From Gollancz:
In ‘one of the largest literary deals of the year’, DMG acquires rights to Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe
DMG Entertainment has acquired film and licensing rights to The Cosmere, Brandon Sanderson’s acclaimed series of interconnected fantasy novels including The Mistborn Series, The Stormlight Achieve and standalone novels such as Warbreaker and Elantris.
The news broke last night, exclusively announced on Variety US.
‘The entertainment and media company [DMG] has committed to spending $270 million, which will cover half of the money needed to back the first three movies made from Sanderson’s canon. That makes it one of the largest literary deals of the year. DMG beat out several interested parties for rights to the series. As part of the pact, insiders say Sanderson will receive a minimum guarantee on each film that is produced, as well as a rich backend, allowing the author to make millions.
The “Cosmere” comprises the bulk of Sanderson’s writings, with DMG likening it to acquiring a comic book universe rather than a single book franchise. The books are a mixture of sci-fi and fantasy, and they unfold in a number of different worlds and time periods, but are unified by an intricate system of magic that drives the plots.
DMG is fast-tracking an adaptation of Sanderson’s “The Way of Kings,” the first in the author’s series, “The Stormlight Archive,” and has hired screenwriters Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, the writing team behind several “Saw” films, to adapt the book. DMG founder Dan Mintz will produce the film, with Sanderson and Joshua Bilmes serving as executive producers. DMG also intends on simultaneously adapting the first book in Sanderson’s “Mistborn” series. It has yet to decide on a screenwriter for the project.’
Sanderson’s latest book Arcanum Unbounded, a collection of short stories and novellas from the Cosmere Universe will be published by Gollancz in hardback in the UK on the 24th of November, RRP £16.99.
