We’ve got some VERY exciting “Wheel of Time” series at Amazon casting news today! Four very important personalities that fans of Robert Jordan’s epic series will no doubt have opinions on…..
Meet Loial, son of Arent son of Halan!
“Loial, son of Arent, son of Halan.” Please welcome Hammed Animashaun as Loial to #WOTonPrime. pic.twitter.com/bxnZ4G5kjf
— The Wheel of Time on Prime (@WoTonPrime) December 4, 2019
And of course, showrunner Rafe Judkins had some things to say about this:
Loial’s always been a character I was excited/terrified about because of how perfect the actor has to be to pull off what’s required. Hammed is so good that when his first audition came through, every single producer on the show e-mailed back within 5 minutes that he was the one https://t.co/MLDTRUceT2
— Rafe Judkins (@rafejudkins) December 4, 2019
Meet Logain!
"He is dangerous, child. Caged, with Aes Sedai to guard him every minute, he is still as dangerous as a wolf." The #WOTonPrime family welcomes Alvaro Morte as Logain Ablar. pic.twitter.com/Eb9B9UlmPa
— The Wheel of Time on Prime (@WoTonPrime) December 4, 2019
Rafe says:
I am in love with @AlvaroMorte I cried real human tears in my office when I watched his performance of his first scene. He’s gonna break you. https://t.co/OFuj7EnSot
— Rafe Judkins (@rafejudkins) December 4, 2019
Meet Padan Fain!
"Fain was always one to carry bad news quickly, and the worse, the faster. There's more raven in him than man." The #WOTonPrime family welcomes Johann Myers as Padan Fain. pic.twitter.com/aEIqlyYlJ3
— The Wheel of Time on Prime (@WoTonPrime) December 4, 2019
Rafe says:
Johann! He was actually the very first shot of the show, riding his cart into the Two Rivers. And the way he stepped off that cart and took in the town will make you smile and shiver simultaneously in the way only Padan Fain can. https://t.co/geEie24r7f
— Rafe Judkins (@rafejudkins) December 4, 2019
Meet Thom Merrilin!
“It was about a man who remembered stories and who took fool boys under his wing when the smarter move would have been to keep on walking.” We welcome Alexandre Willaume as Thom Merrilin to our #WOTonPrime family. pic.twitter.com/ouIwrkyUDz
— The Wheel of Time on Prime (@WoTonPrime) December 4, 2019
And Rafe’s thoughts:
Ye of little faith 🙂 Sometimes it takes a minute to find someone who’s absolutely perfect to play a character as important as Thom. I was actually in an old Inn with him this afternoon to witness a gleeman performance and let me tell you he is something special. https://t.co/rHYbOxZsm6
— Rafe Judkins (@rafejudkins) December 4, 2019
You can see the rest of who’s been cast for this epic fantasy series here, and here.
Judkins has been the best source of information on the show, even though he’s now adhering to whatever studio-mandated approval process he has to do in order to tweet ANYTHING about it.
That said, Brandon Sanderson is under no such order (or, if he is, it’s no where near as strict, and / or he knows how to talk around actual spoilers) and took to Reddit to offer some insight into the Wheel of Time show. [Big ol’ Manetheren thanks to Dragonmount.com for their compilation of all these comments.]
“They [the writer’s room] went with some unexpected decisions, which I really liked though,” Sanderson posted. “I get to read the scripts and give feedback. I get to push the characters in the direction I want them to go. The first screenplay was really good.”
Sanderson continued his thoughts, talking about those “unexpected decisions” being “excellent choices”, which is good to hear.
“I found the mast majority of these decisions to be excellent choices–things that will give the show its own soul, but still in line with the feel and tone of the books. I can’t say for certain, but my instincts say the fanbase will in general respond to them positively. There are a few I offered suggestions on, and we’ll see.
When the series was officially announced by Amazon, the offered logline was….interesting, considering the main character shift.
The fantasy epic is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it. The story follows Moiraine, a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women. Moiraine believes that one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual, whom prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it. The series draws on numerous elements of European and Asian culture and philosophy, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism.
Last we heard, the series was moving forward with Westworld‘s Ute Briesewitz on board to direct the first two episodes of the tale. Showrunner Rafe Judkins shared the news, and we adored his admission that Briesewitz “can pronounce Nynaeve like she was born to it,” something with fans of the Village Wisdom have been fighting about for years.
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.
- CONTACT >>
