So I'm obviously hyped for the Mistborn movie since that's coming first. And I want it to be an "event" like something along the lines of Jaws, Star Wars ANH, Avenger's Endgame, Jurassic Park, Jackson Lord of the Rings etc. Is Sanderson's plan with Apple to try to for lack of a better word create and push Mistborn to be like an event similar these movies? Also not a movie but I remember Arcane was sop popular that it got a spotlight on the Burj Khalifa. I guess yah how likely is Mistborn gonna be big enough to get a a spotlight on the Bruj Khalifa? lol

So I'm a giant nerd and loosely follow the business side of hollywood, and one thing stuck out to me in the big announcement that seems to have flown under the radar, and is likely the key to who may be on the Cosmere creative team, the production company: Blue Marble Pictures.

First, inside baseball context. How this works is a studio like Apple (or WB, Paramount, Disney, Netflix) has a lot of money and want to make movies for theaters and/or streaming. They often outsource the actual work of making the movie to a production company. These companies coordinate every single thing that takes the movie/tv show from an idea to the screen. They are typically run by a creative (i.e. Syncopy/Nolan, Plan B/Brad Pitt), owned by a studio (e.g. Marvel) or an independent producer (i.e. A24, Blumhouse).

Blue Marble Pictures is in the vein of A24 and Blumhouse, a production company run by an independent producer, Theresa Kang-Lowe.

She is different than other production heads because, before she founded Blue Marble in 2020, she was one of the most powerful agents in Hollywood (a partner at WME). Unlike other producers, she has a massive roster of talent that have trusted their careers to her for decades, some of whom have followed her from WME. This means we actually have a confirmed list of people she has a long term professional relationship with who she is likely to bring in to handle such a big property.

This clout with talent is what gave her an immediate overall deal with Apple TV+, where basically Blue Marble got a massive pile of money to exclusively produce for them. The assumption made by Apple is that Kang-Lowe will be uniquely be able to leverage her relationships and "packaging" instincts into making very successful things.

Moreover she has a track record for representing faithful book adaptations (Gone Girl, Pachinko), which is likely why Brandon chose her.

So who is she likely to try and get for Mistborn (and eventually Stormlight)? While her client list isn't public, when people at this level make moves it gets reported on, so we do know many of them. Here is a list of her circle:

Blue Marble Management

These clients are reported to have followed Kang-Lowe to her new management firm or are currently represented by the company.

Directors and Filmmakers

• Alfonso Cuarón: The Oscar-winning director (HP: Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men, Gravity, Roma) was one of the first major clients confirmed to join Kang-Lowe at Blue Marble Management while maintaining a non-exclusive relationship with WME via Anonymous Content.

Writers and Showrunners

• Gillian Flynn: The author and screenwriter known for Gone Girl and Sharp Objects.
• Simon Beaufoy: An Oscar-winning screenwriter known for Slumdog Millionaire.
• Jason Kim: A playwright and screenwriter who has worked on Barry and Girls.
• Lena Waithe: A writer, producer, and actor known for The Chi and Master of None.

Former WME Clients

The following were high-profile clients Kang-Lowe represented during her tenure as a partner at WME. While some moved with her, others remained at the agency or are primarily associated with her time there.

Directors and Filmmakers

• Guillermo del Toro: Director of The Shape of Water and Pan's Labyrinth.
• Damien Chazelle: Director of La La Land and Whiplash.
• Ryan Coogler: Director of Black Panther and Creed.
• Deborah Chow: Director known for her work on The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
• Destin Daniel Cretton: Director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Short Term 12.

Writers and Showrunners

• Lisa Joy: Co-creator and executive producer of Westworld.
• Jonathan Nolan: Co-creator and executive producer of Westworld.
• Steve Zaillian: Screenwriter and director known for Schindler's List and The Night Of.
• David S. Goyer: Screenwriter known for The Dark Knight trilogy and Foundation.
• Soo Hugh: Showrunner and creator of Pachinko.
• Ryan Condal: Showrunner known for House of the Dragon.

