Apple TV just landed its own major fantasy franchise — and it could be even better than peak 'Game of Thrones'

Apple has just struck a huge deal that I'm certain will make Apple TV a major destination for fantasy entertainment. Yes, I know "Game of Thrones" isn't going anywhere — HBO Max is airing two "Game of Thrones" spinoffs this year alone — and Prime Video's "Rings of Power" is due to return for its third season at some point, too, but I'm now way more curious about the fantasy projects going on at Apple TV.

I'm talking about the news that Apple has picked up rights to Brandon Sanderson's literary fantasy universe, known as the "Cosmere." Specifically, The Hollywood Reporter has shared that Apple is eyeing Sanderson's "Mistborn" and "Stormlight Archive" sagas; the former for movies, the latter as a TV series.

Even as a relatively recent Sanderson reader, I know that this is a big get, and one that offers a huge amount of potential (he's a great world-builder) if adapted right. Which, luckily, I can be pretty confident will happen. Why? Well, the prolific, bestselling author is doing the work himself, and he's got a lot of control over the project.

Per THR's report, Brandon Sanderson has wrangled a significant deal of creative control that puts him at the heart of this filmed version of his own fantasy universe; he will write, produce, consult, and have approvals on the work. As the publication puts it: "That's a level of involvement that not even J.K. Rowling or George R.R. Martin enjoys."

That's not to say I don't believe adaptations of the original work can't be as good (or even surpass) the original titles, as they absolutely can, but given how many loyal fans he has, and you think about the disappointment felt with how "Game of Thrones" ended, it makes sense to me that Sanderson remains the "architect" of Apple's Cosmere plan.

The other reason I'm quite confident the Cosmere deal will be a success is that Sanderson opted to partner with Apple over other studios. While I don't always have an active Apple TV subscription, I'd say Apple's all-original streamer is one you can consistently rely on to serve up quality content.

Giants like Netflix and Prime Video might outstrip Apple TV in the volume game, but on the TV front, Apple's originals certainly rival HBO Max in terms of sheer quality, in my opinion. I'd point to "Pluribus," "Trying," "Severance," and "Slow Horses" as just a handful of general examples.

And, given the service is undeniably a great place for sci-fi fans, and has a solid track record of book-to-screen adaptations, I'm pretty confident Apple TV could turn its hand to another genre, with the right creative partners in the mix.

Even if you aren't as confident that the Cosmere will translate to our screens, I think it's hard to argue that this agreement is anything but a major get for Apple. Anecdotally, I've seen a lot of excitement across social media (head to Reddit to see what they've been saying), and I wouldn't be surprised if that excitement translates to a surge in Apple TV subscriptions if Sanderson fans like what they see.

However, as the deal's only just been announced, it'll be a while before anything comes out of it (THR notes that the "Stormlight Archive" series already has producers involved), though Sanderson has held a livestream to talk in detail about his "Hollywood news." (This piece was scheduled before this stream went live).

In the meantime, if you're keen to sample some of what Apple TV has to offer, take a look at our round-up of the best Apple TV shows you can stream right now.

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