The 'Mistborn' Movie: Everything We Know About the Adaptation

Fans of Brandon Sanderson’s sweeping Cosmere universe kicked off 2026 on a high note, as it was confirmed that Apple TV has acquired the rights to bring the fantasy universe from page to screen. Loyal fans will be thrilled (and relieved) to hear that Sanderson will retain creative control over the adaptations, including serving as a writer, producer, and consultant, and approval over casting, according to a January report from The Hollywood Reporter. That nearly unprecedented level of control is no doubt thanks to the massive influence he’s proven to have through the success of his many crowdfunded self-publishing ventures and the annual fan convention he hosts—on top of his massive book sales, having sold over 50 million copies, of course.

First up on the adaptation slate are the Mistborn and Stormlight Archive sagas, with the first taking the form of a film series and the latter arriving as a TV show. Though details are scarce, the Mistborn movie seems to be first in Sanderson's docket. Here’s everything we know so far about the Mistborn film adaptation.

What are the 'Mistborn' books by Brandon Sanderson about?

The Mistborn series is slated to span four “eras,” with two completed so far. The first three books in Era One—Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006), Mistborn: The Well of Ascension (2007), and Mistborn: The Hero of Ages (2008)—follow a group of powerful magicians known as Allomancers as they attempt to overthrow an empire in their dystopian, ash-covered world.

Next up are the four books of Era Two, also known as “Wax and Wayne:" Mistborn: The Alloy of Law (2011), Mistborn: Shadows of Self (2015), Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning (2016), and Mistborn: The Lost Metal (2022). They take place 300 years after the original trilogy and feature characters capable of both Allomancy and another magic system, Feruchemy, as they investigate crimes in a gritty city.

Sanderson is now in the process of creating the third era of Mistborn, dubbed “Ghostbloods.” That trilogy will be set about 50 years after “Wax and Wayne,” in a world that looks a lot like the early computer age of the 1980s. Finally, the fourth era is expected to be a space opera with even more advanced technology.

When is the 'Mistborn' film adaptation coming out?

Unfortunately, as with the screen adaptations of several other beloved fantasy series—looking at you, Fourth Wing and ACOTAR—it may be a while. In an early February YouTube video answering fan questions about the Cosmere adaptations, Sanderson said that writing “a fantastic screenplay for Mistborn” would be his main priority for the next few months, with plans to turn it in sometime in summer 2026.

Indeed, the author appears to be making pretty swift progress on the Mistborn screenplay. He helpfully added a progress bar to his website homepage, so fans can keep track of how far he is on the project, and it’s already zoomed from 2 percent at the time of the YouTube video to 33 percent as of late March. (For the record, another progress bar on the site shows that he’s 100 percent done writing the next Mistborn book, which will kick off the third era of the series, though it's not due to be published until 2028.)

But while the screenplay seems to be coming along quickly, that’s about it on the production updates front. Sanderson noted in the February video that nobody else was attached to the project yet, saying, “We’re still not very far along. These aren’t coming next year.”

Considering how long casting, filming, and post-production can take, we suspect it may not be until late 2028 at the absolute earliest that Mistborn could be released.

What else has Brandon Sanderson said about the 'Mistborn' adaptation?

Elsewhere in that February 2026 YouTube video, the Mistborn author expressed his excitement over working with Apple TV to adapt his Cosmere universe. He chose the streaming service after meetings with “all the major streamers and studios,” he said, not only because of the creative control Apple granted him, but also because “the partnership felt right.” As he explained it, “I’ve long been looking for a partner, not somebody just to sell things off to.”

And though the writer warned viewers that there’s “no guarantee” that any of the projects will definitely make it to the screen, he noted, “This feels really different this time. I think this one is really going to happen.”

Fans may recall that Sanderson previously made it pretty far in the production process of a film version of Mistborn—even getting (never-disclosed) cast members and a studio attached, as he wrote in a 2024 blog post—before it fell through. Here’s hoping this one does indeed happen.

Who is in the cast of the 'Mistborn' movie adaptation?

There may not be any stars attached to the Mistborn onscreen adaptation just yet, but that’s never stopped devoted fans from brainstorming their dream casts. One longtime favorite for any of several characters in the series is former Superman and The Witcher star Henry Cavill. Sanderson even seems to be aware of the popular theory. He seemed to refer to it in a 2024 blog post, confirming that a previous adaptation attempt had fallen through and writing that while casting decisions had been made, “No, Henry C. was not one of them.” Maybe the second time’s the charm?

Many across the internet agree that Dafne Keen, who’s appeared in Deadpool & Wolverine, His Dark Materials, and more, would make the perfect Vin, a young Allomancer at the center of the first Mistborn trilogy. There’s also widespread agreement that What We Do in the Shadows star Matt Berry should be the well-spoken nobleman Breeze.

Fans are more split on casting for other key characters. Kelsier, the leader of the crew that recruits Vin, could be embodied by Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, The Boys actor Antony Starr, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, or a long-haired Chris Evans, to name just a few casting suggestions. Meanwhile, the role of Sazed, another member of Kelsier’s crew, could go to Babs Olusanmokun, Mahershala Ali, or Djimon Hounsou. And particularly interesting picks for the Lord Ruler include Mads Mikkelsen, Cillian Murphy, Lee Pace, and Nicolas Cage. Your move, Apple TV!