The Wheel of Time moves ever on. The Robert Jordan fantasy staple has been around since 1990, entertaining readers across the globe, and most recently, hosting a three-season TV show on Amazon Prime. Famed author Brandon Sanderson managed to complete the story, much to the delight of fans, and since 2013, it’s gained even more traction among readers.
The thing is, not everyone has had success adapting this monstrous story into a palatable format for general audiences. That may change, now that another rights holder is poised to deliver more Wheel of Time projects.
Right now, iwot Studios is planning a multifaceted revival of the series, and it sounds just as ambitious as the Robert Jordan tale (via CBR).
According to iwot Studios COO Larry Mondragon and CEO Rick Selvage, change is coming. With the polarizing Amazon show in the rearview, iwot is looking to the future, with planned animated adaptations and a video game. The idea is to adapt Wheel of Time into an open-world RPG, and allegedly, the entire book series will be covered in some form. It’s easily one of the most ambitious fantasy adaptations in years.
Iwot studios head Craig Alexander says that “the plan is to work with the franchise for many years and develop a series of games, sequels, expansion packs, DLC, et cetera, and build out as much of the world we can.” The video game is also “aimed at broadening the franchise’s reach across platforms and engaging fans worldwide.”
Animation creator Thomas Wu feels the same way: “I see tremendous opportunity in expanding The Wheel of Time into fully authentic, integrated, interactive, and animated storytelling experiences. The depth of the mythology provides a foundation for sustained, multi-platform franchise growth.”
It’s hard to believe that a game adaptation of the massive Wheel of Time franchise will deliver on everything, especially if you consider that it needs to hit fans’ expectations and the general audience, which is needed to justify a massive budget decade-spanning open world RPG.
The Wheel of Time hasn’t quite struck a chord with a lot of general audience members as much as, say, The Lord of the Rings, and in any given time period, fantasy can be a tough sell for some folks. The release of the animated projects will definitely set the tone for what’s to come.
If you’re a Wheel of Time fan, you’re used to waiting. Although it’s not Robert Jordan’s fault by any means, the full story took from 1990 to 2013 to complete, though that timeline is put to shame by George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones series. A Song of Ice and Fire has been running since 1996, and the last book was 2011.
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The Wheel of Time
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Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Zoe Robins, Madeleine Madden, Josha Stradowski, Dónal Finn, Marcus Rutherford, Ceara Coveney, Kae Alexander, Ayoola Smart, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Cheon Garcia, Alexandre Willaume, Álvaro Morte
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The Wheel of Time