Nearly eight years after its first novel’s release, Brandon Sanderson’s sci-fi series is getting a TV show — and it will be adapted by Marvel alums and the studio behind Netflix’s live-action One Piece. It’s been a huge year for Sanderson, whose unprecedented Apple TV deal will see his hit series from his Cosmere universe making their way to the screen. It turns out that Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive aren’t his only stories making that leap, either. One of Sanderson’s non-Cosmere books will also be adapted: Skyward.
Per Deadline, the first installment in Sanderson’s young adult sci-fi series — which is also the first book in his Cytoverse, a literary universe separate from the Cosmere — will be brought to the small screen by Tomorrow Studios. Sanderson will pen the pilot alongside Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. The married writer-producer duo is best known for their work on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Given the popularity of the Marvel series, it sounds like Skyward is in good hands.
Sanderson’s sci-fi series kicks off on a planet where inhabitants are under constant threat of alien attacks. We follow Spensa, whose aspirations of becoming a pilot fighting for her people face one spectacular challenge: her father’s tainted legacy as a traitor. There’s no word on a timeline for Skyward‘s adaptation, nor do we know who will join the cast. However, Tomorrow Studios’ CEO Marty Adelstein and President Becky Clements, who will serve as executive producers, teased the creators’ vision for the show:
“Brandon has created a thrilling universe where courage, curiosity and determination to challenge what we think can change the fate of entire worlds. The vision that he, Jed and Maurissa have for a television adaptation is ‘defiant to the end.’”
Although it’s unclear how involved Sanderson will be in Skyward beyond the pilot, the upcoming sci-fi series promises to continue a positive trend for the author and his adaptations. He’s writing the screenplay for the Mistborn movie, and he’s also set to pen the pilot of The Stormlight Archive show. Sanderson’s deal with Apple TV grants him a good deal of creative input, and it seems like that will be the case with Skyward as well. This seems to be a growing trend with adaptations, and it’s great news for those hoping their favorite stories will be done justice on-screen.
Of course, it means Sanderson might be quite busy with TV and film projects in the next few years. The author is known for churning out massive fantasy books with quick turnaround times, but we could see his release schedule slow a bit as he focuses on bringing his already-published stories to life. It’s likely a worthwhile trade-off, especially after how long readers have waited for adaptations of Sanderson’s work.
Are you excited to see Skyward brought to the screen? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
