Forget Harry Potter, Apple TV's 10-Part Book Adaptation Will Be The Next King Of Fantasy

Published Sep 29, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant's Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones. 

You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, "Movie Monsters of the Deep."

Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant. 

Harry Potter might have defined a generation, but it is far from the best fantasy franchise of all time, and with the next two years being a pivotal time for the genre, HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation faces some major competition. The Harry Potter series can cover more detail than the movies did, but it is a harsh fact that the franchise has become controversial, while even some fans have debated the need for another Harry Potter adaptation when other high fantasy books that desperately need TV shows have not yet reached the screen.

Still, Harry Potter has remained a fantasy genre juggernaut that has retained a fanbase, giving it an advantage over TV's many upcoming fantasy projects. This means that any serious rival must not only bring something new to the table but have the potential to become a long-running show with an immense cultural impact. This is where Apple TV's adaptation of Brandon Sanderson's epic novel series The Stormlight Archive looks set to shine. Apple TV has secured the rights to Sanderson's entire Cosmere universe, with the author heavily involved, which can only be a good thing for the series.

Apple TV's Stormlight Archive Adaptation Is The Best-Equipped New Fantasy Series

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter might once have felt extensive, but it is shallow compared to Sanderson's Cosmere universe, which has some of the best lore in any fantasy novel series, incorporating several realms within a small galaxy. The Stormlight Archive is a series of five published novels out of a planned ten that center on the planet Roshar, where devastating magical storms have an impact on virtually every part of life. Their scope is enormous, with political intrigue, ancient history, and compelling characters, which set the adaptation up to appeal to fans of other iconic fantasy epics.

After Robert Jordan passed, Brandon Sanderson was the author chosen to complete his groundbreaking Wheel of Time novel series.

It is sometimes easy to forget that Harry Potter was originally written for children, which explains the simplicity of the earlier books. On the other hand, The Stormlight Archive has a more mature target audience, which instantly gives it greater depth and complexity, and fewer plot holes regarding its magic system. The scale of The Stormlight Archive makes even Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings look small, and this may be exactly what the fantasy TV landscape needs next.

HBO's Harry Potter has already been praised for including details that the movies left out, but this still keeps its world relatively predictable, while Apple TV's Stormlight Archive will present something entirely new, with the potential for groundbreaking visuals and slow-burn storytelling. One issue that has plagued fantasy TV adaptations like The Witcher and The Wheel of Time is a drastic departure from the spirit of the source material, but Sanderson has unprecedented creative control, giving the show yet another advantage over Harry Potter in terms of both novelty and potential.

Harry Potter Isn't Even The Stormlight Archive's Biggest Rival

Harry Potter's spinoffs have expanded the Wizarding World, but the core series is on a much smaller scale, putting the franchise on a different level to The Stormlight Archive. With the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoffs further elaborating on Westeros' geography, history, and central cultures with every season, this is a greater rival, and it is not the only one. After a polarizing start, The Rings of Power has gone from strength to strength and its legacy as part of the iconic Lord of the Rings franchise cements its status as a must-watch fantasy and potentially The Stormlight Archive's biggest rival.

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We are approaching a Golden Age of fantasy, with enormously popular games like Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons getting TV shows alongside the tried and tested high fantasy novel adaptations. Even so, The Stormlight Archive already has an advantage over its rivals, as the first season is expected to be ten episodes long. TV seasons have become shorter in recent years and with many fantasy shows now having seasons that resemble miniseries rather than sagas, The Stormlight Archive may stand a better chance at capturing the epic scale of the source material and becoming the next "king of fantasy."

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  The Stormlight Archive

  Created by

  Brandon Sanderson

  Character(s)

  Kaladin Stormblessed, Shallan Davar, Dalinar Kholin, Adolin Kholin, Jasnah Kholin, Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Navani Kholin

  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.

• 

  The Stormlight Archive

  Network

  Apple TV

  Franchise(s)

  Mistborn