The Wheel of Time season 3 is nearly upon, and if the thrilling first minutes we've already seen are any indication, it promises to be the fantasy television event of the year. Based on the hit book series by Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time tells the story of a fight between good and evil on a grand scale, and the many heroes and villains caught up in the mix. Like the books, the show has a sprawling cast where each character gets their own moments to take the spotlight and pushes the narrative forward in unexpected ways.
Two characters we'll be seeing a lot in season 3 are Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney), the warder for Rosamund Pike's Aes Sedai sorceress Moiraine; and Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo), the leader of the Aes Sedai and Moiraine's secret lover. Siuan and Lan each have immense impacts on the overall Wheel of Time narrative, and season 3 will be an important season for them both. Lan will journey out into the Aiel Waste with Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski) and Moiraine, hoping to win the warrior clans of the desert to the Dragon's cause. Meanwhile, Siuan will deal with the splintering of power within the White Tower, where she's firmly in the line of fire. We already know she'll be experiencing her fair share of bloodshed in the season premiere, and as book readers know, that's just the start.
We sat down with Henney and Okonedo as part of Prime Video's press junket for The Wheel of Time season 3, and it was a delight. The two actors had plenty to say about this season, such as how new characters like Siuan's rival Elaida (Shohreh Aghdashloo) will shake things up at the Tower, and what the appearance of a mysterious new character hailing from Lan's fallen homeland of Malkier means for his solitary war against the shadow. We also discussed how new filming techniques used on season 3 will lead to more immersive battles and a more cinematic experience for viewers.
Watch the full interview below, or read on for a transcription edited for clarity.
DANIEL ROMAN for Winter Is Coming: What is something you're both excited for fans to see in season 3?
DANIEL HENNEY: There's so much. Season 3 is a step up from season 2. We thought season 2 was really great, and a great representation of what we can do with the show. Season 3...it's bigger, it's more epic. We're gonna see some really highly anticipated worlds, from Rhuidean to the Aiel Waste. A lot of cool stuff. More great action...we've actually turned the camera now, so the aspect ratio is wider. So it's gonna look wider on your screens. You're gonna see more foreground/background action sequences, big battles with multiple fights going on at once. We can pull diapters from one to another. So it's just gonna feel like a more intense, deep sort of experience for the audience.
SOPHIE OKONEDO: I am literally learning about this as you're talking. [Laughs]
DH: We were trying to get it for season 2, but season 3 they let us do it.
SO: Well I didn't know all this, I'm not very technical...but one thing that I just love when we're filming this is the costumes and the style. The hair, the makeup...I mean [Sharon Gilham and Davina Lamont]...I literally can't wait to what the next world is gonna look like, and what this tribe, that particular tribe [will look like]. I go into the studio and I go, '"Show me the pictures," for the scenes I'm not in because it's so incredible, the worlds they create. Like I read it on the page...and I can't visualize how that is going to be, and they seem to inject triple vitamins into everything so it's just better than I can ever imagine. So that's what I always look forward to.
DH: It's so much work for them too, it's amazing.
WiC: They definitely have done some incredible work. I have seen a little bit of season 3, and can't wait for people to see the costumes.
DH: I think it's not a spoiler, you're going to see the royal family of Andor. And the costume is just unreal.
SO: When we start filming and people walk on, I'm like...[jaw drops], and I have to remember that I'm Sian Sanche and everything. It's amazing.
WiC: There's a major character from Siuan's past coming into the picture this season, Elaida. What does the return of Elaida to the White Tower mean for Siuan, and what was it like for you getting to work with Shohreh Aghdashloo?
SO: Well, the first of that question is...yeah, it's not comfortable, her returning. To say the least. [Smiles]
DH: She doesn't really pose as a trustworthy person, does she?
SO: No...but Shohreh, she was the most amazing, I mean she's an incredible actress and just her voice. That was a great thing to haver playing that part...so that was really exciting. And we get to go head to head.
WiC: We also got a hint in one of the casting announcements that we may be seeing another Malkieri this season, Melindhra [played by Synnøve Macody Lund]. What does that mean for Lan, who has for so long thought he was basically the last?
DH: I don't know how much I can reveal, spoiler-wise. But I think this season in particular is setting Lan up for what the book readers kind of know happens down the road. And so he starts to kind of think about his past, about possibly returning to Malkier, these things...asking more existential questions. And there are characters that come up that sort of prompt these thoughts, and start that process. So yeah...I mean it's pretty simple, just like anyone who's been adopted or anything who knows nothing, and then smoeone shows up and they tell you about it, you're like "Oh." It's interesting, it's an interesting concept.
The Wheel of Time season 3 premiere's March 13 on Prime Video. We'll be covering the season extensively here at the site, including more cast interviews, so be sure to check back! And if you want to make sure you don't miss any future video interviews like this one, consider subscribing to our YouTube channel.
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