Brandon Sanderson books: How Apple TV's Murderbot is connected to upcoming Stormlight series; author explains

FAntasy author Brandon Sanderson has presumption fans of his Cosmere existence a restrained but supporting update. On his hebdomadal podcast Intentionally Blank, Sanderson and his wife Emily sat down to review the first season of Apple TV's Murderbot series, the adaptation of Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries books that first premiered in May 2025, according to IGN.Sanderson was clearly impressed. "I think I would give it a nine," he said on the podcast, "but I also am comparing it to the books. It's possible that this is a 10 because: Is there anything I can imagine they should have done better?" His wife rated it slightly lower, closer to the 8 out of 10.Surprising link between Murderbot and StormlightThe review itself was not just casual viewing for Sanderson and it turned out to be something of a scouting mission. Later in the same episode, he revealed that one of the executives working on the Murderbot series is also attached to his upcoming Stormlight Archive adaptation for Apple TV."It's actually one of the same TV execs as on Stormlight, so I'm glad it was good because I watched it and I'm like 'Oh, good. I sold him this,'" Sanderson said, as per IGN. "I didn't know which exec I was going to get, but it is one of the execs on Murderbot."For Sanderson, seeing that executive deliver a well-received show was clearly a relief. It gave him firsthand evidence that the people handling his beloved Stormlight Archive understand how to bring a complex book series to screen in a way that satisfies both fans and general audiences.Also Read: Barbara Palvin announces pregnancy with Dylan Sprouse: See sonogram photo and relationship timelineWhere Stormlight, Mistborn projects stand nowWhile the Stormlight Archive series remains in its early stages, Sanderson has confirmed he will serve as co-showrunner once production gets underway. For now, his main focus is finishing the screenplay for the Mistborn movie, which his website shows is already 72% complete, per IGN. He has also confirmed in his latest weekly YouTube update that work on getting a pilot together for Stormlight is on his to-do list.Both projects are still likely a good while away.Also Read: Lainey Wilson wedding: Who is Devlin Hodges? All on ex-NFL star's net worth, familyThe unprecedented Apple TV deal behind it allApple TV secured the rights to Brandon Sanderson’s entire Cosmere universe in what The Hollywood Reporter described as an “unprecedented deal.” According to the outlet, the first major projects being developed are a Mistborn movie and a Stormlight Archive TV series, with production company Blue Marble attached to the latter.What makes the agreement especially unusual is the amount of creative control Sanderson kept. He will reportedly write, produce, consult on the projects and also have approval rights over them. THR noted that even authors like JK Rowling and George RR Martin did not have this level of involvement in their screen adaptations.The deal was made possible in part because of Sanderson’s massive fan following. According to THR, his books have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. He also raised nearly $100 million through crowdfunding, including a Kickstarter campaign that earned almost $42 million, making it the most successful publishing campaign in Kickstarter history.