Yes, The Wheel of Time TV show on Amazon is really happening after fans of the series have been teased for years by almost-adaptations that never were. While the core cast was announced almost a year ago, COVID-19 has slowed the show’s production down so Amazon has just now released information on more actors. While the series will be led by Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred, some more big(ish) names have been pulled in now.
The Oscar-nominated actress Sophie Okonedo will take on the role of the Siuan Sanche, an important and legendary character in the book series. Of course, as a fantasy series there must also be someone from Game of Thrones in the show, and Kae Alexander in the fan-favorite role of Elmindreda “Min” Farshaw will fulfill that obligation.
From there you have a host of actors you may recognize from somewhere else but don’t know their names: Kate Fleetwood (Brave New World) as Liandrin Guirale, Clare Perkins (The Crown) as Kerene Nagashi, and Peter Franzen (History’s Vikings) as Stepin. It’s a large cast of characters, though it still pales in comparison to the amount found in the 14ish-book saga that was The Wheel of Time. We almost certainly haven’t seen all the casting either, as Elayne and Gawyn Trakand have not been cast yet.
There may be other characters popping up as well since the show will be taking a different slant from the book series, with a focus on Moiraine instead of chosen one Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski). Rafe Judkins is running the show and is said to have a deferential attitude towards the books despite the shift in focus from one character to the others. That could easily be accomplished given the book’s ensemble cast and far-reaching story.
Amazon’s official description of the show is in line with this slight twist given it sounds a lot like the story of the first book, with “Moiraine, a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.”
The Wheel of Time does not yet have a release date.
