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The Wheel of Time (TV series)

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The Wheel of Time
The logo shows the words "The Wheel of Time" on top of a coiled silver snake
GenreFantasy
Based onThe Wheel of Time series
by Robert Jordan
Developed byRafe Judkins
Starring
ComposerLorne Balfe
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes3 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Running time54-58 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAmazon Prime Video
ReleaseNovember 18, 2021 (2021-11-18) –
present (present)

The Wheel of Time is an American epic fantasy television series on Amazon Prime Video. The series is based on Robert Jordan's novel series of the same name and is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios, with Rafe Judkins serving as showrunner.

The first season, consisting of eight episodes, premiered on Prime Video on November 18, 2021, with the release of the first three episodes. The remaining five are set to air on a weekly basis until December 24, 2021. In May 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, ahead of the series premiere.

The first season received mostly positive reviews, with praise towards the ambition and many noting that it captured Jordan's novels while criticism was focused on the pacing due to an overabundance of story being adapted.

Premise

The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the Aes Sedai, a powerful organization of women who can use magic. She takes a group of five young people on a journey around the world, believing one of them might be the reincarnation of the Dragon, a powerful individual prophesied to either save the world or destroy it.[1][2]

Cast

Episodes

No.Title [11]Directed by [12]Teleplay by [13]Original release date [14]
1"Leavetaking"Uta BriesewitzRafe JudkinsNovember 19, 2021 (2021-11-19)
Moiraine is an Aes Sedai, who can wield an elemental force called the One Power. Years past, the One Power became corrupted to men and Lews Therin Telamon, the Dragon, tore the world apart in his madness. Moiraine and her Warder, Lan Mandragoran, search for the Dragon Reborn, Telamon's reincarnation, who they believe was born twenty years prior. Their search takes them to Emond's Field and five possible candidates: villagers Rand al'Thor, Perrin Aybara, Egwene al'Vere, and Nynaeve al'Meara and plan to take them to the White Tower, the central structure that houses the Aes Sedai. Rand, who is besotted with Egwene, is disappointed when he learns she inteds to become the village's next Wisdom, the village leader and healer who cannot wed. Emond's Field is ambushed by Trollocs, bestial creatures who follow the Dark One, a force of primordial evil. The attack leaves many of the village's inhabitants killed and in the chaos Nynaeve, the current Wisdom, is taken and Perrin accidently kills his wife Layla. Rand, Perrin, Mat and Egwene decide to join Moiraine and Lan on their journey to keep the Trollocs away from Emond's Field.
2"Shadow's Waiting"Uta BriesewitzAmanda ShumanNovember 19, 2021 (2021-11-19)
3"A Place of Safety"Wayne YipThe Clarkson TwinsNovember 19, 2021 (2021-11-19)
4"The Dragon Reborn"Wayne YipDave HillNovember 26, 2021 (2021-11-26)
5"Blood Calls Blood"Salli RichardsonCeline SongDecember 3, 2021 (2021-12-03)
6"The Flame of Tar Valon"Salli RichardsonJustine Juel GillmerDecember 10, 2021 (2021-12-10)
7"The Dark Along the Ways"Ciaran DonnellyUnknownDecember 17, 2021 (2021-12-17)
8TBACiaran DonnellyUnknownDecember 24, 2021 (2021-12-24)

Production

Background

In 2000, NBC optioned the screen rights to Robert Jordan's fantasy novel series The Wheel of Time but did not ultimately proceed with the production.[1] In 2004, Jordan sold the film, television, video game, and comic rights to the series to production company Red Eagle Entertainment.[1] In 2015, Red Eagle Entertainment paid air time to cable network FXX to air Winter Dragon, a 22-minute pilot for a potential The Wheel of Time series starring Billy Zane and Max Ryan that allowed Red Eagle to hold on to the rights to the project.[15] Subsequently, the company sued Jordan's widow, Harriet McDougal, for her comments about the pilot[16] and the lawsuit was resolved in 2016.[17]

