[TV] Wheel of Time series

[Holman]

I assume the memes will be epic.

[Jaymann]

Since I'm never going to read the series, does Sanderson include braid pulling and skirt smoothing?

[YellowKing]

Somebody actually counted them up per book.

[Archinerd]

That's awesome.

I should probably go back and re-read these. I think the last one I read was Crossroad's of Twilight (or 345 braid tugs worth since I didn't read the prequel A New Spring either).

Utterly innocent question:

I've never read a word of Robert Jordan. Is the series complete? Do the showrunners have a total thing to work with, and is it possible to film it? Is it adaptable to what we do with fantasy these days?

(Obviously I own a copy of Google, but I think I'll get more nuanced opinions here.)

Yes, yes, no, yes.

I meant to add to this. The first 3 books works as a stand alone trilogy if they decide not to do the whole series.
That might even be a better story arc, though it leaves a lot of the big picture stuff un-answered.

[rittchard]

When that preview came on, I had absolutely no idea what I was watching. I thought it was some Asian fusion martial arts movie lmao.

When I finally saw it was Wheel of Time, I was a little stunned. I appreciate diversity casting but I'm not sure it will work for me with this series. I kind of grew up with really distinct images of what some of the characters looked like in my head (which is actually rare for me), but aside from Moiraine, none of them look like what I imagined. I also never pictured any sort of martial arts battles when I read the books lol.

I'm sure it will be fine in the end, it was just a bit jolting for me.

[Smoove_B]

[RunningMn9]

I’m struggling to accept that Lan would make that kind of grand and dramatic entrance. Or that the Winespring Inn would be that hopping or that diverse, at least at that point in the story.

[Smoove_B]

I have a feeling you're really going to hate the song and dance number that starts in the next scene.

On topic, as someone that has not read the source material in like 21 years (I just checked), I'm not sure I'm in a good position to judge or comment on how it "feels" to me as my connection to the story has effectively been severed. I am confident hardcore fans of the WoT aren't going to be happy with this show, on the whole.

[RunningMn9]

I can help you, that felt absolutely nothing like anything that ever happened in any of the books.

[JCC]

I have no idea whether this show will be good or not. (I am guessing it will be a pale shadow of the books.) But, anyone hoping for any movie/TV version of the WoT to adhere closely to the books is delusional. It would take 20 seasons or more of a TV show to adhere in any way closely to the books. It's just not going to happen. It can still be good while merely following the spirit/outline of the plot. Or, it could be awful. I seriously doubt the show will last long enough for them to finish the story at all - much less finish it in a way that the RJ nerds will be happy with.

I remember how many Tolkien nerds were so upset when Tom Bombadil wasn't in the LOTR movies. I laughed hard at that outrage. How dare they leave out a completely pointless part of the books?! Thank goodness they wrote out the ridiculous, anti-climactic epilogue of Saruman invading the Shire at the end.

As I get older, and a tiny bit wiser, I have learned to let go of the urge for word perfect adaptations of books. It pretty much never happens, and it's a different medium.

I save my nerd outrage for when Doctor Who doesn't go the way I want!

[YellowKing]

<shrug> I liked it. I have a feeling if the way someone walked into an inn upsets you, you're in for a rough time.

They have to make the show for the 95% of viewers who *haven't* read the books, so if they need to add a bit of dramatic flair to tell the viewer "Lan and Moiraine are important to the plot" then I'm OK with it.

[Blackhawk]

But, anyone hoping for any movie/TV version of the WoT to adhere closely to the books is delusional. It would take 20 seasons or more of a TV show to adhere in any way closely to the books.

14 books... 20 seasons, maybe, if the seasons were a full 24 episodes and each episode was a full hour.

I remember how many Tolkien nerds were so upset when Tom Bombadil wasn't in the LOTR movies. I laughed hard at that outrage. How dare they leave out a completely pointless part of the books?! Thank goodness they wrote out the ridiculous, anti-climactic epilogue of Saruman invading the Shire at the end.

Bombadil I agree with. The Scouring of the Shire I do not. That part was important. It was the vehicle by which he showed how much the main characters had changed and grown over the course of the trilogy. Without it they just came home and... went back to life as usual?

[malchior]

<shrug> I liked it. I have a feeling if the way someone walked into an inn upsets you, you're in for a rough time.

They have to make the show for the 95% of viewers who *haven't* read the books, so if they need to add a bit of dramatic flair to tell the viewer "Lan and Moiraine are important to the plot" then I'm OK with it.

My read is that they are not sure how to sell this series yet. This was pretty much them saying 'Did you know we have Sarah Paulson...I mean Rosamund PIke?!" The teaser really didn't give you much beyond that. Still I am looking forward to this. It'll be interesting at least to see how they tackle this and which themes they go after. Will it be more Young Adult (which it has strong hints of) or will they go deeper? I can't wait to find out.

[Blackhawk]

<shrug> I liked it. I have a feeling if the way someone walked into an inn upsets you, you're in for a rough time.

