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Finally: Wheel of Time being made by Amazon and Sony


atomheartbevo

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Been hearing this was the case for a while, but it was made official:

https://www.newsarama.com/42085-robert-jordan-s-wheel-of-time-in-development-as-amazon-tv-series.html

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Amazon Studios today announced it has ordered the one-hour action fantasy The Wheel of Time to series. Based upon Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy novels, which have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide, the series was adapted for TV by Rafe Judkins (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Chuck) who also serves as showrunner, and is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television. The Wheel of Time will premiere globally on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories.

The Wheel of Time is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it. Meaning that in this series — women hold the keys to power. The story follows Moiraine, a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization called the ‘Aes Sedai’ as she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women. Moiraine’s interested in these five because she believes one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual, whom prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it. The series draws on numerous elements of European and Asian culture and philosophy, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism. 

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“The Wheel of Time is endlessly fascinating and resonates hugely with fans as one of the best-selling global properties, and we were drawn to its timely narrative featuring powerful women at the core,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “We’re thrilled to extend our relationship with devotees who’ve found the book series transformative and welcome new ones by bringing it to life on Prime Video for viewers worldwide.”

“Developing and producing Robert Jordan’s beloved fourteen-books-series for TV is a big undertaking, and we don’t take it lightly,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Event Series, Amazon Originals. “We believe that Rafe’s personal connection to the material and soulful writing will resonate with the book’s passionate fans.”

Now I don’t have to finish reading the series, yay!

Seriously, Amazon is upping their sci-fi/fantasy game.  Man in the High Castle, Good Omens, The Expanse, others here and there.

And they inked a new deal with Neil Gaiman for more stuff.

Now I just need them to do a proper Discworld series.

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So happy to hear this is finally going to happen.

Now, if they can just cut out all the filler of women arguing with each other we'll be golden.  No braids should be pulled! 

Also, I'm wondering if they'll stick to the books with Rand being a polygamist.  That should be a hoot if they do. 

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On 10/2/2018 at 2:12 PM, atomheartbevo said:

Seriously, Amazon is upping their sci-fi/fantasy game.  Man in the High Castle, Good Omens, The Expanse, others here and there.

they also spent a quarter billion dollars on rights to lord of the rings

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  • 8 months later...

Not sure how I feel about that - RP has a very calming and demure aspect to her but isn't one of the key challenges that Moiraine has to overcome is that many of the Sister don't give her credit because she's young and petite?

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Moiraine is short/petite. There's probably half of a book devoted to describing her. Rosamund Pike is about 5' 9"

Love Rosamund but not sure why she's Moiraine. Maybe the same idiots that cast Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher are involved.

I would have gone with Rebecca Ferguson.

 

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She can pull off playing a lot younger than her 40 years, and she’s got grace.  It is odd on the height, didn’t realize she was that tall.

This was in the twitter replies, and seemed Ike an interesting place to ask for your first job in the film industry

 

 
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I could see Pike as one of the creepy, combative Aes Sedai who don't trust Rand/want to cut him off from the Source.  Moraine is more a mother/mentor figure early and then sacrifices herself.  Don't know if Pike's weird/alien vibe works for her.  But odder casting choices have worked out well before and I'm willing to give these folks a lot of rope since they're actually giving us AWoT.

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I just want this to be made well. I’ve read the first 9 books at least 3 times through and the entire series once. Such an incredible overall story . Money and greed got in the way of it ending in 6 books like Jordan originally wanted . Should have a ton of content to draw from. I hope they get it right . 

 

Actually i I wouldn’t even mind if they just get it ok.  What I don’t want is to watch the first 30 minutes and go well this shit  is gonna suck ...like some of those 80s fantasy movies. That is my biggest fear. My bar is set very very low. Will be a show i set my schedule around if it is good or even decent . Love the world he created . Can’t wait to see it come to life. 

