#WoTWednesday comes early this week! Rafe Judkins, showrunner of Amazon Studios’ forthcoming The Wheel of Time television adaptation, tweeted the news that the epic fantasy series had found a director for the first two episodes: Uta Briesewitz, whose credits include Jessica Jones, Stranger Things, and Westworld’s stunning season 2 episode “Kiksuya.”
Judkins welcomed Briesewitz to the Wheel of Time family on Twitter:
Another #WoTWednesday that’s not at all on Wednesday, but is worth the 6-day wait. Welcoming Uta Briesewitz to the team! She’s incredible and visionary and can pronounce Nynaeve like she was born to it. https://t.co/XXMqH2dESq
— Rafe Judkins (@rafejudkins) February 19, 2019
Briesewitz directing the first two episodes has us thinking The Wheel of Time will kick off with a two-parter series premiere. We know from Judkins’ tweets that the first two episodes are titled “Leavetaking” and “Shadow’s Waiting,” which are, respectively, the titles of Chapters 10 and 19 from The Eye of the World, the events of which bring the characters all the way to the chilling proceedings of Shadar Logoth. We also already know from the official series description that the adaptation of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series will focus on Moiraine:
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.
Considering the particular episodes of genre television that Briesewitz has directed (“AKA I’ve Got the Blues” and “AKA Playland” for Jessica Jones, the aforementioned “Kiksuya” for Westworld), we would not be surprised if the first two episodes delve into Moiraine’s backstory in order to establish her viewpoint as an entry into the series. Could material from the prequel novel New Spring be incorporated into these episodes?
The Wheel of Time is set to begin production in Prague in September 2019. In the meantime, join us in the comments speculating on what to expect from Briesewitz’s episodes, and season 1 overall.
Plot twist: Moiraine is the Dragoness Reborn.
Unless it is a one-person dramatic reading, Thom will be disappointed.
I’m inclined to think the series description focusing on Moiraine is a way to keep spoilers out of the hands of non book-readers. I don’t think you can do WoT without making it an ensemble piece. Even with the early episodes the focal point characters are more likely to be the neophyte ‘Two Rivers’ folks, who can act as audience surrogates in getting introduced to the wider world of the setting.
I could be wrong, telling the story from Moiraine’s perspective would be interesting, but it would change the narrative pretty dramatically.
I have so much trepidation about this show. I just have to keep reminding myself that even if the show is terrible, I can will still love the books forevermore.
re: @3 Just because we think telling the story from Moiraine’s perspective might be a bad idea (and I agree with you), I have no doubt that the showrunners would try it anyway. Notice how Amazon’s description not only focuses heavily on Moiraine, but also leans really heavily into the matriarchy-type stuff?
I will be (pleasantly) surprised if the TV series’ tone doesn’t shift drastically from the books.
I’m just afraid that the show is going to lean way too far into the reincarnation theme. I think it’s an important idea but not something to really really focus on.
That is a LOT of ground to cover to ALSO include much in the way of New Spring backstory. I think the first season WILL include New Spring flashbacks, but Im not sure how much room there will be in the first two episodes if they are going all the way to the party separating in the first two episodes .
Reincarnation is important. The last time the Dragon did such a botched job of saving the world that this time people basically equate him almost as much with evil or incompetent. That’s what drives the series on. If people went just “Yay, the Dragon Reborn came to save us, let’s all unite happily to defeat the Shadow now under his guidance” the series would be 90% shorter.
So Uta Briesewitz can “can pronounce Nynaeve like she was born to it” but the true test is can she yank a braid like Nynaeve
??? Sorry everybody, but I just HAD to ask it
!!
Considering the Moiraine actress will be a better known name than the wonder kids, and to avoid spoiling non-book readers – I think the current descriptions are fine. I’m not too worried.
Early GoT descriptions were equally lacking in the full scope of the story. And focused on Sean Bean, the – at the time – better known actor in the lot. No, she’s not going to die in season 1, but she will be the better known name to start.
I do wish we knew if the seasons were going to be 10 or 12 episodes. Rumor has it books 1 & 2 are being done as season 1. It seems strange they would go from the Two Rivers to Falme in one season – but it would be an epic ending.
@7:
Its an underlying theme about a specific situation. There certainly is an underlying reincarnation theme built in to the world building “by my hope of salvation and rebirth,” but its not remotely like Hindu reincarnation, which is certain, and will either go good or bad depending on how they lived in this life. Its not a front and center concern to these people. The believe they will be reborn, eventually, but there’s not a lot of importance attached to it. There is no one in the entire text expressing a desire to live life right in this lifetime, in order to enjoy a better life in their next cycle, etc.