I think it's more that the feel of the whole thing was off. The atmosphere was wrong.

But it is a show based on a book. I generally consider such things to be separate entities (not always successfully - see Without Remorse.) The atmosphere was just right for the Wheel of Time show.

[Smoove_B]

Will it be more Young Adult (which it has strong hints of) or will they go deeper? I can't wait to find out.

I am also picking up a YA vibe - I think it's related to so many of the promotional shots we've seen so far are filled with teens eyeballing each other longingly.

Related (maybe?) I watched the first season of the Shannara Chronicles (an MTV production) last month, just because. What little of the WoT we've seen so far seems (to me) to be tilting more in that direction than GoT. It's hard to say though as we really haven't seen too much. Considering Jordan himself said the WoT was influenced/inspired by the Lord of the Rings, I think it could be walking a fine-line. While I wouldn't label LotR as a YA series, legions of teens were reading it - as I suspect is the case for the WoT as well. I didn't start until college, but had I been exposed to the WoT when it came out (I was in high school), I have no doubts I would have devoured it. Whereas LotR is completely missing female characters (total bro-fest) the WoT is definitely more contemporary - especially for the roles women play in the overall story. I mean, it's not a leather goddess fever dream like the Sword of Truth series, but who knows?

I guess my point is, when you have a story about teens it seems likely there's going to be a chance it's going to tilt towards teen drama.

I'm not sure how I ended up here, but I'm now filled with a desire to re-watch Legend of the Seeker and I need to process that.

[Blackhawk]

Related (maybe?) I watched the first season of the Shannara Chronicles (an MTV production) last month, just because.

In the first five minutes they dropped the line, "I’m definitely sensing a lot of sweaty elf boy hate." I cringed, and only stuck with it because I enjoyed Allanon, and because there is so little fantasy on TV>

[Smoove_B]

In the first five minutes they dropped the line, "I’m definitely sensing a lot of sweaty elf boy hate." I cringed, and only stuck with it because I enjoyed Allanon, and because there is so little fantasy on TV>

I agree. I was trying to remind myself the whole time that Allanon was Crixus from Spartacus. It was...not great. I might push through the second season, just to make sure I get the whole experience.

[Blackhawk]

It's surprisingly like Legend of the Seeker in that regard. The good points (Zed in Seeker) and the lack of alternative genre content sometimes make it worth the watch.

[malchior]

I originally was going to mention Shannara because tbe teaser has a MTV studio vibe. It is less CW.

[Zaxxon]

It's surprisingly like Legend of the Seeker in that regard. The good points (Zed in Seeker) and the lack of alternative genre content sometimes make it worth the watch.

This. We watched all of both Shannara and Sword of Truth. They weren't great, but they got the job done for us.

[Archinerd]

Will it be more Young Adult (which it has strong hints of) or will they go deeper? I can't wait to find out.

I am also picking up a YA vibe - I think it's related to so many of the promotional shots we've seen so far are filled with teens eyeballing each other longingly.

Related (maybe?) I watched the first season of the Shannara Chronicles (an MTV production) last month, just because. What little of the WoT we've seen so far seems (to me) to be tilting more in that direction than GoT. It's hard to say though as we really haven't seen too much. Considering Jordan himself said the WoT was influenced/inspired by the Lord of the Rings, I think it could be walking a fine-line. While I wouldn't label LotR as a YA series, legions of teens were reading it - as I suspect is the case for the WoT as well. I didn't start until college, but had I been exposed to the WoT when it came out (I was in high school), I have no doubts I would have devoured it. Whereas LotR is completely missing female characters (total bro-fest) the WoT is definitely more contemporary - especially for the roles women play in the overall story. I mean, it's not a leather goddess fever dream like the Sword of Truth series, but who knows?

I guess my point is, when you have a story about teens it seems likely there's going to be a chance it's going to tilt towards teen drama.

I'm not sure how I ended up here, but I'm now filled with a desire to re-watch Legend of the Seeker and I need to process that.

I first read Eye of the World in 4th or 5th grade... so I'd consider WoT pre-teen.

[Smoove_B]

I first read Eye of the World in 4th or 5th grade... so I'd consider WoT pre-teen.

Wow. I would not have touched this book as a 10 year old. Your parents were either really cool or you had older siblings that were.

[RunningMn9]

Whether a book is YA or pre-teen, isn't a function of how old you where when you read it. WOT isn't Harry Potter. This show is going to be a disaster. I'm still going to watch.

[Smoove_B]

Oh, I get that. And to be clear, I don't think WoT is in any way a YA adult title - just that it has appeal to young adults of a certain stripe because it's about...young adults. So with that, it wouldn't surprise me if Amazon took that theme and tilts the TV show toward that market. I guess (as others have pointed out) the contemporary equivalent would be a random CW show aimed at teens and the YA crowd.

