The upcoming remake of a cancelled Prime Video fantasy show could run for 10+ seasons, but it has a big challenge ahead because of Apple. The Wheel of Time‘s cancellation after Season 3 was simultaneously unsurprising and disappointing. The much-anticipated adaptation faced a decent amount of criticism over the course of its run. Yet it was finally starting to turn things around, a reality that didn’t prevent its untimely end. Fortunately, fans hoping for a proper take on Robert Jordan’s books aren’t totally out of luck. They’re getting a second chance on-screen, with The Wheel of Time being turned into an animated show from iwot Studios and Arcane producer Thomas Vu.
The animated format is promising for such a lengthy fantasy book series, as it removes some of the time and budgetary constraints the Prime Video series faced. This will allow it to fix the Amazon’s series’ biggest issues, its fidelity to the source material chief among them. However, there’s still another challenge the upcoming remake must overcome: although the late Robert Jordan can no longer be involved, the author who finished the series should be. Brandon Sanderson’s insight could ensure a more faithful and satisfying take, but he may be too busy to give much time to the animated project.
It’s unclear what streamer or network the animated Wheel of Time remake will be on, but Sanderson will likely be focused on Apple TV in the coming years. Sanderson’s Cosmere is being brought to life by Apple, with Mistborn becoming a film and The Stormlight Archive getting its own TV series. Sanderson plans to be heavily involved in the adaptations, and he’s even penning the screenplay for the Mistborn movie. On top of that, he’s currently working on Mistborn Era 3 — and there are numerous books he plans to write after the next series, including the second leg of The Stormlight Archive. Needless to say, he might not have time to consult on The Wheel of Time remake as well. This is a shame, as he’s a committed fan, has experience telling fantasy stories via multiple mediums, and most importantly, penned the last three books following Jordan’s death in 2007.
Sanderson has been vocal about the issues with Amazon’s version of The Wheel of Time, and fantasy TV more generally, telling Polygon, “Streaming has had a big problem with epic fantasy.” His thoughts on the subject could help avoid similar concerns with the upcoming remake. Of course, the creators would need to involve him more than those behind the Prime Video series. Despite having a producer credit, Sanderson revealed in a YouTube comment that he was largely in the dark about the prior adaptation:
“I wasn’t really involved. Don’t know anything more than what is public. They told me they were renegotiating, and thought it would work out. Then I heard nothing for 2 months. Then learned this from the news like everyone else. I do think it’s a shame, as while I had my problems with the show, it had a fanbase who deserved better than a cancelation after the best season. I won’t miss being largely ignored; they wanted my name on it for legitimacy, but not to involve me in any meaningful way.”
The new Wheel of Time show is a chance to rectify that, but Sanderson will need time to dedicate to it. That will likely prove a challenge given his busy schedule, but Sanderson is known for juggling a lot of projects at once. And it’s possible the production timelines for Mistborn, The Wheel of Time remake, and The Stormlight Archive will just happen to align. If they do, the author really should get a chance to weigh in on this new telling of the story.
Sanderson would be a great resource for The Wheel of Time remake, and not just because he’s such a passionate fan that he was chosen to finish the books (though that’s certainly a mark in his favor). He’s also gaining experience bringing fantasy narratives to the screen, and combined with his ability to craft such stories in book form, he offers a unique perspective. It’s one that could be useful when translating Jordan’s series, as Sanderson is learning firsthand what to cut and what to keep while working on Mistborn.
Additionally, we’ve seen how much adaptations can benefit from their authors’ involvement. Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians and HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are proof of this, as are the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones. There’s a reason authors like Sanderson, Rebecca Yarros, and Sarah J. Maas are looking to have some level of creative input in their adaptations. And with a lack of fidelity being the main complaint about films and shows that don’t honor the source material, they kind of have a point. As the approach to the books was a huge point of contention for The Wheel of Time‘s first TV attempt, it only makes sense to include someone more deeply involved in the original story. Hopefully, the creators decide to loop Sanderson in — and hopefully, he has time to commit to it.
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