Brandon Sanderson reveals Mistborn film is adopting a ‘James Gunn approach’ as the script develops.

Brandon Sanderson, the prolific fantasy author, is set to bring his Cosmere universe to life on the big screen after securing a major deal with Apple TV. In a recent episode of his podcast, he shared that while this isn’t the first attempt to adapt *Mistborn*, it marks the first time he’s taking the reins himself. For the screenplay, he’s drawing inspiration from a specific Hollywood approach: the filmmaking style of writer, director, and DC Studios head, James Gunn.

Sanderson previously mentioned he was about 10 percent through his *Mistborn* screenplay, and his latest update gives fans a glimpse of what to expect. The next step is to find a producer to guide the adaptation through development, with an announcement anticipated in March, while he aims to complete a first draft by July. His primary focus? Crafting a solid script before moving forward.

“The James Gunn model is: fantastic script, no reshoots,” Sanderson explained. “Reshoots can be really costly and disrupt the film’s continuity. As a writer-director, he can present a cohesive script that everyone rallies around. If you look at the *Superman* script—I’ve been reading a lot of scripts lately to prepare—it closely resembles the final film.”

For *Mistborn*, Sanderson aims to tackle potential issues at the script stage to avoid expensive mistakes later on. The stakes are high, as the film’s success is linked to his broader vision for adapting his interconnected fantasy universe, the Cosmere. He envisions himself as a creative leader akin to Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios.

However, during his discussion with author and co-host Dan Wells, Sanderson acknowledged the unpredictable nature of bringing a film to completion. *Mistborn* has faced years of development hurdles, with various attempts from small studios and independent producers, including a surprising effort from Donald Mustard of Epic Games, who once aimed to adapt the property as part of a larger initiative to branch into film production. That plan ultimately fell through.

For now, Sanderson is focused on ensuring the story translates well to the screen, especially the journey of Vin, the street urchin who becomes the series’ main hero. While *Mistborn* is often labeled a fantasy heist, Sanderson believes previous adaptations strayed too far from the emotional essence of Vin’s story.

“It’s challenging to condense a 500-page book into a 140-page script, but previous adaptations created entirely new scenes to achieve that,” he noted. “I want to see if I can use the actual scenes from the book as the foundation.”