Amazon’s upcoming adaptation of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time novels has a real chance of capturing the world’s attention in the same way that HBO’s Game of Thrones did. The fantasy series is massive is scope and scale, with dozens of characters, tons of locations, and a sweeping story that sees a group of ordinary farming villagers develop into heroes for the ages.
Amazon was well into shooting on the first season of the show when the coronavirus pandemic shut down sets around the world. Things are now at a standstill, with the huge cast waiting it out at home until further notice.
So what does this mean for when we finally get to see the series? Star Zoë Robins, who plays the willful wisdom of Emond’s Field, Nynaeve al’Meara, went on a news show in her native New Zealand to give us an update:
“It was supposed to have it released next year, but we don’t know,” Robins says. “We don’t know at all…Hopefully soon. I do have a sense of job security because we know we are getting back, we just don’t know when.”
As Robins points out, filming restrictions in some parts of the world have begun to ease, including in New Zealand, which should make it easier for Amazon to shoot its upcoming Lord of the Rings show — yes, Amazon really is going for the fantasy gold medal. The Wheel of Time was shooting in the Czech Republic, another popular filming spot. Restrictions are easing there, too, but it’ll probably be a while yet before studios can take all the necessary precautions to make sure sets are safe for everyone.
The upshot of all of this is that it’s very possible that The Wheel of Time won’t be out until 2022. Showrunner Rafe Judkins and his team looked like they were pretty far along in shooting before the pandemic changed everything, but the show is so elaborate that it will likely take a while to get back fully up to speed again, and then there will be a long post-production process before everything is ready for us to see.
It’d be a shame to wait that long for a show that could be truly special, but it is what it is. Masks on, everyone.
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