The Wheel of Time is one of several big-budget fantasy series to bubble in the wake of the success of HBO's Game of Thrones, alongside House of the Dragon and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Based on Robert Jordan's beloved book series, The Wheel of Time is about a young man, Rand al'Thor, who discovers he's a messianic figure called the Dragon Reborn, as much as he wishes he could be anyone else. The second season, which improved mightily on an already-solid season 1, came out last year, and a third is on the way.
But there are 14 books in the mainline Wheel of Time series, and the first two seasons have covered only the first three; season 3 is set to cover the fourth book The Shadow Rising, widely considered one of the best. The series has a long way to go if it wants to tell the story, but we've heard nothing official about anything beyond season 3 as of yet.
And we may never, at least if the latest rumors are true. The YouTube channel WoT Up, which is dedicated to all things Wheel of Time, posted a video where host Jon shared insider information he reportedly by talking with multiple people close to the production. Essentially, Jon says that if The Wheel of Time is renewed at all, it won't be until after the third season airs, and then only if viewership metrics improve.
Jon admits that while he talked to multiple people close to the production who told him the same thing, he can't confirm if this is 100% accurate, and obviously Amazon hasn't released any official statement to this effect. We're definitely looking at a rumor here.
But it's a rumor I can believe given the history of the show. While Amazon has spent a ton of money making and marketing The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, its other big fantasy series, it's spent comparatively little effort pushing The Wheel of Time, despite the latter show surpassing the former in quality, at least if you ask me. There does seem to be a lack of enthusiasm around the show, which I think is unwarranted. I can buy that Amazon may be watching and waiting to see how the show does going forward before pulling the trigger on another season.
And that sucks, because wait times between seasons of big shows like this are already unreasonably long. The Wheel of Time season 2 wrapped up last October, and while filming on season 3 has been finished since March, we won't see it until next year. That's partly because post-production takes time, but also likely because Amazon doesn't want it competing with the second season of The Rings of Power, which premieres August 29. But The Wheel of Time would be best served if the cast and crew could start working on seasons 4 and beyond as soon as possible, so long gaps could be kept to a minimum. I swear, these studios insist of making fans wait multiple years between seasons and then wonder why folks lose interest in the interim.
The Wheel of Time consultant eases fears of cancelation danger
For the record, some people from The Wheel of Time production think worries are overblown, like Sarah Nakamura, an expert on The Wheel of Time books who consults on the show. "We’ve got to remember that Hollywood is still recovering from two huge strikes that shook the industry - ALL studios have been slow to green light anything," she wrote on X. "And even with a green light nothing is guaranteed, even in the best climate. If I were trying to manage my own expectations I’d consider timelines from previous years and then double them due to the continued ripple effects industry wide from the strikes. I am not worried at this point nit as always the Wheel Weaves.."
I think that's a reasonable interpretation as well, but I'm still worried that the vultures are circling. Until the executives at these studios get their acts together, all we can do is hope that the next season is as awesome as promised, whenever it comes out.
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