James McLeod — fantasy author and narrator

A GREAT TIME FOR FANTASY

Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson and Apple have made an 'unprecedented' deal. This is great news for fantasy fans.

It's undeniably a great time for fantasy.

Nowadays, with tech capabilities and audience demand converging pleasantly like sugar and butter, we're getting a slew of new material to enjoy. And the latest news in this area came just two weeks ago when Brandon Sanderson and Apple signed "an unprecedented deal" (in Hollywood Reporter language), giving Apple the rights to Sanderson's expansive, beloved, and undeniably delicious fictional universe, the 'cosmere'.

The deal is rare one, coming after a competitive situation which saw Sanderson meet with most of the studio heads in town. It gives the author rarefied control over the screen translations, according to sources. Sanderson will be the architect of the universe; will write, produce and consult; and will have approvals.

  • The Hollywood Reporter

I couldn't be happier about this.

First of all, I'm a Sanderson fan. Secondly, I'm an Apple fan, and I've been delighted with almost everything AppleTV has cooked up so far. Like Apple itself, it seems that AppleTV shares their parent company's desire for high-quality and attention-driven design, and it's equally evident that a respect for the source material is also part of their ethos – all of which forges excellent TV. The hit-rate for good shows on AppleTV is undeniably good, as a quick glance at IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes will confirm. Severance, For All Mankind, Ted Lasso, See, Silo, and Foundation have all been excellent.

Foundation in particular has demonstrated that mature, complex and high-quality fiction is not only viable but that audiences are hungry for it. Again, as a huge fan of Isaac Asimov's work, I consider it an excellent re-imagining of the source material. It's different but in all the right ways, stays true to the heart of the works, and adds some new layers which the books lacked but which elevate the series (adding the 'genetic dynasty' was a masterstroke, allowing continuity, familiarity, and a lens through which to view the crumbling of Empire effectively, for example).

All-up, AppleTV productions are some of the best out there and, perhaps most impressively of all, Apple has somehow avoided letting current social or political trends or slants sully the production (unlike some other studios, namely Amazon, Netflix, & Disney…).

So, you can see why I'm excited. If everything pans out, we're going to get some stellar new fantasy material to sink our teeth into, though it's going to be a few more months before anything more concrete is announced. All I'll say for now is that seeing as Sanderson himself is slated to retain a lot of creative control, I think there's reason for hope on this one.

Hear Brandon speak about this exciting deal himself on his YouTube.

Here's to that, fellow fantasy freaks!

Jim :)