The Wheel of Time was the most in-demand show of 2021, and one of the most successful launches ever on Amazon Prime Video. Though the show has proved divisive among The Wheel of Time’s passionate fanbase, there’s no denying that it had some serious hype behind it. It was also about as ambitious of a gamble as the studio could have taken. The best-selling book series by Robert Jordan (and later finished by Brandon Sanderson) is one of the most popular fantasy properties of all time, and spans 14 door-stopping tomes as well as one prequel. Jordan’s worldbuilding is incredibly dense and detailed, and the story is so long that many fans wondered if we’d ever actually see a proper adaptation (aside from that terrible quickie pilot).
Well, that adaptation is here, and clearly Amazon is happy with how things are going. Season 2 was greenlit before season 1 even aired, and is currently in production. “Our ideal is to work with and the team on the full thing,” Amazon Studios co-head Vernon Sanders said back in January. “Obviously that’s a ways down the road. So we’re focused on where we are right now. And Rafe and the team have just shared the first few episodes of season 2, and I wish I could get those out to everyone right away. They’re just, they’re great.”
The Wheel of Time gets early season 3 renewal
According to Deadline, the show has already been renewed for a third and possibly even a fourth season. The very reliable news outlet drops the information when discussing the schedule for actor Daniel Henney, who plays Lan in The Wheel of Time and also appears in the Criminal Minds revival on Paramount+. “[The Wheel of Time], which films in Prague, has been picked up for two more seasons, and any potential Henney guest appearance on Criminal Minds would be subject to his commitment to Wheel Of Time and scheduling,” writes reporter Nellie Andreeva.
It’s not clear whether “two more seasons” refers to seasons 2 and 3 or seasons 3 and 4…but no matter how you slice it, that’s more seasons than we knew about. Given how early Amazon renewed the show last time around, and how that allowed the production to dive right into season 2 after finishing work on season 3, it certainly seems like the kind of move the studio would make. It would also allow the show to plan out a potential multi-season arc secure in the knowledge that they can film the whole thing, which would give them more freedom to explore longer plotlines.
Of course, until we get an official announcement from Amazon or Rafe Judkins, we need to keep our usual ounce of skepticism handy. But even still, this is probably a good sign for The Wheel of Time.
UPDATE: The original Deadline article has updated the quoted passage to say “The Prime Video series, which films in Prague, has been picked up for another season…” So seemingly the talk of two more seasons was made in error, unless Deadline originally said more than it meant to and scaled things back. Now it’s even less clear whether this is referring to a potential third season or the show’s already-in-production second season. Nothing is official until Amazon sounds the Horn of Valere themselves.
Season 1 of The Wheel of Time is available on Prime Video. Season 2 is currently filming.
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