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32 minutes ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

Sorry for apparently missing a joke, but what series was this in reference to? 

The joke is that George R. R. Martin will die before he finishes his GOT books.

Robert Jordan actually died before finishing Wheel of Time - Brandon Sanderson had to finish the very last book.

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34 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

The joke is that George R. R. Martin will die before he finishes his GOT books.

Robert Jordan actually died before finishing Wheel of Time - Brandon Sanderson had to finish the very last book.

To be fair if he hadn't died it would have been the last 5 books

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1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

The joke is that George R. R. Martin will die before he finishes his GOT books.

Robert Jordan actually died before finishing Wheel of Time - Brandon Sanderson had to finish the very last book.

Ahh, thanks! I had forgotten that I knew that... 

I made it part of the way through book #6. Bought it right when it came out during my freshman year but eventually gave up when I realized there were much better ways to spend my ample free time.

Back then it always struck me as a more developed version of the two David Eddings series.

I'll definitely check out the Amazon version. 

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7 hours ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

Ahh, thanks! I had forgotten that I knew that... 

I made it part of the way through book #6. Bought it right when it came out during my freshman year but eventually gave up when I realized there were much better ways to spend my ample free time.

Back then it always struck me as a more developed version of the two David Eddings series.

I'll definitely check out the Amazon version. 

The Eddings series needs to be made.

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https://deadline.com/2021/05/the-wheel-of-time-renewed-season-2-amazon-1234761078/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

‘The Wheel Of Time’ Renewed For Season 2 By Amazon Ahead Of Launch
Peter White
May 20, 2021 9:30AM PDT

Amazon is doubling down on The Wheel of Time.

The streamer has renewed the fantasy series for a second season ahead of the launch of the show. It comes as production has wrapped on season one in the Czech Republic.

It is the latest market in a long road for the adaptation of Robert Jordan’s books, which has been in development in one form or another for 20 years and that Amazon ordered to series in October 2018. Like many series, production of the drama was also hit by the pandemic.

The Wheel of Time, set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it, is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television and comes from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Chuck writer Rafe Judkins, who is showrunner and exec producer.

It stars Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization called the ‘Aes Sedai’ as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.

Joshua Stradowski, Marcus Rutherford, Zoe Robins, Barney Harris, Madeleine Madden, Daniel Henney, Michael McElhatton, Alvaro Morte, Hammed Animashaun, Alexandrew Willaume, Johann Myers, Jennifer Cheon Garcia, Maria Dolye Kennedy, Daryl McCormack, Narinder Samra, Priyanka Bose, Emmaniel Imani, Taylor Napier, Kate Fleetwood, Christopher Sciueref, Juliet Howland, Mandi Symonds, Lolita Chakrabarti, Michael Tuahine, David Sterne, Abdul Salis, Stuart Graham, Kae Alexander, Sophie Okonedo, Clare Perkins, Peter Franzen, Pasha Bocarie, Jennifer K Preston and Darren Clarke also feature.

Larry Mondragon and Rick Selvage of Red Eagle Entertainment, Ted Field and Mike Weber of Radar Pictures, Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe and Uta Briesewitz will also serve as executive producers, with Briesewitz set to direct the first two episodes. Rosamund Pike will serve as producer and Harriet McDougal and Brandon Sanderson as consulting producers.

“The belief Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television have shown in The Wheel of Time has been incredible to see throughout the entire process of making this show. Getting a second season order before the first season has even premiered is such a vote of confidence in the work we are doing and the property itself, and we couldn’t be happier to be able to continue to live and work in the world Robert Jordan created,” said Rafe Judkins. “This property is one I’ve loved since I was a teenager, and seeing it brought to life with the resources to make it truly worthy of what’s on the page is something I can’t wait for the other fans of the books to see. And Season 2 just keeps expanding the world we built in Season 1.”