Development

A new adaptation of the series was announced on April 20, 2017, produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures. Rafe Judkins was expected to serve as showrunner for the series and executive produce alongside Rick Selvage, Larry Mondragon, Ted Field, Mike Weber, Lauren Selig and Darren Lemke. McDougal was set to serve as a consulting producer.[18] By October 2018, the series had been in development for a year, and Amazon Studios had agreed to produce it.[1][19][20] Uta Briesewitz was confirmed as the director of the first two episodes in February 2019.[21] On May 20, 2021, Amazon renewed the series for a second season ahead of the series premiere.[22] The first episode of the second season is titled "A Taste of Solitude", with the teleplay by Amanda Kate Shuman.[23]

The lead characters from Emond's Field were written as older compared to their book counterparts, as the production team thought that television shows with seventeen-year-old lead characters could feel like young adult fiction, which was not a genre they felt was suitable for the series.[24]

Casting

Rosamund Pike was cast as the lead Moiraine in June 2019.[3] Further main cast members were announced in August 2019: Daniel Henney as Lan Mandragoran, Josha Stradowski as Rand al'Thor, Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara, Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al'Meara, Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon, and Madeleine Madden as Egwene al'Vere.[4] In September 2021, Dónal Finn was cast as Mat Cauthon for the second season when it was announced Harris would not be returning to the role after the first season.[5] In October 2021, Ceara Coveney, Natasha O'Keeffe and Meera Syal joined the cast as series regulars for the second season.[25]

Filming

Principal photography for the first season started on September 16, 2019.[26] Filming in Prague was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic[27] but had resumed by April 2021[28] and concluded in May 2021.[29] Filming for the second season began on July 19, 2021.[30]

Reception

Season 1

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 63% approval rating with an average rating of 6.9/10, based on 32 reviews. The critics consensus reads, "The Wheel of Time's revolutions can be a bit creaky as it tries to stand out from other fantasy series, but it succeeds admirably in making Robert Jordan's epic approachable for the uninitiated."[31] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 54 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[32]

Polygon stated, "The Wheel of Time is a very strong start to a much-awaited series and created by someone who has a clear understanding of how adaptations can soar when complementing their source material rather than just copying it."[33] Chancellor Agard, writing for Entertainment Weekly, noted a lack of character development despite the series' overall watchability.[34] Variety criticized the series for speeding through too much story.[35]

Murphy's Multiverse noted the weak first episode, stating "Overall, Wheel of Time is not a perfect adaption. It is, however, a very good adaption that is worthy of your time. The first three episodes are a strong effort and do an impressive job at recreating the magic of Jordan’s novels."[36]

Release

The series premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on November 19, 2021, with the first three episodes available immediately and the rest debuting on a weekly basis until December 24, 2021, the season finale.[37][38] The first two episodes will be shown in theatres in London, UK, and other select cities on November 15, 2021, ahead of the streaming release of the first three episodes.[39]

