As tired as I am of fantasy shows trying to replicateGame of Thrones, I’d like to seeThe Stormlight Archivetake the right lessons from HBO’s series.In the years followingGame of Thrones’ending, multiple streaming platforms have tried to emulate its success, and as is often the case when Hollywood tries to materialize a product in such a way, none of the follow-ups have met expectations. With more great fantasy series like Brandon Sanderson’sThe Stormlight Archivebooksas potential candidates for future adaptations, I’d like to hypothesize on what that should look like.
The Stormlight Archiveis one of my favorite ongoing fantasy sagas, and I’m genuinely counting down the days untilWind and Truth’srelease. Like many fantasy lovers, I have mixed feelings about recent adaptations likeThe Wheel of TimeandThe Witcherthat have brought universes I love to life in ways that don’t necessarily appeal to me. I’d like to seeThe Stormlight Archiveavoid their mistakes, andthe best model for fantasy television isGame of Thrones, whether we like those comparisons or not. But it’s important to denote what the right lessons are.
Game Of Thrones Is A Realistic Model For A Fantasy TV Series (But Hard To Replicate)
Game Of Thrones Began With A Low Budget & Focused On Writing & Casting
It’s interesting to see the reception toHouse of the Dragonseason 2, with some viewers feeling robbed by the show having only one big dragon battle. Meanwhile,Game of Thronesseason 1’s battle happened off-screen for budgetary reasons and was praised as groundbreaking television that paved the way for the biggest show ever. The primary reason for this, which I cite commonly as a similarity between George R.R. Martin and Sanderson, is thatthe characters are unbelievably written and have very tangible, easy-to-consume arcs that still offer nuance.
I’m Desperate For One Stormlight Archive Story That Probably Won’t Happen Until The 2030s (At Best)
I can’t wait for one particular Stormlight Archive arc, but according to Brandon Sanderson’s plans, it’s still potentially over a decade away.
Importantly,Game of Thronesis a low-magic fantasy. Theminimal CGI in the early seasons allowed a much higher budget for production quality in set design, costumes, wigs, etc, all of which are elements that CGI-heavy shows likeThe Rings of Poweror evenHouse of the Dragonhave been criticized for. Rather than a studio throwing hundreds of millions at the project for excess CGI,Game of Thronesproved itself by bringing in the right talent for production value, assembling a talented cast that fit the characters, and nailing the screenwriting portion.
Characters and plot, the fundamentals of Martin’s world, are the hook, leaving dragons and epic battles as the reward.
Even more important, as it pertains toThe Stormlight Archive, is thatGame of Thronesrequired far more CGI later in the series, and the budget rapidly expanded. Characters and plot, the fundamentals of Martin’s world, are the hook, leaving dragons and epic battles as the reward.Finding the right production team and casting the right actors isn’t an easy task, but it’s way more criticalthan overspending on CGI. Having a crazy high CGI Budget just means an increased chance of premature cancelation.
Why The Stormlight Archive Should Be A TV Series (& Not A Movie)
The Stormlight Archive Is Too Dense To Be Adapted Into Films
Given that Brandon Sanderson is interested in makingMistbornas a movie, something I disagree with, I’m going to make the case for whyThe StormlightArchivebeing a TV series is paramount, again usingGame of Thronesas a model. George R.R. Martin has spoken openly about why he selected HBO to adapt his book series, as studios had pitched him ideas to bringA Song of Ice & Fireto life as movies, which would result in significant portions of the narrative being cut. The graph below shows the word counts for some of their novels.
383,181
292,727
455,891
A Storm of Swords
414,604
A Game of Thronesis easily the most directly adapted of Martin’s novels, with its 292,727 words fitting neatly in a ten-hour season.A Storm of Swords, which is 414,604 words, had to be split into two seasons for HBO.The minimum for Sanderson’s books should be ten-episode seasons with hour-long episodes, or a hefty portion of the narrative would have to be cut. Slow-burn character arcs are the core ofThe Stormlight Archive.
The Stormlight Archive Needs To Take The Right Lessons From Game Of Thrones
It’s Not About CGI & Epic Battles; It’s About Intelligent Storytelling & Well-Designed Characters
An important distinction between the two series is thatThe Stormlight Archiveinvolves far more magic and unique world-building, so there would be more CGI inherently. However, with the absence of the Knights Radiant for most of books 1 & 2, there would be time to build up the budget gradually, possibly even featuring the climactic battle ofThe Way of Kings. Rather than focusing on the epic aspect ofGame of Thrones’later seasons,nail the fundamentals of what made the first four seasons some of the best television ever made.
Every Radiant Order In The Stormlight Archive & What They Do, Explained
Brandon Sanderson has developed a complex magic system in The Stormlight Archive. Here’s our breakdown of the Knights Radiant orders and their powers.
Point-of-view characters like Kaladin and Shallan are immensely relatable despite their essentially alien world. By focusing on their arcs and offering some political scheming in the Alethi war camps, an adaptation ofThe Way of Kingscould be made on a relatively low budget.The lavish costumes and unique setting of Roshar can be brought to life with on-site locations and talented artists, while the writing should prioritize finding the appropriate pacing for a narrative that spans a sprawling cast of characters, roping the viewer into their lives.
There are valuable lessons to be taken fromGame of Thronesthat could lead to a phenomenal fantasy adaptation, which I believeThe Stormlight Archivedeserves. It doesn’t need $250 million per season in CGI budget; it doesn’t need unnecessary sex scenes or grotesque gore; it just needs to focus on the fundamentals of character-driven storytelling.
The Stormlight Archive
The Stormlight Archive is an epic fantasy series by Brandon Sanderson, set on the storm-ravaged world of Roshar. The series follows multiple characters, each with their unique storylines, as they navigate political intrigue, ancient prophecies, and powerful magic. Central to the story are the Knights Radiant, legendary warriors with magical abilities who must return to save their world from impending destruction. The series explores themes of honor, leadership, and the burden of power.
