The Wheel of Time: 5 things we learned at the Amazon fantasy show's world premiere

Date:
Tue, 16 Nov 2021 14:10:25 +0000

Description:
TechRadar was invited to the world premiere of Amazons The Wheel of Time heres five things we learned.

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After months (nay, years) of excited fanfare, Amazons big-budget fantasy
show, The Wheel of Time , finally arrives on Prime Video this weekend.

An adaptation of Robert Jordans best-selling novel series, it follows the adventures of five youngsters as they battle evil forces in an unnamed world set simultaneously in the distant past and distant future of Earth. One of these teens is also thought to be the reincarnation of the Dragon, a powerful individual prophesied to either save mankind, or destroy it.

All typical fantasy shenanigans, then. And at the shows world premiere this week, TechRadar got an early look at its first two episodes. Well be posting our spoiler-free review very soon, along with an interview with the cast and crew. But, for now, heres five things we learned about The Wheel of Time
ahead of its November 19 release. Everything we know about HBOs House of the Dragon 1. Its not Game of Thrones

Okay, this one might seem obvious, but headlines and conversations around The Wheel of Time have been quick to draw comparisons between Jordans work and George R. R. Martins rival fantasy series, which itself was made into a massively successful HBO TV show.

Depending on your perspective, youll be pleased to learn that these comparisons are, for the most part, superficial. Yes, The Wheel of Time is an expensive live-action series based on a sweeping collection of fantasy literature, but the similarities really stop there. While Game of Thrones is more focused on the political warfare of multiple houses beyond its dragons, the show could, conceivably, be historically accurate The Wheel of Time is far more deeply rooted in high fantasy. That means you can expect magic, witches and wizards in place of silver-tongued charlatans and incestuous siblings. (Image credit: Amazon)

If reductive comparisons are your thing, though, Amazons series more closely resembles Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings trilogy its got orcs (here called trollocs), cutesy woodland villages and a full-on quest narrative, to boot. Once it gets going, contemporary influences like The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner bare their teeth in The Wheel of Time, too, as its band of likeable youngsters find themselves forced to navigate a series of hostile environments. 2. Its not family-friendly

Those worried that the shows high fantasy would equate to a low body count need not fear. The Wheel of Time is really, really violent but in a good way (you know what we mean). In the first two episodes alone, were treated (or subject?) to decapitations, severed limbs, gargled blood and burning flesh. Hell, in one scene, our hero literally regurgitates a bat.

This level of blood and gore wont be to everyones taste, of course, but we felt it provided a nice contrast to and added to the reality of the sillier elements of the story. As the stakes get higher in the shows later episodes, too, we expect the deaths to get even more gruesome.

In the violence department, then: yes, The Wheel of Time is comparable to
Game of Thrones (are you happy now?). 3. Its full of future stars

Beyond Rosamund Pike, who plays Aes Sedai Moiraine in the show, most of The Wheel of Times cast are relative newcomers. There are a handful of familiar faces, Sophie Okonedo and Michael McElhatton among them: the latter, incidentally, starred as Roose Bolton in Game of Thrones. (Image credit: Amazon)

But the band of youngsters, who occupy the lions share of screen time are, indeed, young adults which is a good thing.

Josha Stradowski, Madeleine Madden, Zoe Robins, Barney Harris and Marcus Rutherford performers who hail from all over the world add a real authenticity to the strife of the shows central characters, and theyre not hamstrung by the familiarity of roles theyve played elsewhere. Each will undoubtedly offer a different type of performance as the show moves along,
but as confused teens grappling with the weight of expectation, theyre a perfect fit.

Side note: if an unfortunate fate should befall Hayden Christensen on the set of Disneys Obi-Wan Kenobi series , Stradowski could step in as Anakin and no one would notice the change. 4. It looks expensive

Like those Game of Thrones comparisons, much has been of the eye-watering budget Amazon spent and continues to spend on The Wheel of Time. Reports suggest season 1 cost the studio upwards of $10 million per episode (there
are eight in total), with the total bill coming to just shy of $100 million.

Sure, Amazon set aside $250 million just for the rights to its upcoming Lord of the Rings series , but $10 million an episode is no small change for a multi-season adaptation of a relatively unfamiliar IP (filming on season 2 is currently underway). (Image credit: Amazon)

Luckily, the expenditure pays dividends. Sweeping shots of the mountainous Czech Republic could give David Lowerys The Green Knight a run for its money, and the shows costumes, sets and visual effects are up there with the best in the business. We werent overly fond of the skittish camerawork and squint-inducing lighting in an early battle sequence, but thats a crime committed by many big-budget historical productions, these days. 5. Its accessible to newcomers

Perhaps the most impressive element of The Wheel of Time, though, is its accessibility. For those going into its first episode with next to no knowledge of the source material, the show does a great job of translating
the most crucial parts of Robert Jordans story onto the screen, and new audiences will find as much to admire here as those whove waited years to see his sprawling vision brought to life.

Audiences looking for a grounded and intricate political epic may come out of this one disappointed, but The Wheel of Time will undoubtedly prove a journey worth taking for old school fantasy fans as well as those who just cant wait for The Witcher season 2 .

The Wheel of Time's first three episodes launch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, November 19. These are the best Netflix shows to watch right now



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/the-wheel-of-time-5-things-we-learned-at-the-am azon-fantasy-shows-world-premiere/


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