FremantleMedia North America, along with Random House Studio, have partnered with best-selling fantasy novelist Brandon Sanderson for an ambitious, multi-media collaboration. It includes the development of drama Dark One for television. Additionally, Sanderson is concurrently creating a graphic novel that will be published by Vault Comics. He is also penning a supplementary, multi-volume book series that will expand on the storyline from the show and further explore subsidiary characters. The multi-media project also includes a Dark One podcast, which will shed further light on the incidents leading up to where the TV series will begin.

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Dark One will be a dramatic fantasy adventure spotlighting a young man who sees visions of strange and fantastical worlds, which he is told are just hallucinations. But this dark and deadly fantasy world that keeps coming to him is actually a real vision of another world – one where he has been prophesied to become a tyrant and destroy this land of interesting creatures, sporadic electrical currents and a darkening landscape.

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“I’m used to painting a picture in words. Dark One came to life when I freed myself to think of it as a project for actual visual media, with the setting, characters and outline all coming together,” said author Sanderson. “I’m excited to be able to partner with FremantleMedia North America and Random House Studio on this for television.”

“Brandon Sanderson is a powerful storyteller and one of the world’s most admired fantasy writers,” said Dante Di Loreto, president of scripted entertainment, FremantleMedia North America. “The narrative of Dark One will examine the dual roles we often take on in life – the ability to be a savior as well as a destroyer, and this innovative creative partnership with Brandon will serve as a catalyst for deepening the connection between him and his many fans.”

“Brandon Sanderson is one of the most exciting storytellers within the enormous group of authors published by the Penguin Random House group,” said Peter Gethers, executive vice president and general manager, Random House Studio. “We are thrilled to be working with him to create one of his extraordinary worlds for a television audience for the first time.”

Sanderson’s previous books have taken place in fantastical worlds which encompass an intricate system of magic driving the plots. He has been on the New York Times bestseller list six times, including with his most recent release, Oathbringer, which debuted at No. 1 when it was published in November 2017. Sanderson has received numerous honors, including the coveted Hugo Award for his 2012 novella The Emperor’s Soul. His works have been translated into more than 35 languages and have sold over 12 million copies. Sanderson is repped by APA and JABberwocky Literary Agency.

FMNA also produces American Gods, based on Neil Gaiman’s novel, which is expected to return for its second season in 2019 on Starz.