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10 Fantasy Shows Apple’s Stormlight Archive Adaptation Must Learn From
After years of waiting for The Stormlight Archive to make its way to the screen, Brandon Sanderson fans are finally getting their wish. Thanks to Apple TV’s massive deal to acquire Sanderson’s Cosmere universe, a Stormlight Archive TV show is officially happening. And it’ll be a huge undertaking, if only because the series is so massive. Even with a TV format, adapting the contents of five 900+ page books — and connecting the final product to other adaptations — will be no easy feat.
And that’s what it will take to do the source material justice. However, the Apple TV series should strive to go beyond that. If it wants to become the next big fantasy franchise, it will have to appeal to newcomers in addition to established Sanderson fans. Needless to say, there are numerous challenges The Stormlight Archive faces. Fortunately, there are many fantasy shows it can look to when confronting them.
10) Game of Thrones
With so many fantasy shows trying and failing to be Game of Thrones, it goes without saying that the series is the standard. While Game of Thrones falls off in its later seasons, there’s much that can be gleaned from its success — and lessons to take from its downturn as well. The Stormlight Archive show should seek to capture the balance of drama and action that Game of Thrones excels at, making both accessible for fantasy lovers and mainstream audiences alike. It should also refuse to go past the books, assuming it catches up before the second arc of The Stormlight Archive is written. Game of Thrones shows how poorly that can go, even with the author offering guidance.
9) House of the Dragon
With The Stormlight Archive show needing to connect to the upcoming Mistborn movie, it should also look to House of the Dragon for inspiration. The HBO prequel has many faults, but it does tether itself to the original show with clarity. Its approach makes the connections between events and characters fairly easy to follow, even for viewers unfamiliar with George R.R. Martin’s books. If Apple does adapt the entirety of the Cosmere, it will also need to master this. And it will likely start with The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn.
8) The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time‘s fate is a disappointing one, but its cancellation isn’t surprising considering its reception. And as Sanderson himself expressed sadness at its abrupt end via a YouTube comment, hopefully, his adaptations will learn from its mistakes. The Stormlight Archive in particular, can benefit, as it has a similarly massive story to adapt. The Wheel of Time understandably attempted to condense its source material, but it led to questionable changes that alienated fans of the books. This is a clear sign that The Stormlight Archive should avoid taking too many risky detours from its original story. It should also help that Sanderson is creatively involved, whereas The Wheel of Time creators never asked him to contribute, despite the author finishing the last three books.
7) A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
It’s unclear what the budget of the upcoming Stormlight Archive will look like, but it’s a concern, as The Way of Kings immediately opens with action. Even Game of Thrones doesn’t really start pouring into larger action sequences until later in its run. But The Stormlight Archive Season 1 will need to find ways bring them to the screen earlier. While A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms doesn’t reach the scale of an all-out battle, it showcases how an incredible conflict can be delivered on a smaller budget. If The Stormlight Archive needs to, it can draw from the Game of Thrones spinoff’s creativity to craft its own first-season confrontations.
6) Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Percy Jackson & the Olympians is one of the best examples of a fantasy project staying true to its source material while still expanding on it. It brings the heart of Rick Riordan’s books to the screen, and it hits the major story beats, yet still manages to expand on characters and subplots in the process. This is an art that The Stormlight Archive should master, as the series that excel at this tend to make the best book-to-screen adaptations. It helps that Riordan is creatively involved with the Disney+ series. Fortunately, The Stormlight Archive is already following in Percy Jackson‘s footsteps in that regard.
5) Stranger Things
Stranger Things may not seem like it has much to offer The Stormlight Archive at first glance, but the Netflix show is exceptional at one thing: bringing multiple characters and storylines crashing together in satisfying ways. It’s something Sanderson’s fantasy series also does well, so it’s possible it can look to Stranger Things when bringing that particular strength to the screen. Stranger Things does a masterful job juggling its A, B, and C plots, and upcoming Stormlight Archive show can learn from that.
4) One Piece
Like The Wheel of Time, Netflix’s One Piece also has the unenviable task of adapting source material of a daunting length. It does a much better job of it, though, at least judging by the live-action series’ first outing. And while The Stormlight Archive can view The Wheel of Time as a cautionary tale, it can lean into the ways One Piece handles its sprawling saga. Devices like time jumps could come in handy, as could the knowledge of what details to cut. That’ll be different from series to series, but at the very least, the live-action One Piece shows it can be successfully done.
3) Arcane
The characters in The Stormlight Archive are complex, and there are many fantasy shows that demonstrate how to make flawed figures compelling. Arcane might be the best at it, though, so Apple TV’s Sanderson adaptation should take note of its approach. From characters with good intentions but poor execution, like Cait, to those who jump all over the moral spectrum (ahem, Jinx), there are many great examples. While Sanderson paints his characters with a similarly impressive brush, the TV adaptation can look to Arcane for how to balance their highs and lows on-screen, and make them recognizable figures in the process.
2) Shadow and Bone
The majority of Sanderson’s fantasy books have complicated magic systems, and The Stormlight Archive is no exception. While its TV adaptation can look to the Mistborn movie when conveying the rules of its own system, it can also use Shadow and Bone as a reference. The Netflix series isn’t without flaws, but one thing it gets right is Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha magic. It manages to impart the details of her magic system without confusing newcomers or leaning into heavy exposition. It’s the balance The Stormlight Archive should strike if it wants to endear longtime fans and newcomers alike.
1) The Mighty Nein
The Mighty Nein just debuted in November, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the best fantasy shows of the 2020s — signaling there’s something that The Stormlight Archive can learn from it. The character and relationship writing stands out, but perhaps the biggest takeaway is how The Mighty Nein balances its humor with its more serious moments. Although The Stormlight Archive has a distinct tone, it does have banter and comedic relief scattered throughout. If the creators hope to capture that well on-screen, The Mighty Nein offers a good blueprint for making it feel natural and having it complement everything else.
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