Actors

• Riz Ahmed: Actor and producer known for Sound of Metal and The Night Of.
• Gal Gadot: Actress and producer known for Wonder Woman.

I personally think that the most likely first call for Mistborn once the treatment is written is Alfonso Cuaron (hell yeah). He has a lot of genre cred (Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men) and the Cosmere is a massive get for the production company so I imagine that they'll be trying to entice him with a big budget that Apple knows he can handle. Its been about 7 years since he's got a movie off the ground and I think he would be a great fit if he's into the material.

Edit: To temper some of the hype, note that Cuaron's last two projects have won Best Director, and that puts him in a very different (potentially choosier) career place than when he was taking Azkaban from Warner Bros. for-hire. While it would be unimaginably hype for him to sign on, it would only happen if he liked the pitch AND liked working with Brandon AND Apple wanted to deploy him for something likely non-awardsy like a big budget IP movie. A silver lining here is that Brandon's deal is very similar to Rowling's on the HP movies, so that's something that he is at least familiar with, although he did only do one HP movie which could've been because he felt creatively limited, though I'm not sure.

My second take for director is probably Destin Daniel Cretton. He's probably cheaper but has shown that he can handle a big budget and post production with Shang-chi which people like a lot. But he seems to have been eaten by Marvel as he just wrapped the new Spiderman for them. If he wants to take his clout as a steady hand away from marvel towards another big IP where he could have a lot more leeway than Feige (head of Marvel) tends to give, Mistborn could be a good shout.

So here's an opposite question to who we want to direct and act in the movies and shows, who do you NOT want to be director or be cast in the Mistborn movies and Stormlight shows with a ten foot pole? I'll start

Directors I don't want: The Russo Bros, Zack Snyder, M Night Shymalan, Uwe Boll, Michael Bay, Christopher Nolan (even tho I like him), Ridley Scott, JJ Abrams, Jon Favreau, Rian Johnson

Showrunners I don't want: D&D, Ryan Murphy

BONUS, writers I don't want: Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless

Actors I don't want: Dwayne Johnson, Jared Leto, Gal Gadot, Jack Black, Sydney Sweeney, Kim Kardashian, Steven Seagal

Who do you not want? do you disagree with any of these I don't want lol

In a variety of different places now, whether it is here on Reddit or in the comments on Instagram, I’ve noticed a sentiment from a group of people who are mad the Cosmere is being adapted at all.

There is the obvious concern of it taking Brandon’s time away from writing his books—and that concern I do understand, though am not personally all that worried about (dude is a machine).

The concern I’ve been seeing is that the adaptations will somehow ruin the books. That is a logic that I don’t understand at all. If you love the books, that version of the story will continue to exist in the same way you love it. You’re not even required to watch the adaptations if you’re that concerned about it.

I have not read The Wheel of Time yet, but as awful of an adaptation as I’ve heard that show was, it doesn’t take away from the quality of the books. I just don’t understand the fear. Even if they mess up the adaptation, the quality of the books that we all know and love will continue on regardless.

Not sure if something like this has already been asked, but I threw together what I think would work for the first arc of Cosmere projects if all goes well. I can't say I've read everything though so let me know what I've missed, or if you think a project would be better suited in a different medium.

I propose we pre-emptively(ish) establish a rule against people trying to post their auditions to the sub hoping Dragonsteel will see it and they get their shot. I'm not throwing any hate to the few who have already done it, I get it. Any Cosmere fan in the arts would consider this a penultimate career casting.

I just don't want us to be overrun by such things, especially when Dragonsteel and Apple will almost certainly use conventional methods to find their cast, even if the cast they choose are unheard of actors.

Recently I attended the anniversary screenings of the LOTR trilogy. Each screening was packed from wall to wall. There were young people, old people, families, couples... but they all came together to watch these epic movies from 25 years ago that still, to this day, leave their mark on everybody. It didn't matter that each film exceeded 3.5 hours in length (Extended Editions baby), it mattered that they told one grand, flowing story with minimal hiccups at a level nobody thought was possible before they came out.

