The Wheel of Time is Amazon Primes big-budget fantasy show that cant afford
to fail

Date:
Thu, 18 Nov 2021 17:00:33 +0000

Description:
TechRadar sits down with The Wheel of Times showrunner and cast to discuss
the pressures of bringing Robert Jordans sweeping fantasy epic to life.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Movie and TV adaptations of beloved fantasy book series are becoming an increasingly common fixture on our screens. From Peter Jacksons iconic Lord
of the Rings film trilogy to HBOs acclaimed (and then critically panned) Game of Thrones, fans have been treated to many adaptations of such famous
literary works.

The Wheel of Time , Amazons first major attempt at a big-budget fantasy TV show, may not be as well known as the aforementioned franchises. But, with Robert Jordan's books having sold 90 million copies worldwide the same
amount as Game of Thrones, no less since January 1990, the series holds its own against similar genre titans.

For a book series as loved as The Wheel of Time, then, a TV adaptation brings a wealth of expectation from its fanbase. And, for the shows creator and
cast, doing justice to Jordans expansive, complex works didnt only bring pressure from outside forces: it also brought it from within. Here's our spoiler-free review of The Wheel of Time season 1 5 things you should know about Amazon's The Wheel of Time These are the best Amazon Prime TV shows to watch right now

The pressure is tremendous, Rafe Judkins, The Wheel of Times showrunner and longtime fan of the novels, tells TechRadar. Im a big book nerd and Ive seen what happens when book series are adapted beautifully or terribly. That pressure really weighs heavily on you; I really feel it on myself. But, if we can bring the heart of the series to life, I think audiences will connect
with what we set out to achieve.

Ahead of the shows November 19 release on Amazon Prime Video , TechRadar sat down with Judkins and its cast to learn more about their take on Jordans seminal works. We discovered what creative liberties were taken with the source material, if any important plot points were left on the cutting room floor, and why it's vital to live up to fans' expectations. Weaving an epic tale (Image credit: Amazon Studios)

Set in an unnamed world, The Wheel of Time follows the adventures of Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a powerful sorceress and member of the Aes Sedai, an all-female organization of magic wielders.

When the Dark One threatens to engulf the world once more, Moiraine and her Warder guardian Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney) set out to find the Dragon Reborn, a prophesied champion who can potentially stop the Dark Ones plan.

After the duo locates and rescues five potential candidates Rand alThor (Josha Stradowski), Egwene alVere (Madeleine Madden), Nynaeve alMeara (Zo Robins), Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), and Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris) from the Dark Ones forces, Moiraine leads them on a globetrotting journey to work out who is the reincarnated Dragon. Not only that, but she must also determine if the Dragon Reborn will save the world or join the Dark One and destroy life as they know it.

Like other book-to-TV adaptations, such as Hulus recently canceled take on Y: The Last Man , numerous studios have tried to create a live-action version of The Wheel of Time. It wasnt until April 2017, when Sony Pictures Television became involved, that this aspiration became a reality.

Judkins, though, saw the potential for a Wheel of Time TV show much earlier.
A dedicated fan ever since he read the books as a child, Judkins has repeatedly affirmed that the TV format, and not a movie trilogy, is the only way to do justice to the novels. He was also fully aware of what made The Wheel of Time such an engaging and relatable tale and how he would utilize its biggest strength to hook audiences from the get-go.

It was really important for me to find a way to emotionally connect viewers
to these characters from the very first episode, he says. You want audiences to care about what happens next to these characters, and I think thats whats kept peoples interest through Jordans 14 novels. We were constantly asking ourselves are we telling their stories from the books? or can audiences
follow these individuals emotionally through their journey?. If we can get that across, weve done our job. A change in approach (Image credit: Amazon)

As simple as The Wheel of Times synopsis sounds, the tale in the novels is anything but. Jordans story is a vast and convoluted one to follow, with numerous locations, almost 3000 named characters, a unique spin on magic users, and many other high fantasy elements across a total of 11,308 pages.

Tackling such an elaborate story, Judkins says, meant that alterations to the source material were necessary, even if some diehard fans wont be enamored with the final product. That included a combination of narratives from the series first two books, The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt, as well as changing the order of when certain events take place.

A lot of the changes we made were to the characters backstories in episode one, he reveals. And we altered them to help our audience understand these people from the beginning. Were creating this for a TV audience; some viewers havent read the books, and we dont have them for three seasons to see if they like the show. So we need them to come away from the premiere with a core understanding of who these people are.

Finding a balance between each characters portrayal in the books, and the alterations made to those individuals for Amazons adaptation, was also challenging for the shows cast.

At first, my source was really descript, Stradowski, who plays Rand,
explains. But then I read the books and they added to my understanding of who he is. As an actor, its a gift having so much rich material. Im currently on book 11, and Im still curious about, and amazed by, Rands journey.

It was important... to find a way to emotionally connect viewers to these characters Rafe Judkins, The Wheel of Time creator

It was important to me to bring my individual experience to Egwene, Madden adds. As a character that people hold so close to their hearts, you want to embody that character to the best of your ability. We were very fortunate to have this incredible series to fall back on, as well as Rafes knowledge of
the source material. But we were also reassured that part of these characters was already within us and that we should bring that forward in our
portrayals.

