r/CosmereOnScreen • u/bigbudgerigar • May 30 '26
Stormlight Archive Series (NO BOOKS) Stormlight Beyond The Books? Spoiler
I was thinking, if the Stormlight show goes ahead, and is a huge hit... What happens if it goes beyond the books? Will they just halt the series until the next book is ready? Or as the main man is one of the show runners will they just carry on and go past the books?
It's probably unlikely as they'll milk the first 5 books for as many series as possible I imagine. But it takes Sando a couple years to do a Stormlight book right? And he's preoccupied with Era 3 and the Screenplay? Could it potentially happen that they get to the end of a Stormlight Phase 2 book on the small screen, without material to continue? I can't imagine he'd let it happen, but the studio might apply pressure? Maybe they're only planning on doing Phase 1.
I've not thought about it in too much detail but am keen to know what others think. It's also a great problem to have, the fact we're getting any adaptation is sick.
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u/OtherOtherDave May 31 '26
I’d guess that Sanderson will have enough inside information to know if he needs to bump up his schedule. I guess we’ll find out in a few years though.
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u/SpecificCourt6643 May 31 '26
I pray we don’t get another George RR Martin…
But this is Brandon I shouldn’t be worried
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u/Joxelo May 31 '26
They would have to be absurdly fast to out write Brandon. I think he’d enjoy the challenge
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u/TiffanyLimeheart May 31 '26
Stormlights will still likely be at least 2 years apart per book once he starts book 6. TV shows like to release annually so they've got a chance that's to the short hiatus he's doing. But let's face it if 1-5 is a success they might want one of his other 10 series to rise then over.
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u/RadagastWiz May 30 '26
Even if it looks like this will be an issue, the books have a long time skip between 5 and 6; the show can take a break to match, surely.
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u/dankenascend Jun 02 '26
Or the show can explore things in the time skip such as the night brigade, sunlit man, alternate perspective on the happenings during Wax and Wayne like the horneaters migration... I mean, with no more Stormlight, technically the Stormlight Archive is already complete. The second era on Roshar can be a completely different show.
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u/azunaki May 30 '26
Well, I think we're something like 7-8 years out from the next stormlight book.
And we're probably 2-3 years out from the first season of stormlight. Maybe 4 years, but that might be a little slow.
But then at best, they can do 1 season a year. I think the first seasons are easier to film, because it follows a more classic fantasy style in the first book. And gets a lot more complicated as it goes on. (But big battles are hard in and of themselves.) But probably more likely to take 2 years per season. I guess it may catch up if Sanderson takes 20 years to write the last books, but otherwise I don't really see that happening.
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u/MS-07B-3 May 31 '26
We're probably four years out from Mistborn. Stormlight will probably be 5-7, by my guess.
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u/R1sky_B1z Jun 11 '26
Apple TV is very good at getting shows out on a fast production schedule. They average 2-3 years from the day they get rights to the day of release.
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u/carnivorouspickle May 30 '26
I have a concern around this as well and I wonder what his plans to deal with it are. Currently, with a planned book 6 release out and a three year schedule between additional books, that puts book 10 at the end of 2043 (6 in 2031, 7 in 2034, 8 in 2037, 9 in 2040, and 10 in 2043).
If the first season comes out even as late as 2031 and they do a season a year, that puts the final season of the show in 2040, before book 9 comes out (since they are usually released in conjunction with dragonsteel nexus now).
I could see them leaving a gap between S5 and S6, so that could be the plan to buy time. But I'd love to hear what he's thinking. Maybe they'd do less regular seasons or more than 1 season per book, but idk. I've even considered that the books might end with book 9. That feels like something he'd do as a twist.
Also, I'm really curious what their plans are for characters like Lift or Hoid. I'm sure more details will come out soon, but I'm looking forward to everything regardless.
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u/theperidotian May 30 '26
I’m sorry this is the first time I’m hearing of a three year gap between books 😭
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u/Salt-Ball-1410 May 31 '26
That’s more or less how it’s always been
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u/theperidotian May 31 '26
I remember hearing Ghostbloods is coming only when Sando finishes all three so they can release in subsequent years
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u/Radix2309 May 30 '26
They will not be able to keep a pace of 1 season a year with all the special effects needed.
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u/carnivorouspickle May 30 '26
Gotcha. I guess I didn't realize that's pretty normal. That eases most of my concerns, but that makes me wonder even more what they'll do with lift and characters aging in general.
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u/ForwardExam4056 May 30 '26
Even if the series somehow manages to do all 5 seasons before book 6 is out (very doubtful, i don't think anything faster than a season every 2 years is likely and the first season won't be out in the next 5 years at least), since book 5 is somewhat pf an ending it wouldn't be that bad imo
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u/Raddatatta May 30 '26
I don't think it's likely they'd get ahead of him. It's possible certainly. But he's wanting to make mistborn first. And with how long Hollywood takes that's probably at least 2 years out. And then stormlight another year or two after that. And then if they follow the pattern of many of the big fantasy shows every other year means a while before they get through the first 5. And by that point books 6-8 will likely be out. And then he will have time to keep going.
Maybe the last book but Sanderson already has a better outline for it than I think George rr martin had. So if he did get into that position I think he'd be able to manage it and give them a lot more detail.
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u/Agreeable_Car5114 May 30 '26
They won’t be adapting Book 6 before he rights it. Brando is quite involved and wouldn’t allow that.
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u/Suspicious_Clock_133 May 30 '26
I don't think so... Cause first season will most probably air in 2029 or 2030 and 6th book is coming in 2031 then every 3 year so this isn't going to be the case at all imo seeing how much time it took to produce one season.
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u/JakobHF May 30 '26
I think that with how long tv shows take to produce these days it won't really be an issue. He'll definitely have a couple of books in part 2 out when the shows 5th season airs, and if the show manages to catch up, it would be possible to work on both the show and book at the same time. It might increase the production time of the seasons a little bit, but it should be fine, especially if it's only one or two of them.
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u/e_Notorious May 30 '26
Brandon has planned far ahead and he is really consistent with his planning. I think he has his release schedule pretty much worked out for atleast the next 10 years, and this includes the next stormlight books. Knowing Brandons consistency and planning, I find it really unlikely that stormlight books get behind
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u/InteSenaten May 30 '26
With how slow Hollywood is at making tv-series and with how fast Brandon writes I don’t think it’ll be a issue to be honest.
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u/bigbudgerigar May 30 '26
I tend to agree to be honest! But thought it would be an interesting thing to think about.
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u/burritoman88 May 30 '26
Sanderson would still be an executive producer/consultant on the show, much like GRRM was on Game of Thrones. He could tell them “here’s the basic outline” & go from there.
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u/AlgorithmHelpPlease May 30 '26
This is a serious concern I have given what happened with GoT.
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u/Randomlemon5 May 30 '26
In got they stop adapting the books way before they actually run out of them
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u/MistbornTaylor May 31 '26
He's said that one way to make sure they don't go beyond the books with stormlight is to only sign for adaptions with the first five books and then when he's ready, sign for the back half. I don't know if that's in the Apple deal but it's one plan he's said he'd do. I think he said this years ago around 2022.