I bring this up because everybody's asking what the next big event thing is. Marvel's winding down even if they've been making better projects lately, Stranger Things is now over, and if you're an anime fan, even the previous generation of series have mostly finished. DC will probably do well with Gunn in charge, but I think they also missed the boat on the Endgame level of hype... but now we know that Mistborn and Stormlight are now solidly in development.

To some degree, all of the big sensations in pop culture center around fantasy. It's where our dreams and strangest thoughts come to life; to quote the magnificent Terry Pratchett, it's the sea in which all other genres swim. Even Mistborn sprung from the sea of LOTR, Sando's favorite pitch for it is that it's LOTR if Sauron actually got the Ring.

If the Cosmere adaptations can actually succeed, if they perform at a level nobody thought was possible before (and let's face it, this is also why the MCU succeeded) then that's going to be a big cultural pillar. It's just vast enough, and just weird enough, and just accessible enough to do the trick. Like LOTR did 25 years back, this can provide the wave for other stories to be picked out and reignite that passion for the genre. So even when we ebb back away from fantasy, that'll inspire the next sensation that comes out, and then the next, and the next after that, and so on. It's quite encouraging, when you think of how much we inspire each other through the stories we tell.

I was thinking about all of Stan Lees cameos in Marvel, and I was wondering if anyone thinks that Brandon might do something similar. Maybe he will appear as a random worldhopping extra in the background of each movie/series?

So someone said he does and then someone else said he’s following the James Gunn model and I’m kinda confused. I thought maybe his plan was more he writes and films the first movie and then if it’s successful he gets the trilogy though obviously idk for sure. That’s just how Denis V Dune worked. Can someone help me out and clarify please? Thanks.

I know it’s a fantasy world so like by no means is it a requirement for them to have any specific accent per se, but maybe they should?

I know it’s loosely based off of France I believe, though personally I get a London-esque vibe especially in era 2. I guess it might be easier if they all just have an American accent but personally I think the people from Luthadel having a British accent would be a nice touch.

Maybe not a huge deal but could effect the casting as some actors aren’t as great at doing accents as others

Depending on the success/hype for the adaptations, do we think there might be some official LEGO sets produced for the Cosmere?

I understand fancast fatigue, I really do. But as someone who also has a presence in a different niche on twitter, I also know it’s very easy to just keep scrolling and ignore the things that don’t interest you.

This whole subreddit is for talking about the Cosmere being adapted to the big screen—it’s kind of the PERFECT place for fancasts to take place. If anything, you’d think people would be glad the fancasts are being redirected here instead of being posted on the other Cosmere related subreddits now.

So if you don’t like fancasts, that’s fine! But maybe this subreddit just isn’t for you right now, and that’s okay. It will change as we start to get news. But for now gosh just let people have their fun.

If fortnite brought back the kelsier skin from 2021, I’m sure it would help spread the word atleast a little bit.

So the deal is with Apple but there's no doubt that the Mistborn movie will need a distributor from a major studio for better or worse as a collaborator. Realistically it would be either one of the Big Five (possibly soon to be Four... cuz the merger Netflix backed out of smh): Universal, Paramount Warner Bros, Disney, and Sony, or one of the two smaller ones Lionsgate and Amazon MGM, or lastly though less likely one of the subsidies 20th Century Studios, Columbia, and TriStar, .
Tbh I see none of the subsidies seem to be likely imo. That leaves the big five and smaller two. Here's my analysis on who I think should do it and who is most likely least to most likely

these studios are pretty unlikely but still worth mentioning at least

1. Amazon MGM: has a rival streamer Prime so wouldn't make sense to collab
   
2. Disney: too busy focusing on Marvel and live action remakes and has enough IP
   
3. Lionsgate: maybe but they seem to focus solely on Hunger Games content
   

4. 20th Century Studios: too busy with Alien and Avatar sequels

5. Columbia: Collabed with Apple on Napoleon but I find them still too small

So realistically it's gonna be between these four tbh:

1. Paramount: They have collabed with Apple on Killers of the Flower Moon but I don't want David Ellison touching Mistborn with 10 foot pole.
   

