Brandon Sanderson Gives Positive Update on Mistborn Movie Screenplay

Brandon Sanderson recently shared an update regarding the Mistborn screenplay’s development, suggesting that work on the project is progressing steadily behind the scenes.

Back in March, the author revealed the script is at 42% progress, and just last month, he had already completed 66% of the screenplay. In an episode of his Weekly Update on YouTube, Sanderson shared some more exciting news:

All right, so Mistborn screenplay, where am I? I’m at, Bing! 72%. That’s only one percentage point up because I’ve been doing a lot of revisions on Act 1. I just want to get that into shape. There’s some things I’m wanting to do, just to, you know, some tweaks and some edits. That’s what I’ve been spending my time on this week.

Two weeks ago, he announced that the screenplay was about 71% complete and that it was “looking pretty good” so far. At the time, he was getting ready to start Act 3, which he described as shorter than the longer Act 2. Because of that, the Mistborn movie script could be finished sooner than we anticipated.

Sanderson’s Mistborn Script May Arrive Sooner Than Expected

Sanderson’s consistent progress on the Mistborn script already gives fans the confidence that he will complete it very soon. While his current update isn’t as remarkable as his previous ones, it doesn’t mean he’s procrastinating or slowing down. In fact, he’s way ahead of his schedule.

Towards the end of January, the author posted an update on Reddit sharing his writing plans. He wrote:

I will be writing the Mistborn screenplay myself over the next 5 months, as my full time work.

This means he sees himself finishing up and polishing the script by the end of June. Knowing Sanderson’s discipline and capability to deliver on time, he might complete the screenplay earlier than his target deadline.

He also said that he’s now doing a lot of revisions in the first part, which could only mean that he’s already fixing inconsistencies and tying up loose ends while working through Act 3.

Apple TV’s Mistborn Movie Will Be Welcoming Some Small Changes

Sanderson’s Mistborn is expected to include some adaptation changes from the original story to better fit a live-action format. With the author himself having full creative control over the script, fans can be confident that these changes won’t alter the core of the plot. Instead, they are likely intended to streamline the story and make it easier to follow.

In an interview with the Very Really Good podcast, Sanderson said he’s going to “downplay a few of the abilities,” referring to the magic systems in Mistborn. Since the rules are many and complicated, general viewers who have never read the books might get confused or overwhelmed, which could affect their viewing experience. With that note, Sanderson explained:

I don’t want to have so many things for people to keep track of. I’m looking at sort of…doing things where the things you like from the book are there behind the scenes, but we’re not talking about them.

This is a brilliant decision that will benefit the film in the long run. In fact, it may be more effective to gradually introduce these technical elements as the movie gains traction and develops into a larger media franchise. After all, Sanderson plans to expand it as a hybrid concept, meaning we could see television series alongside theatrical releases.

Book Series:	Mistborn
Genre:	High fantasy
Publication Date:	July 2006 – present
Number of Installments:	7 books, 1 novella
Publishers:	Tor Books (US), Gollancz (UK)

Are you excited for the upcoming Mistborn movie? Let us know in the comments!