Co-Head of Television at Amazon Studios Vernon Sanders added, “The Wheel of Time is a beloved series of fantasy novels from Robert Jordan, renowned for the rich world and diverse characters he created. The approach Rafe and his team have taken with this project is a testament to Amazon Studios commitment to deliver something special for the devoted fans around the world. In partnership with the team at Sony Pictures Television, we wanted our Prime Video customers to be delighted that a second season is already in the works so that they would know that the journey would continue.”

“From the moment we pitched the Amazon Studios team, we realized they shared the same excitement as we did about this brilliant project based on Robert Jordan’s series of best-selling novels and that we were all creating a very special and extraordinary spectacle,” said Jeff Frost, President of Sony Pictures Television. “Receiving a second season pickup right after wrapping Season one, exemplifies their dedication to and belief in this series. We can’t wait for audiences globally to experience the magic that Rafe, our other talented producers, Rosamund and the rest of the cast and crew have created.”

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4 hours ago, MillerEP said:

Lol, yeah I had to look it up too, only two credits, highly sus:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10706448/

And the other credit was from a Wheel of Time-based series.

And he's an expert on cannabis - https://www.craigfryandassociates.com/copy-of-craig-fry

Basically, looks like he's a top executive at the company that had acquired the WOT rights - https://www.tor.com/2010/05/17/jordancon-interview-with-red-eagle-entertainment/

A cool name.

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I am going to be highly disappointed because I have allowed myself to be completely overhyped. There is nothing anyone can do. I am expecting Peter Jackson's LOTR. Feels like August of every Texas Football season the past 20 years.

Jordan was long winded but in terms of the actual storyline of Rand, this is my favorite fantasy series of all time. If done right it is going to be epic. Jordan basically asked himself, "What would you do if you were tasked to be the savior of the world." That is the power Rand has. Cant wait.

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  Moiraine is short/petite. There's probably half of a book devoted to describing her. Rosamund Pike is about 5' 9"
Love Rosamund but not sure why she's Moiraine. Maybe the same idiots that cast Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher are involved.
I would have gone with Rebecca Ferguson.
 
v1.cjs0Njc0ODtqOzE4MDkwOzEyMDA7MjIwOzE5Ng
Rosamund Pike is a great actress but looks like she's 50 in those scenes. Really miscast.

This looks like that abortion of a Shannara series MTV tried that was basically a CW Hunger Games series with magic and elves.

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Joshua Stradowski, Marcus Rutherford, Zoe Robins, Barney Harris, Madeleine Madden, Daniel Henney, Michael McElhatton, Alvaro Morte, Hammed Animashaun, Alexandrew Willaume, Johann Myers, Jennifer Cheon Garcia, Maria Dolye Kennedy, Daryl McCormack, Narinder Samra, Priyanka Bose, Emmaniel Imani, Taylor Napier, Kate Fleetwood, Christopher Sciueref, Juliet Howland, Mandi Symonds, Lolita Chakrabarti, Michael Tuahine, David Sterne, Abdul Salis, Stuart Graham, Kae Alexander, Sophie Okonedo, Clare Perkins, Peter Franzen, Pasha Bocarie, Jennifer K Preston and Darren Clarke also feature.

 

I don't recognize a single one of those names.

 

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1 hour ago, High Plains Drifter said:

I don't recognize a single one of those names.

Kind of like Game of Thrones, season 1?

It's by design.  Amazon is dropping half a billion on this first season - getting a bunch of named actors could easily add another $20 or $30 million, for not much return - WOT fans are going to show up for this regardless of who any of those people are, and they will pester their family/friends to watch it.

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46 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Kind of like Game of Thrones, season 1?

It's by design.  Amazon is dropping half a billion on this first season - getting a bunch of named actors could easily add another $20 or $30 million, for not much return - WOT fans are going to show up for this regardless of who any of those people are, and they will pester their family/friends to watch it.

That's half a billion misspent then because the trailer makes it look like a fan film full of LARP'ers. 

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