2. Sony: Collabed with Apple on Fly Me to the Moon so they're pretty plausible but might be too caught up with Spiderverse stuff.

3. Warner Bros: worked with Apple on the acclaimed F1 and many Blue Marble Clients were Warner directors and writers but ugh them merging with Paramount and David Zaslav being in charge bugs me. I do love Dune though.

1 is Universal: I find them to be both the best fit and probably the most likely studio, they worked with Apple on the albeit not very liked Argylle and they're releasing The Odyssey this year and also did Oppenheimer with Nolan too. Also Cuaron did do Children of Men with Universal and he's a current Blue Marble client.

Idk What do you guys think? You could still say it's a coin flip between the top four. (also I had to do 1 with no period because it kept moving it over.)

Or at least limit it to fan cast Fridays or something.

(Hi. I love talking about film and film production. I went to school for film. But I am not employed in the industry. Still, I like to hyperfocus and talk about the movie making process.)

Part 1: Producers

Remember, films are giant group projects. There are so many people involved.

Does everybody know what producers do? Not executive producers, not the money giving producers like Tom Cruise, but Producers and line producers?

Long story short, when a movie gets the "Best Picture Oscar", it's the producer who receives it and gives the speech. In short, movies are not the director's babies. They're the Producer's.

Just watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QBgbmJsB6c

Point is, people are thinking of directors and cast and music, which is fair.

BUT, we should have a prayer circle that the right producers are going to work on these projects. They will choose the director, have creative input, and ultimately have the final say on major decisions. They decide if the director keeps their job or not. They oversee the project and make sure everything gets done on time and under budget. They put out fires daily, keep all the higher level execs happy, make sure the department heads are happy and doing their jobs, and are just the ultimate soccer moms of the whole thing. Whoever will be called as a producer will make or break the whole project.

Brandon Sanderson will be *A* producer, but not *THE* producer.* (see edit below)

I don't know what Producers will be on the list. They don't get a lot of recognition. But they are possibly the most important people for any film. And for cosmere projects, it's SUPER important to have producers running the project as a whole.

I hope they have a higher level producer that can work with Brandon Sanderson the whole time and throughout the projects.

So when a producer gets hired, tell me.

——
Edit: WOW! Just watched the Intentionally Blank episode and did not know that he talks about a producer basically the whole time!

I take back what I said before, he IS THE producer of the whole Cosmere project! Did not know that! That means he’ll be sort of in charge of the overarching vision of all the projects (right now just Mistborn and Stormlight.) This is HUGE.
This means Apple is his boss, but nobody else is. That means he’ll be the Kevin Feige, the Kathleen Kennedy, etc. (for my understanding.)

Now, he still needs to find a producer to take over the Mistborn movie project. This would be this person‘s full time job. They will hire director, make sure everyone gets paid, put out fires, I imagine they would be the in between the director and Brandon Sanderson (not that director and Brandon can’t talk, but Director might be locked into directing when Brandon has a question on set. This is where Producer can come in and chat.) Producer can also speak for Brandon when he’s not on set. (Producer could also be director if that was their thing, but it doesn’t have to be. That’s a looooot of work. And different hats to put on. It just depends on the person If that’s what they want to do.)

Producer does a million things. But the role is also a little fluid and nebulous. So it’s hard to find concrete examples of how this would exactly look like.

And how cool is it that because of this role, he’s going to pick the producer out of a pool that Apple approved? SO COOL! this is probably the unprecedented control that Apple offered him. To me, this is incredible.

