Since the end of Game of Thrones, fans of fantasy have been eagerly waiting for the next big series to take its place. And it looks like Amazon’s Wheel of Time is heading into that spot. But unlike the battle for the Iron Throne, Wheel of Time won’t be following the same chronological formula of having each season adapting one book.
Showrunner Rafe Judkins (Chuck, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) revealed the surprising tidbit in a recent Q&A session on Twitter:
“We’re approaching this as an adaptation of the entire series, not just each book individually. So hopefully Season One will feel more like the entire book series of Wheel of Time than it does like Eye of the World.”
While it is a different approach than what we’re used to, this tactic may not be so crazy as it sounds.
Published in 1990, Robert Jordan wrote the novel, “Eye of the World,” with the intention of it being the first in a 6-book series called Wheel of Time. But unlike George R.R. Martin, Jordan was able to write 11 novels for the series. He was working on the twelfth and final book before passing away in 2007. Fellow author and long-time Wheel of Time fan Brandon Sanderson was brought in to finish Jordan’s work. Not only did he finish the 12th book, but he wrote an additional 2 more books completing the series with 14 novels in all.
Since most TV series barely make it to 10 seasons (face it, we’re lucky if we get 3), incorporating parts of the saga that happen in the later books early on may enrich the storyline for the viewers. It’s a rather rounded method that may pay off in the end.
Of course, some may be hesitant to embrace this approach but Judkins does his best to reassure fans about the process:
“What’s really important to me is that when we’re diverging from the books, that we KNOW we’re doing it. So, every piece of production design from shoes to swords to the White Tower itself begins with pages of quotes from the books about that place/thing… The designer then takes it from there to build something that makes sense in our world, with our production concerns, our cast, our aesthetic, etc. But at the end of the day, it all stems from that first document and it’s something we can always go back to”
So what do you think? Would this series work as planned or would you rather see each season adapt a book in the saga? Chime in below and make sure you check back here at Geek Anything for more news about Amazon’s Wheel of Time!
Crafting the blade. #WOTonPrime pic.twitter.com/fD4X9n7Ocn
— The Wheel of Time (@WOTonPrime) December 2, 2020
