What does Brandon Sanderson think of how Amazon is change The Wheel of Time for TV?

Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson wrote the final three novels in Robert Jordan’s epic Wheel of Time series after Jordan passed away in 2007. So if anyone outside Jordan himself has the right to make comments on how the story might change as Amazon adapts it into a TV show, it’s him.

Recently, Sanderson hit a couple of subreddits to answer fan questions. He had some interesting things to say about the changes Amazon and showrunner Rafe Judkins’ are making to The Wheel of Time as they adapt it for TV. Cue the block of text:

"I found the mast [sic] majority of these decisions to be excellent choices–things that will give the show its own soul, but still in line with the feel and tone of the books. I can’t say for certain, but my instincts say the fanbase will in general respond to them positively. There are a few I offered suggestions on, and we’ll see.I can’t say too much, not just because of NDAs, but also because the show is very much still in flux as Rafe makes decisions on how he wants things to go. As the alterations go, I’d say they fall in line with positive changes made in bringing LOTR to the big screen–things that were altered in order to make the films work for the medium.Overall, the thing I’m most impressed with is Rafe himself, who really seems to be guiding this show with a balance between love for the source material and his own creative vision. I’d much rather get this, personally, than something like the first two Harry Potter films–which felt like someone trying to bring the books to the screen with exact scene-by-scene recreations.I’m certain there will be polarizing decisions made by the team, but the changes are coming from a good place, and I really like most of them. And let me tell you, the first of the two scripts I read was sharp. Excellent dialogue, nuanced characters, great pacing. The second of the two was in a rougher shape, so while still good, obviously was still undergoing revisions."

Obviously we don’t know all of these changes, but one talked about in the Wheel of Time fandom is the choice to focus on the character of Moiraine in the opening episodes. Moiraine is described in the official synopsis of the show as “a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women. Moiraine believes that one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual, whom prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it.”

Hopefully, whatever changes Judkins makes will be measured and fair. Sanderson is right that one-to-one adaptations can feel bloated and boring, although then again, Game of Thrones hewed very close to George R.R. Martin’s books in the first couple of seasons and gained a huge following.

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Filming for the show begins in September of this year. At the moment, it’s Amazon’s most highly anticipated show, even more than its extremely expensive Lord of the Rings project.

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