Production is currently underway on the first season of The Wheel of Time, Amazon’s ambitious adaptation of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson’s 14-book strong fantasy epic. If showrunner Rafe Judkins and his team want to bring this whole story to the screen, they’re gonna need to be in it for the long haul, cause that is…that’s a lot of book.
And it looks like they’re willing to go the distance. In a recent tweet, Judkins off-handedly revealed that he’s begun writing on season 2, even though production on season 1 is just getting up and running.
Starting the S2 writers’ room on Wheel of Time and the Czech builders didn’t fully grasp how many whiteboards are needed to break an entire season of television. Ha. pic.twitter.com/6nJZIsegmZ
— Rafe Judkins (@rafejudkins) November 13, 2019
I love how he buries the lede here. “Ha ha, this whiteboard is too small!” Meanwhile, the rest of Twitter is freaking out over the fact that season 2 is moving forward at all.
Just writing it for now!
— Rafe Judkins (@rafejudkins) November 14, 2019
It’s risky to renew a show before the first season is even done shooting, but if anybody has the money to do it, it’s Amazon. Also, it might be a necessity with this new generation of expensive, expansive fantasy shows. Say the first season of The Wheel of Time comes out and it’s a big hit. If Amazon doesn’t already have a second season in production, fans could be waiting a long time before they see more, and they could use that time to get interested in something else.
Of course, if the first season is a flop, then Amazon will be spending money on a second season of a show no one wants to see, but clearly that’s a risk it’s willing to take. Netflix is pursuing a similar strategy with The Witcher, which it just renewed for a second season even though the first doesn’t drop until December.
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Hopefully, people take to The Wheel of Time. It’s certainly got the sweep and the charm and the depth to capture people’s attention. Don’t look for it to drop anytime soon, though. Amazon hasn’t announced a release date for season 1 yet, but I think 2021 is a good bet.
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