Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has made no secret of the fact that he wants his own version of Game of Thrones, and he may have finally gotten his wish. Amazon is currently working on a TV adaptation of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time, which has often been compared to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire (the basis for GoT) and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (of which Amazon is also currently working on a TV adaptation).
Here’s everything we know about Amazon’s The Wheel of Time so far.
What’s it about?
The Wheel of Time is a 14-book fantasy saga published from 1990 to 2013. It was originally supposed to be 12 books, but after Jordan died in 2007, his successor Brandon Sanderson turned Jordan’s notes for the final installment into three separate volumes.
As the title suggests, The Wheel of Time is set in a world where time is cyclical. Like many fantasy novels, the technology and setting resemble medieval Europe, though there are also references to it being set in Earth’s far future (“There are neither beginnings or endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time,” reads the introduction to every book in the series). Most of the story is set in the western region of an unnamed continent, where everyone is slowly realizing that the apocalypse might be coming.
The first volume, The Eye of the World, will form the basis of season 1 and follows Moiraine Damodred (a member of the powerful all-female organization known as the Aes Sedai) as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers and tries to determine which of her five young companions (Egwene Al’Vere, Perrin Aybara, Mat Cauthon, Rand Al’Thor, and Nynaeve) is the Dragon Reborn, a figure prophesied to either save or destroy humanity.
Daniele Venturelli/WireImage; Tor Books
Who’s in it?
We already knew that Rosamund Pike is starring in the show as Moiraine, but now we have casting for the other main characters as well. Josha Stradowski will play Rand’Al Thor, Madeleine Madden takes on Egwene Al’Vere, Marcus Rutherford plays Perrin Aybara, Barney Harris is Mat Cauthon, and Zoë Robbins is Nynaeve.
When’s it coming out?
The Wheel of Time will stream exclusively on Amazon Video. There is currently no set release date, but at this rate, fans probably shouldn’t expect it until next year.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
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