7 Lesser-Known Facts About Skyward, Brandon Sanderson’s New Confirmed TV Series

Brandon Sanderson fans just got exciting news: Skyward is officially headed to television! While the Cytoverse series has long lived in the shadow of Sanderson’s bigger fantasy franchises, its fast-paced space battles, mysteries, and memorable characters make it a natural fit for the screen. But beyond the headlines, there are plenty of fascinating details that even longtime readers may not know.

From the story’s surprising origins to little-known facts about its development and adaptation, Skyward has a richer history than many realize. Here are seven lesser-known facts about Sanderson’s newly confirmed TV series.

1 Skyward Is Brandon Sanderson’s First Non-Cosmere TV Adaptation

When people think of Sanderson adaptations, they usually jump straight to the Cosmere, with series like Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive dominating fan discussions. That’s what makes Skyward such a surprise—it’s officially becoming Sanderson’s first major TV adaptation outside his interconnected fantasy universe.

Set in the Cytoverse rather than the Cosmere, Skyward offers a completely different flavor, trading magic systems for starfighter battles and galactic mysteries. The move shows that Hollywood sees potential beyond Sanderson’s fantasy epics.

For longtime fans, it’s a rare chance to see one of his lesser-discussed worlds take center stage first. It may also be the smartest adaptation choice, as Skyward’s tighter story, smaller cast, and action-heavy premise could translate to television more easily than Sanderson’s sprawling fantasy sagas.

2 It’s Handled by Tomorrow Studios, Same As Netflix’s One Piece

One of the most encouraging signs for Skyward fans is that the adaptation is being developed by Tomorrow Studios, the same company behind Netflix’s live-action One Piece. Adapting beloved books is notoriously difficult, but Tomorrow Studios has already shown it can win over skeptical fan bases.

In a statement via Deadline, Sanderson expressed excitement over the upcoming project and his collaboration with the said studio.

I’ve been working on the Skyward series for nearly a decade, and to have a partner like Tomorrow Studios to help bring this story to television is a dream come true.

The studio’s experience balancing large-scale action, visual effects, and faithful storytelling could be a major advantage for a series built around starfighter battles and interstellar mysteries. If One Piece proved anything, it’s that Tomorrow Studios understands the importance of capturing the spirit of the source material, which is likely exactly what Sanderson fans are hoping for.

3 Sanderson Will Co-Write Pilot With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Writers

As expected, Sanderson won’t be sitting on the sidelines—he’ll be co-writing the pilot script himself. He’ll be joined by Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, the creative duo best known for their work on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This is already great news for fans, as it means the adaptation will benefit from both the author’s deep understanding of the source material and the TV writers’ experience crafting serialized sci-fi storytelling.

Now, for those who are worried about major changes from the books, Sanderson’s direct involvement should help preserve the core of Spensa’s journey. Here’s to hoping this partnership will give Skyward a better chance of becoming a faithful adaptation rather than just another loose interpretation.

4 The Story Was Originally Inspired by ‘Top Gun Set in Space’

One of the coolest facts about Skyward is that Sanderson originally pitched it as essentially “Top Gun in space.” It’s easy to notice since the story follows young pilots in training, intense aerial combat, fierce rivalries, and the dream of proving oneself against the odds.

Sanderson once shared how he came up with the idea of Skyward on his website:

Could I mash this together with a flight school story like Top Gun or Ender’s Game, and do something that wasn’t “a boy and his dragon,” but was instead “a girl and her starfighter”?

For the TV adaptation, this could be a major advantage since fans are already familiar with the appeal of pilot-focused action. If the series successfully captures that Top Gun-style energy, Skyward could deliver some of the most exciting space-combat sequences ever seen in a Sanderson adaptation.

5 The Series Has More Horror Elements Than Many Readers Notice

While Skyward is often described as a young-adult sci-fi adventure, it contains far more horror elements than you can notice. It’s quite a surprise since Sanderson isn’t really known for this genre.

As the story moves beyond flight school and space battles, it also introduces unsettling mysteries, strange dimensions, and ancient entities reminiscent of cosmic horror rather than traditional science fiction.

The Nowhere is the biggest cosmic horror-adjacent element one can find in Skyward. It’s a dimension where time, space, and identity don’t behave normally. It’s also where characters can risk losing themselves entirely, which we know is the most unsettling kind of horror imaginable.

6 Skyward Was Originally Planned as a Standalone Novel

Skyward didn’t start as an epic series—it was originally planned as a standalone novel. The idea was to tell a tight, self-contained story focused on Spensa’s journey from an underdog pilot to something much larger than herself.

Sanderson initially wanted to pull this into the Cosmere, but it didn’t feel right in there. Later on, he built the world and its lore and expanded it into a full four-book saga with additional novellas.

The TV adaptation may benefit from the fact that, unlike many ongoing fantasy adaptations, Skyward already has a finished arc. This means the production team has access to a complete and detailed body of lore from start to end.

7 The Project Has Been in Development for Years

Fans might not know this, but Sanderson has been trying to make this dream happen as early as 2020. The TV rights for Skyward were first optioned around this year, as revealed on his website.

Evidently, it took several years before moving into active pilot scripting, which is common for large-scale sci-fi adaptations requiring complex worldbuilding and effects planning.

Because of fans’ enthusiasm for the Mistborn adaptation, other Sanderson projects are now gaining more attention from different Hollywood studios. What was once a long-gestating development is now becoming a tangible reality, and it looks like Sanderson’s entire universe of ideas is finally having its Hollywood breakout moment.

Facts About Skyward	Descriptions
Sanderson’s First Non-Cosmere TV Adaptation	Cosmere books such as Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive are already set for a screen adaptation
Handled by Tomorrow Studios	This is the same studio that produced Netflix’s One Piece
Sanderson Will Co-Write Pilot Script	He will work with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. writers Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen
Originally Inspired by ‘Top Gun Set in Space’	Sanderson pitched this as a flight school story set in space
Has More Horror Elements	It features a lot of cosmic horror such as unsettling mysteries and strange dimensions
Originally Planned as a Standalone Novel	Expanded it to a full four-book saga with additional novellas
Has Been in Development for Years	TV rights for Skyward were first optioned in 2020

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