Overall, other than the specific instance of LTT/Rand al’Thor, reincarnation isn’t really an important theme at all.
@9:
I’ve heard that one as well, but the rumor I favor, based solely on where post it notes where in one of the screenwriter’s paperback copies, lol, was that they would take Season One midway through The Great Hunt. Which, if true, could make a great ending as well. You could have the penultimate episode be about the Portal Stone visions, and the final episode be about Egwene’s capture by the Seanchan, leaving a huge cliff hanger for the season’s ending. Then Season Two could take us through Falme, and then to the finale at the Stone in The Dragon Reborn.
I think everyone is forgetting that these books have heavy internal dialog. I think this is the only approach you can take. You have to leave the suspense since you won’t have the internal confusion of Rand in the moment of escape. The problem that I see is loosing people by not having the iconic start leading to the events of the attack at the farm and running back to town.
Eh, they’ll either get it right in this age or the next
I’m sure casting for Moraine and Lan are fully underway. I expect big names for these two characters. I am curious who will be cast and when we will know who they are?
They obviously only plan to work in the first couple books seeing as how Moiraine gets benched for the bulk of the series and doesn’t return til near the end.
Not sure that I understand the reasoning behind not making Rand the central character but it looks like they are well on the way to messing it up already.
I love Moiraine! *pulls earlobes*
I agree that starting the series the same as the books would be best ..farming town. Day to day life…then Moiraine and Lan..then Trollocs…to set the tone …Rand and his father being attacked had a large impact on his thinking throughout the series.However with girl power so prevelant these days..it’ll probably be twisted…the description already said…a world with manic but only women can use it.so we’ll see.
If Ep 2 does get them to Shadar Logoth, i’d be pretty disappointed. There’s so much that happens between Winternight and SL that would be either horribly rushed or cut. The first of the dreams, introduction of the Whitecloaks, freaking MIN…
@@@@@ 12
Rafe showed a photo of the first page of the first draft of the first episode (lots of firsts, huh?) and it starts with Rand and Tam in Westwood.
http://www.thedailytrolloc.com/2018/08/first-glimpse-of-wheel-of-time-tv-script.html
A two part version of New Spring could give a lot of necessary background. Then launch into the story proper.
@11, AP: That could work too. Might lessen the impact of the Falme battle to be midseason, but would give more time for character development.
Sometimes I still have to wrap my head around the fact that the first 9 books take place in a bit over 2 years, but that the last 5 take place in less than 8 months. (Elayne’s pregnancy.) Thus the show will have to compress certain elements.
Which for Perrin’s plot after Faile’s is kidnapping – I’m all for. Rereading that section now on skim. It takes place over about two months, but stretches over 3 books. The show won’t have time for that. Plus, too much of it is internal dialogue anyways.
The PLOD isn’t really that long by number of chapters. The problem is that it is spread over too many books.
Would anyone else line up to watch a version that actually followed Thom’s preferred method of storytelling? Imagine Tom Selleck and his mustache dressed in fine not-Renaissance clothes with a proper Gleeman’s cloak and a harp that he strums for dramatic beats, narrating the story of the Wheel of Time.
@23
Kate Redding and Michael Kramer do a pretty great version of this without a cloak and harp
I think focussing on Moiraine is a good idea for the first season. Similar to others, I think this will help keep the show exciting as her parts are more interesting to show on screen (remembering that we can’t televise internal monologues or descriptions. Ideally season 1 would cover book 1 and then from season 2 the perspectives start balancing out to the book’s natural narrative
I read the books as they came out and am listening to the audiobooks now (currently on book 4).
If the tv series doesn’t pronounce names like they do in the audio books I’m going to complain on the internet.
@15:
I’m not sure I follow your logic. Who is the main character of the first season of Game of Thrones? Who got top billing in all the marketing? Who was the biggest name actor? And yet, in the books, Ned Stark had very little POV time. It mostly went to Jon, and later Arya, when he was on the page. Later on, Robb Stark is basically the one driving the plot, but we don’t get his POV at all.
The person who is the main character in a TV show is the person driving the action. For the vast majority of The Eye of the World, that is Moiraine. She is also likely to be the only person cast with an established actress who people know. By necessity, the marketing of the show will revolve around her character and actress in the ramp up to the shows launch, and likely for a while after, until the show finds its audience. That’s the way TV works.