[Archinerd]

I first read Eye of the World in 4th or 5th grade... so I'd consider WoT pre-teen.

Wow. I would not have touched this book as a 10 year old. Your parents were either really cool or you had older siblings that were.

We saw it at the library and thought the cover was cool, and that the book was incredibly long. Three of us took turns reading it, which took awhile since we had to alternate checking out the only library copy.

Whether a book is YA or pre-teen, isn't a function of how old you where when you read it. WOT isn't Harry Potter. This show is going to be a disaster. I'm still going to watch.

I agree. WoT was never gritty fantasy (and shouldn't be), but something seems 'off' with the tone from what we've seen so far. I'm also still going to watch.

[RunningMn9]

It’s definitely not gritty fantasy. As for the target audience of the show, presumably part of the target is the people that know what the Wheel of Time means.

If this was on broadcast TV, maybe you can hook people in because it’s on the TV. People are going to have to specifically seek this out. Tweens aren’t going to be seeking this out, simply because some of the characters are teens (also, they aren’t teens in the show, they start older than the books).

I absolutely get that you have to make compromises when translating from one medium to the next. But I don’t think that GoT would have worked if it really leaned into a My Little Pony vibe.

Literally everything about these teasers feels wrong. I will still watch, it it still feels wrong.

[Jaymann]

A braid puller and a boot stomper walked into a bar...

[Blackhawk]

As for the target audience of the show, presumably part of the target is the people that know what the Wheel of Time means.

I'm pretty sure the primary target audience is people who know what Game of Thrones means.

Which makes the feel even more off. I think Smoove nailed it - it's smacks just a bit of Shannara.

[Pyperkub]

When that preview came on, I had absolutely no idea what I was watching. I thought it was some Asian fusion martial arts movie lmao.

When I finally saw it was Wheel of Time, I was a little stunned. I appreciate diversity casting but I'm not sure it will work for me with this series. I kind of grew up with really distinct images of what some of the characters looked like in my head (which is actually rare for me), but aside from Moiraine, none of them look like what I imagined. I also never pictured any sort of martial arts battles when I read the books lol.

I'm sure it will be fine in the end, it was just a bit jolting for me.

I haven't watched the preview, but my conception of how the characters looked is probably very much oriented towards the Michael Whelan covers.

[Blackhawk]

I thought Whelan only did one cover (the last one), as the original cover artist had died (Whelan is one of my favorite cover artists.) I actually have a couple of his collections.

[Pyperkub]

I thought Whelan only did one cover (the last one), as the original cover artist had died (Whelan is one of my favorite cover artists.) I actually have a couple of his collections.

I think you're correct. Double-checking seems to reveal that Darrell K. Sweet is the primary Cover Artist, until his passing.

[Zaxxon]

[Archinerd]

I thought Whelan only did one cover (the last one), as the original cover artist had died (Whelan is one of my favorite cover artists.) I actually have a couple of his collections.

I think you're correct. Double-checking seems to reveal that Darrell K. Sweet is the primary Cover Artist, until his passing.

Cover art is weird when it's not on the book, perspective and composition are a mess when viewed like this.
I like all of them with the exception of The Gathering Storm.

[Smoove_B]

Here's a nice piece that provides behind the scenes details from (checks notes) GQ magazine?

Want to make the next Game of Thrones? This is how it begins. Viewers have become accustomed to a kind of scale, or realism, that creeps toward the actually real. “It's not like we can go say, ‘Oh, you know, Game of Thrones, season one, they only spent this,’ ” Mike Weber, an executive producer of The Wheel of Time, says. “The audience expectation is coming off of the last season of Game of Thrones, not the first season.” For the first season of Thrones, HBO spent about $6 million an episode, a number that steadily climbed from there. Amazon and The Wheel of Time? They're starting at upward of a reported $10 million per episode—for eight total, the first of which will begin streaming in November—just to get out of the gate.

I didn't realize they were filming in Prague, but it sounds like they're really committed to the long haul - which makes sense. Keep moving while the momentum can help carry you forward.

There are some additional pictures that look great. Still hopeful it's not a mess.

[Blackhawk]

[malchior]

I didn't realize they were filming in Prague, but it sounds like they're really committed to the long haul - which makes sense. Keep moving while the momentum can help carry you forward.

There are some additional pictures that look great. Still hopeful it's not a mess.

Same here hoping it is not a mess. The clip above looks like it involves Shadar Logoth. That's the halfway point in the book loosely. I am curious how much of EOTW they cover because I don't know how they get to the Blight in 8 episodes. I guess we'll see how deep the knife goes into the plotting. It'll be interesting because the first three books have the best flow. All the waste is introduced progressively from book four on.

[Zaxxon]

[JCC]

"....And it's one of the five of you...."

Uh... Five?

haha

I hope this is good.

[Jaymann]

Just hope it doesn't turn into the Wheel of Moiraine.

[Pyperkub]

When is this out again? Scanned the thread, but not in depth. Avoiding trailers