References

  1. ^ a b c d White, Peter (October 2, 2018). "Amazon Orders Adaptation Of Fantasy Drama The Wheel of Time To Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Kanter, Jake (August 19, 2020). "The Wheel Of Time: Oscar Nominee Sophie Okonedo & Game Of Thrones Alum Kae Alexander Join Amazon Epic". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Petski, Denise (June 19, 2019). "Rosamund Pike To Star In The Wheel Of Time TV Adaptation At Amazon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Otterson, Joe (August 14, 2019). "Wheel of Time Series at Amazon Rounds Out Main Cast". Variety. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (September 20, 2021). "The Wheel Of Time: Dónal Finn To Play Mat Cauthon In Recasting On Amazon Series As Barney Harris Not Returning For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Purslow, Matt (September 4, 2019). "al'Lan Mandragoran Cast for The Wheel of Time". IGN. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  7. ^ Smith, Andrew (November 6, 2019). "Game of Thrones Actor Joins Wheel of Time as Rand's Father Tam". IGN. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d Pedersen, Erik (December 4, 2019). "The Wheel Of Time: Amazon Fantasy Drama Adds Four To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Flook, Ray (July 22, 2020). "The Wheel of Time: Amazon Series Adaptation Adds 3 More To Cast". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e Asher-Perrin, Emmet (July 1, 2020). "Wheel of Time has cast two Whitecloak Leaders". Tor. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  11. ^ "The Wheel of Time". Amazon Prime Video. Retrieved November 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "The Wheel of Time". Amazon Studios. Retrieved November 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "The Wheel of Time". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  14. ^ "Shows A-Z - wheel of time, the on amazon". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  15. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (February 9, 2015). "A Wheel of Time pilot was produced and aired when no one was looking". The Verge. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  16. ^ Gardner, Eriq (February 13, 2015). "FXX Pilot Airing at 1:30 a.m. Leads to Eye-Opening Slander Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  17. ^ Trendacosta, Katharine (April 28, 2016). "The Wheel of Time Is Going to Be a TV Series After All". io9. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  18. ^ Otterson, Joe (April 20, 2017). "Wheel of Time TV Series Lands at Sony". Variety. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  19. ^ Ritman, Alex (October 2, 2018). "Wheel of Time Fantasy Drama Nabs Amazon Series Order". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  20. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (October 2, 2018). "Amazon Orders Female-Driven Fantasy Series The Wheel of Time". Variety. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  21. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (February 19, 2019). "The Wheel of Time: Uta Briesewitz To Direct First Two Episodes Of Amazon Fantasy Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  22. ^ White, Peter (May 20, 2021). "The Wheel Of Time Renewed For Season 2 By Amazon Ahead Of Launch". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  23. ^ "The Wheel of Time Twitter". Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  24. ^ Phillips, TC (August 22, 2021). "Why Wheel Of Time Characters Are Older In Amazon's Show". Screen Rant. Valnet. Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  25. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (October 8, 2021). "The Wheel of Time: Ceara Coveney, Natasha O'Keeffe & Meera Syal Join Season 2 Cast; Amazon Drops Clip – New York Comic Con". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  26. ^ @WoTonPrime (September 16, 2019). "Hey everyone, today is our first day of principal photography" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Twitter.
  27. ^ Vourlias, Christopher (March 13, 2020). "Sony's Nightingale, Wheel of Time Shoots Suspended in Europe Over Coronavirus Fears (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  28. ^ "Czech Republic Touts Production Return: Wheel Of Time, Carnival Row, Dangerous Liaisons, The Gray Man Among Host Of Shoots". Deadline Hollywood. April 28, 2021. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  29. ^ Bennett, Tara (July 23, 2021). "Amazon Reveals Wheel Of Time Premiere Date, Teases Plans For I Know What You Did Last Summer Series". Syfy. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  30. ^ Hoffer, Christian (July 19, 2021). "Amazon's Wheel of Time Starts Filming Season 2". Comicbook.com. ViacomCBS. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  31. ^ "The Wheel of Time: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  32. ^ "The Wheel of Time". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  33. ^ https://www.polygon.com/reviews/22783995/wheel-of-time-review-amazon
  34. ^ Agard, Chancellor. "The Wheel of Time review: Bland chosen ones lead this watchable fantasy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  35. ^ D'Addario, Daniel (November 16, 2021). "The Wheel of Time Suffers From Too Much Story, Told Too Hurriedly: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  36. ^ https://www.murphysmultiverse.com/review-amazons-wheel-of-time-is-a-well-done-adaption/
  37. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (September 2, 2021). "The Wheel of Time Trailer: Women With Powers Protect the World in Amazon Adaptation — Plus, Get Premiere Date". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  38. ^ "Amazon's The Wheel of Time First Look Revealed With Release Date". MAXBLIZZ. October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  39. ^ n/a, Sara. "World Premiere + Exclusive Fan Screenings". WotSeries. Wo Series. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
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