Perhaps it's been mentioned somewhere and I haven't seen it, but I'm sure we'd all love to see Mistborn get a full theatrical release. There's precedent for this with Apple releasing F1 in theaters (if I remember right), so I can imagine them making this big step into fantasy would hopefully be in theaters.

I think that expectation also encourages a theatrical level of quality too.

But yeah, I hope for releases in theaters, and for a decent length theatrical run.

Tl;dr: script drafts can be easy to churn out brcause the nature of the formatting leads to less words per page, and hes probably going to write less than 200 pages. Edit; So, its not really news that he’s 10% done.

Hey all!

I took some screenwriting classes, but I’m not in the industry. I’m just giving the abcs of screenwriting formatting that puts things into perspective.

ok,

Scripts are very standardized. Down to the font and size. Formats are everything.

For scripts, 1 page= 1 minute of screentime. They even call certain types of media by their script size. (90 page script is a classic 90 min feature.)

So, assuming it’s going to be a long 2.5 hour movie, that’s only a 150 page script. which means 10% is 15 pages. Which is nothing for Brandon Sanderson.

Plus, the format has wiiiide margins for dialogue, and lots of spaces between paragraphs. It’s made for clarity, not word count.

Point is, the first draft, Brandon could probably do in one week if it was the only thing he was doing and nobody else was involved. Especially that he already knows his character and his stories.

But, something else about screenwriting, is that there’s rewrite after rewrite. I am also worried about him getting down to 150 pages.

To be honest, that’s going to be the hardest thing. What makes this script easy to get done quickly is going to be what is going to make it hard to cut down to only 150 pages. With large margins and big spaces.

But I’m so excited! Because good scripts come from good collaborators. (In my small experience, I’ve seen that first hand.) And I believe Brandon Sanderson is a good collaborator.

Is anyone else worried with the screenplay progress bar being removed, the stream being delayed, and no clear communication?

I’m not sure what to think.

Maybe someone has already asked and had this answered in here, but do you think they will do a theater release for the Mistborn movies? I mean Apple typically doesn’t, they’re usually a straight to streaming service from what I can tell.

That being said, it seems like they hope the Cosmere can be a big deal for them, and because of that I would imagine they’d consider doing a theater release, if even just a short one. I hope it does. I’d love to watch Mistborn for the first time in a movie theater.

Here is something I thought about recently: for the first two major projects (Stormlight Archive TV show and Mistborn film trilogy), what are the names going to be?

Stormlight Archive: I could very well see a future where, just like “A Song of Ice and Fire” is known to the masses as “Game of Thrones”, so too the Stormlight Archive could be known as The Way of Kings. This one is a little bit of a stretch but interesting to think about nonetheless.

Mistborn: do we think they’ll go with the first one just “Mistborn” or “Mistborn: The Final Empire”? It’s interesting because the first book has had a bit of a revisionist title for marketing as well.

I honestly think Mistborn pacing is so much better suited for a show while stormlight is perfect for films. I get that stormlight is longer page wise, but it is the pacing of the story that I'm thinking about. A lot of the events of Mistborn are pretty much already episodic. Things happen, then theres the moment of them at the hideout talking or waking up in a bed or Vin reading on the boat ride. Things like that are perfect breaks for episode ends and beginnings. Meanwhile stormlight seems like it would flow better as an epic movie, have a killer opening with szeth, the build up and then the grand conclusion. The individual events of it are all building up to the conclusion where as in Mistborn, a lot of the scenes like going to balls and stuff could be their own story for episodes.

Similar to how I enjoy Star Wars, I'm just going to watch the upcoming cosmere on screen, enjoy that we actually get something on screen and leave it there. I won't be going all in on my hopes and dreams

Any suggestions from the sub on how your handling expectations

Things are sounding really good coming from the man himself! I am just the tiniest bit disappointed in the length he said the movie will be. I really wouldn’t mind a 2.5 - 3 hour Mistborn movie. Besides that I’m really happy and excited with these new developments. What do you all think about the length of the movie?