Summary
- Mistborn's movie adaptation faces challenges due to its complicated world and magic system, making it difficult for audiences to understand.
- The ending of the first Mistborn book does not provide a satisfying conclusion, potentially leaving viewers confused and unsatisfied.
- A Mistborn movie trilogy and the creation of a larger fantasy franchise would provide a better promise of story fulfillment and attract a dedicated audience.
Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn adaptation has some serious challenges to overcome. Mistborn is a high fantasy book series that is part of Brandon Sanderson's larger Cosmere book universe. The series takes place in a dystopian kingdom where ash falls from the sky and the country is ruled by a mysterious dictator called the Lord Ruler. On top of that, this world is full of people called allomancers, who can use metals to heighten their senses or skills. A young allomancer named Vin s a dangerous revolution against the Lord Ruler.
Although anticipation is high for a movie adaptation, there are many problems with the Mistborn series that the filmmakers will have to overcome if they want to properly adapt this story and create an engaging film. In general, Mistborn is a difficult story to adapt because of its complicated world and magic system. There are many moving parts to the Mistborn series, and if audiences do not understand what is going on, there is little hope of success. Luckily, the first Mistborn book, "The Final Empire," starts off slowly enough that audiences can catch on. However, the ending of the book may not be right for a film adaptation.
The First Mistborn Book's Ending Doesn't Really Conclude The Story
The problem with the ending of "The Final Empire" is that it doesn't feel like an ending. Because Mistborn was always intended to be a series, Brandon Sanderson doesn't try to make the first book feel like it is coming to a satisfying conclusion. In fact, "The Final Empire" ends in a way that makes it seem like this is just the beginning of a larger story. At the end of "The Final Empire," Vin defeats the Lord Ruler, and although the villain is dead, and in turn, Vin's plan worked, the Lord Ruler says something that makes it seem like his death will have large and terrible consequences.
Ultimately, this non-ending will not work well for a movie adaptation. Without any confirmed sequels to make up for it, this Mistborn movie ending could be not only confusing but unsatisfying for audiences. After a large-scale, high-stakes story, audiences want to feel like they have won along with the characters. But because of how "The Final Empire" ends, they will feel more dread than accomplishment. And once again, there is no guarantee that they will see where this ending is leading via a sequel. So, all in all, ending the movie this way will be dangerous because it could affect viewers' overall ratings of the film.
In 2020, it was announced that Brandon Sanderson was writing the Mistborn movie script himself.
A Mistborn Movie Will Need Sequels To Feel Complete
Ultimately, the best solution to fixing "The Final Empire" ending is giving the Mistborn movie adaptation sequels. In total, there are seven books that take place in the Mistborn universe, however, there are only three following Vin's story. In this way, even just one sequel would help the movie's ending exponentially. This way, the ending would feel ominous and open-ended, but audiences would know that answers were forthcoming. Therefore, the ending would not be unsatisfying, but in fact, would be made much better. If there is a promise of getting the full story, then an open ending is a great tool.
Creating a Mistborn franchise shouldn't be a tough decision either. Mistborn is a popular fantasy series, and even then, Brandon Sanderson is even more popular. His books and writing are a staple of the fantasy genre. In this way, there is a host of individuals that would be invested in the Mistborn movie, and therefore, in a Mistborn franchise. Really, audiences would likely be more dedicated to Mistborn if it was a franchise rather than a single movie. With only one movie, people will know that they aren't getting the full story, and this could drive them away. However, a franchise is a better promise of story fulfillment.
A Movie Trilogy Can Set The Stage For An Expansive Fantasy Franchise
Making a Mistborn movie trilogy would also be a great move because it could lead to other great movie franchises. As previously mentioned, the Mistborn books are part of a larger book universe called the Cosmere. In total, there are 60 novels that are part of the Cosmere universe, and all of them have been arguably successful. While it would not be necessary to adapt every single Cosmere novel, there are certainly series within the Cosmere that would warrant adaptations. For example, Sanderson's "Stormlight Archive" series would be a solid continuation of Mistborn. Either way, expanding Mistborn could open the door to a greater movie universe.
