Next month, the fantasy television series The Wheel of Time will return for its third season on Prime Video. The Wheel of Time made a name for itself as one of the biggest shows in the genre, thanks in no small part to the fact that it is adapting one of the most famous fantasy sagas of all time. But with its upcoming third season, the show will reach for even more ambitious heights. Season 3 is based on the novel The Shadow Rising, a beloved entry in Robert Jordan's book series which sees Rand al'Thor head out to the desert homeland of the Aiel people in hopes of winning their allegiance. It's a major turning point for the series, and it could be a major turning point for the TV show.
At the heart of it all is Rand, the reincarnated hero known as the Dragon Reborn, who is played by Josha Stradowski. The weight of being a messiah rests firmly on his shoulders, but he's not without allies. First among them is the Aes Sedai sorceress Moiraine Damodred, played by Academy Award-nominated actress Rosamund Pike. Moiraine has been guiding Rand since the very first episode of the show, seeking to prepare him and his friends for a looming battle against the ominous Dark One and his Forsaken generals.
Season 3 will challenge Rand and Moiraine to the extreme as they both journey to the ruined Aiel city of Rhuidean, where prospective Aiel chieftains and Wise Ones (the Aiel version of Aes Sedai) undergo a trial of visions. For Rand, this will mean traveling backward through time to learn the history of the Aiel. For Moiraine, it will mean enduring glimpses of possible futures.
We had the chance to speak with Pike and Stradowski about what's in store in The Wheel of Time season 3, including their experience filming the iconic Rhuidean scenes which are coming in the season's fourth episode. You can watch our interview below, or read on for a transcript which has been edited for clarity.
DANIEL ROMAN for Winter Is Coming: The two of you have been working on this show since day one. What's something that you think sets season 3 apart from the first two seasons?
ROSAMUND PIKE: One of the biggest things is that we've gone to proper widescreen format. You know we've gone to 16:9, we're in a beautiful setting for cinematic scope, and our DP's have had a field day. It's what the show always desired, and it's now got what it deserves.
JOSHA STRADOWSKI: And we found our form, I feel like. You know, there's so many departments. In Prague we had a studio, Jordan Studios, where we had this old, old factory that they built; the production office was there, costume, makeup, prosthetics, everything...it was huge. When I walked into that building in 2019, I couldn't believe my eyes. So with so many people, we had a wrap party with 600, 700 people, and I feel like as [with] the books, it takes time, it's like a tree...it takes time for it to find its form. And I feel like season 3 we have found our form, all the departments are working together and everyone really stepped up their game. I hope this is the one.
RP: We've got beautiful new heavyweight actors coming in to play extraordinary roles, we've got a great Elaida, we've got Olivia Williams [coming] in to play Queen Morgase...returning we've got Priyanka Bose [as Alanna]...we've got got a fantastic cast of Aiel. The roles are so interesting, we've got people coming in for delicious turns in what's turning out to be a really exciting, dynamic season.
WiC: I know we can't talk about it too much yet, but I am gonna ask you anyway because I am a nerd of these books and I'm excited about it...you filmed Rhuidean this season.
RP: Oh, we long to talk about Rhuidean.
WiC: What was it like for you filming one of the most iconic parts of The Wheel of Time books?
RP: The pivotal episode for us, it's coming in Episode 4. We can't wait for you to see it, it's the point around which the whole season turns for us. It's experimental, psychedelic...[showrunner] Rafe Judkins has done a brilliant transferring of these ideas from page to screen, and [director] Thomas Napper just took it away somewhere really incredible.
JS: It's the most fun I've ever had on set in my life, Episode 4.
RP: Josha plays seven different characters extraordinarily. I mean it's just gamechanging in its breadth and scope, and for Moiraine, who she sees visions of the future, all possible futures coming crashing in on top of her. Nightmares, possible harmony, discordant hellscapes...and she has to kind of puzzle that out and work out how life can move forward after what she's seen.
JS: Yeah, there's no way back from that.
WiC: I know that so many fans are so excited to see that, so that's really encouraging.
RP: And nature was mystical while we were filming it. We had days and sunsets and dawns that were biblical in scope, and kind of all the mysticism of Rhuidean was conjured by nature for us.
WiC: Where did you film that?
RP: South Africa, right at the border of Namibia.
A huge thank you to Rosamund Pike and Josha Stradowski for taking the time to discuss their work on The Wheel of Time! Season 3 premieres March 13 on Prime Video. We'll be covering it extensively here ot the site and will bring you more interviews with the cast in the coming weeks. If you're as excited to head to Rhuidean as we are, make sure to check back!
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