For Judkins, there were regrettable decisions to leave certain parts of Jordans works out of proceedings. As he tells us, one particularly important location had to be dropped for his adaptation simply because of how TV shows are made.

I love the Caemlyn sequence in book one, he shares. But we couldn't do it for casting reasons. You know, Robert Jordan does such a good job of setting up a character who you meet once, and then they really pay off later on in the books. But that isnt conducive for TV, because you cant cast an actor wholl come and work for you for two days in 2019, and then you wont need until 2023 when their character reappears. Im happy with how we altered that particular narrative, but I was sad to see Caemlyn go. Myths that arent long forgotten (Image credit: Amazon Studios)

While there was an acceptance that some story alterations were unavoidable, Judkins and his team were acutely aware that other parts of The Wheel of Time had to be adapted directly from the source material.

That includes the tight-knit, psychic bond between an Aes Sedai and her
Warder companion. In the novels, such individuals are bound by Saidar, the female half of the One Power (the worlds source of magic). This weave gives Warders the ability to go without food, drink and rest for longer than
normal, as well as allowing them to withstand wounds that kill ordinary men. Aes Sedai, meanwhile, gain a guardian who will protect them from threats whenever they summon the One Power.

For Pike and Henney, who play Moiraine and Lan respectively, it was vital
that this integral part of Jordans world one where such relationships are platonic in nature was portrayed as authentically as possible.

That [relationship] is very powerful thematically, Pike says. Theres no pressure of romantic love, but the love between them is strong nonetheless. And that unconditional loyalty is a very beautiful thing. We had great fun thinking about how small we could make our communication and have the
audience pick up on it as we follow these characters journeys.

I see the fandom as an ally in our quest to make this successful Rosamund Pike, The Wheel of Time actor

Before this show, Rosamund and I had only met once in passing at an event, Henney recalls. When we joined the cast, we set up a FaceTime call that was only supposed to be a 20-minute introduction, but it ended up lasting three hours. That made me think Okay, this is going to be something special. And then the scripts gave us room to play more; for battle sequences, we had to synchronize our moves. Even the bathtub scene in episode one thats a
powerful scene. It shows whats quite literally happening under the surface.
It was special to build that together and I hope that it shows.

The Trollocs, terrifyingly giant creatures that are part-human and
part-animal and make up the bulk of the Dark Ones army, were another
important aspect to get right. With an immeasurable amount of Trolloc fanart online, Judkins and company could have simply used this artwork as
inspiration for their iterations. As Judkins explains, though, both the
fanart and original descriptions in Jordans novels were equally influential
in the Trollocs final designs.

We started with quotes from the books of what they looked like, Judkins reveals. And then we sent them to lots of concept artists to see how theyd bring them to life. We combined those with other fanart to see what was consistent across different images, and what was unique about peoples various interpretations.

"Each Trolloc is unique theyre this blend of humans and animals and birds, such as boars and eagles. So we spent a lot of extra money to ensure that
even non-book readers can recognize them. And, based on what animal they were inspired by, we gave them movements that youd associate with that animal. We paid attention to those little details to help lean away from stuff viewers will have seen before. Under pressure (Image credit: Amazon Studios)

Theres a lot riding on The Wheel of Time, not least from a financial perspective. According to reports, including a lengthy GQ piece on the shows production, The Wheel of Time season 1 comprising eight episodes cost $80 million to make. Its unclear if this figure includes post-production work, potential reshoots, and more.

With a Lord of the Rings prequel series set to land on Prime Video in September 2022, The Wheel of Time is also seen as a primer for audience interest in big-budget, fantasy-led Amazon productions. Add on the expectations of the dedicated fanbase, and the pressure is certainly on The Wheel of Time to be a success, even though its already been renewed for a second season.

For the shows young cast, dealing with that expectation comes with the territory of portraying characters in a popular book series.

I believe that pressure kills creativity, Stradowski says. I try to immerse myself in the books and the scripts, and that certainly helps. But Im also very aware of Rands journey, his potential in the novels and the love that
the fans have for this character. So I definitely feel that pressure on occasion.

I feel an immense amount of pressure to do justice to this series, Madden adds. Its one that many people have grown up with, so I think its a good sign to be anxious and nervous about something as big as this. I have a real connection with Egwene, and I think people will connect with her and the show overall.

Those are viewpoints shared by experienced actors like Pike and Henney, too. The duo has long been involved in The Wheel of Times production and, while both actors know how much Jordans novels mean to the fans, each has gained a new appreciation for just how cherished they are. Its this ardent backing
from The Wheel of Times fanbase that Pike and Henney believe will make the show a big success.

I see the fandom as an ally in our quest to make this successful, Pike says. Ive just completed the monumental task of doing an audio recording of the first novel, which has given me a greater understanding of how brilliant this world is, and the breadth of Robert Jordans imagination. Thats why I feel
that this show cant afford to fail the books only get better and better, so it would be a tragedy if it failed.

It must have been a few months ago, Henney adds. I think one of the first teasers for Lan had just come out, and somebody sent me a link to people responding to this clip and just embracing my portrayal. They were very excited about everything in this four-second clip. Thats when I thought to myself Okay, these guys have got my back. Were going to go through this together as a team, and thats a special thing to be part of.

The Wheel of Times first three episodes launch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, November 19. Subsequent episodes will be released weekly after that. Check out the best Amazon Prime movies to watch right now



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