Shards, which are central to the magic system across Sanderson's Cosmere universe, including his epic fantasy series The Stormlight Archive, which is also slated for a television adaptation under the Apple deal.
This script completion marks a significant step for the Mistborn film, which is seen as foundational for the broader Cosmere television ambitions. Sanderson remains highly active with other writing endeavors, having recently finished the first book in a new Mistborn trilogy, titled "Ghostbloods," and Songrise, the second book in a science fiction trilogy co-authored with Janci Patterson. His next Cosmere novel, The Fires of December, is scheduled for release on December 8.