@21:
The same could be said for the end of the Eye of the World. Both Falme and the Eye of the World are really just precursors to the battle of the Stone, however. RJs original plan was for the first book to end at the Stone (When he originally sold the book to Tom Dougherty as a trilogy). The battles with Ishy at the end of Eye, and above Falme, are the result of his writing process. He certainly knew during the first draft of Eye that that wasn’t going to work. But there’s a reason those books are essentially structurally the same. There isn’t a really good reason to have the same battle with Ishy three times.
One of the things that for me, I appreciate with Wheel of Time is that it is an adult fantasy book that feels PG to PG-13. Yes the book has some nudity and such, but it generally doesn’t go into a lot of sensual detail in those scenes. Same with the violence, Semirhage gives me the creeps and I know she does some nasty stuff, but again it doesn’t go into a lot of gory detail.
I hope the same goes for this adaptation. If it is another Game of Thrones, with nudity all over the place, I’ll be extremely disappointed and will have to pass this one over.
@29 – “Yes the book has some nudity and such.”
Talk about an understatement! You’re right that it doesn’t go into graphic detail, but people are frequently naked in the WoT. The vast majority of the nudity involves women. I think RJ had a sort of fetish for female nudity, especially in socially embarrassing situations.
@30
“Talk about an understatement! You’re right that it doesn’t go into graphic detail, but people are frequently naked in the WoT. The vast majority of the nudity involves women. I think RJ had a sort of fetish for female nudity, especially in socially embarrassing situations.”
That is very true, and certainly one of the things I dislike about the series. But those scenes can be done visually in basically one of two ways. 1) The camera can show shoulders and backs and let the viewer know the character is nude, but the focus is on the main characters and how (in most instances) it makes the main character uncomfortable (which is kind of how the book portrays the scene) Or 2) You can go Game of Thrones style and have long camera shots showing full nudity.
I’m just hoping that Amazon studios chooses to go the more family friendly route rather than the sex sales route.
Option 3 which would be my preference would be to just remove the unnecessary nudity scenes altogether.
@31
The nudity for the female channelers is a very important aspect of their womanhood pride and status being Aes Sedai helping to lead and protect the world, and proof in a sense they are not male channelers.
I hope it is included, but is done in a non-sexual classy way, such as your options 1 & 2.
WoT was certainly written very differently than GoT when it comes to how women are portrayed and valued, which is probably a reason why it has been taken on as a tv show. It also explains why WoT seems to have equal following from male and female readers. Character development in the books was great, allowing readers to love, hate, respect, etc the characters as they endure trial and tribulations through their long journeys.
To me Moiraine makes sense as the one they are saying will be the focus for now, as she really is the one driving the story at first. But I think that will change as we get more characters and POVs, similar to how GoT expanded its scope.
@29
There are tons of gory details. A fade being nailed to a barn door with spike through where his eyes should be. The dungeons after Fain escapes. Most sword battles are going to be gory. Perrin smashing people with a hammer is going to be more so.
I have never been too happy with the idea of WOT turning into a television series. I love the books so much that I’m afraid they won’t pull it off. But I will have to wait and see. I know Amazon and the producers are great. I just hope that they keep the decency of the books. If it turns out like many series in which they put a lot of sex scenes or nudes, I’ll be greatly disappointed.
I do believe that starting with Moiraine, is fair but to say the how show will be focused on her would lose all the readers. I would like to think it is a good way to keep you guessing. Also to say in the narrative only certain people can do things is misleading. So hopefully it all misdirection to throw people off the real plot.
I understand the point of going through Moiraine’s point of view. Even in storytelling when it comes to the over all story of the first book/season. She can put the audience in the right mindset for the series and when everyone goes their own way. That is when we get to see how very diverse both cast and world really are. If done how I always saw this series as a tv series it should be at least 10 season’s. It all depends on what they put in the episodes. I am beyond eager to finally see who plays these epic characters. Time to for me to finish the last three books, again.
Nudity? Really? Y’all draw the line there? What, did you pop in the world fully clothed? Crikey, do you ‘offended by nakedness’ folk live in the dark? Do you not have kids? A little blood, guts, torture, violence, terror, and ‘not naked’ body parts roiling in a trolloc cook pot is just fine and dandy. But the Light forbid there be some naked men and women running around. The Human Condition, even in fantasy works, ain’t pretty all the time, but nakedness is the lesser of its many ‘evils’.
Moraine as the main character makes no sense to me whatsoever, unless the producers are simply doing it to nail down the female audience.
Right from its opening, the EotW was filled with a sense of mystery and danger that was a direct result of the POV being young country folk. If the POV were a well-adjusted and powerful magic-user, it sort of removes much of the sense of wonder and fear. We feel through the eyes the writer gives us.