Wheel of Time

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by Celemo, Nov 14, 2012.

  1. Dante Bichette

    Dante Bichette Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Chicago CubsChicago BearsIllinois Fightin' Illini

    Made it thru the first 5...started the 6th but had to stop, just got too grindy for me and lost interest...hate giving it up but glad i will never read about egwene/nynaeve again
     
  2. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideIndianapolis ColtsBook Club

    Nynaeve read your post and started furiously yanking her braid
     
  3. los tigres

    los tigres Member
    Donor

    That stuff got slightly annoying but my need to see through Rand's arc was too overwhelming.
     
  4. Arrec Bardwin

    Arrec Bardwin La Araña Discoteca
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAtlanta FalconsChelseaAtlanta United

    Last book was worth all the nynaeve plot line.
     
  5. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersCarolina Panthers

    Frederick "Ted" Field, an Executive Producer with Sony, may be making some announcements about the potential Wheel of Time television series in the near future.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, Field's sudden luck with the successful Jumani: Welcome to the Jungle film late last year may help with developments for The Wheel of Timeshow. They state that Field has several big announcements coming soon, and "[o]ne of those announcements will be a television series for Wheel of Time, a fantasy series based on the work of Robert Jordan that has been compared to Game of Thrones. This franchise has been the subject of much mystery and speculation. When FXX rushed the production of a pilot and aired it at the odd hour of 1:30 am, all sorts of discussion proceeded on message boards and in the news media on whether the gambit was an attempt by one production company to hold onto rights. That led to a slander lawsuit, which was later settled. Now, Field is prepared to announce a future for Wheel of Time."

    Adam Whitehead laments that while Sony holds the rights, they haven't found a network to air the show. Here's an up-to-date list about who might be able to host the series once the planning stage is complete.

    Here's a quick recap of who's out, iffy and still in the running.
    OUT

    HBO (GoT Spin-offs)
    Amazon (1 perhaps 2 Middle Earth shows)
    Showtime (King Killer Chronicles)
    SYFY (Have greenlit Outpost an original Fantasy series)

    IFFY

    Netflix (has "The Witcher" but due to its subscriber base being bigger than all the US cable companies combined, it would be silly to say they can't do two big Fantasy shows)

    CBS Direct (CBS owns Showtime and sell it as an add on to their streaming service, so it's iffy that they'd also do their own big fantasy show)

    STILL IN THE RUNNING

    AMC (Has a strong partnership with Sony and other than being stingy on budgets for their shows, would be a good fit. With "The Walking Dead" ratings starting to decline they might be looking for the next big thing)

    Apple TV (Ex Sony Pictures Television bosses are in charge and have a Billion in loose change to spend on ten or so shows, have announced six so far)

    Disney (are launching a streaming service in 2019 and so far have four live-action series based on Disney properties in development: Star Wars, High School Musical, Monsters, Inc. and Marvel)

    StarZ (they have "Outlander" and "Amercian Gods" but no straight up fantasy show...surely they don't want to be the only one of the big established channels not to have one)

    Crackle is Sony's free SVOD offering and they have been doing original content, so ya never know, if no one else wants it, Sony may make it for themselves. It would certainly make more people aware of them.
     
    JB Hawk and RegimentML like this.
  6. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
    Donor
    Atlanta BravesGeorgia BulldogsAtlanta Falcons

    RonBurgundy and RegimentML like this.
  7. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    billdozer and The Blackfish like this.
  8. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideIndianapolis ColtsBook Club

    I just read the top 5 moment article. I have forgotten so much of this series, however I don't know if I could ever do a reread.
     
    JB Hawk likes this.
  9. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    Took me a damn year and that was reading them almost back to back to back.
     
  10. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideIndianapolis ColtsBook Club

    The books are extremely misogynistic so I’m not surprised
     
  11. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2018/09/wheel-of-time-tv-showrunner-hosts-q.html

    Wheel of Time TV Showrunner hosts Q&A

    WHEEL OF TIME TV showrunner hosts Q&A

    Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins has hosted a Q&A on Twitter, where he invited fans to pitch him questions about the show. Given that the project is still in an early stage of pre-production, a lot of questions couldn't be answered, but some interesting tidbits were dropped about how he sees the project moving forwards.

    [​IMG]

    The current status of the project:

    Judkins confirmed that the show is in development at with Amazon (via, as we know already, Sony TV Studios) but it has not yet been formally greenlit, either for a full first season or a pilot. As such, things like production timelines, timetables for casting and when we might get to see the show all remain up in the air.

    Judkins notes that he is now able to talk about the show in a way he couldn't a couple of months ago, and that indeed something has changed to facilitate this.


    The show's format and duration:

    Judkins sees the show as lasting no less than 5, but no more than 14, seasons. The episodes will be around 1 hour each. He does not see the show necessarily mapping as one book per season or two books per season, but will be somewhat malleable. This sounds similar to The Expanse and the BBC's in-production version of His Dark Materials, which are both adapting books across seasons with no direct correlation between the two (i.e. the first Expanse novel is covered across all of Season 1 and four episodes into Season 2, then Book 2 starts etc).

    Hello Rafe, Do you anticipate Season 1 taking up eye of the world and season 2 being The Great Hunt?

    "Yes and no."

    How faithful the show will be to the novels:

    "I am telling the story of the books, but as with any adaptation to a different medium, there will be differences. Otherwise, what will people have to scream about after each episode? #ladystoneheart4ever"

    "I actually think TV is a perfect format for these books. You can tell a hell of a lot of story per season!"

    "We have freedom to do what we want, but what I want is to stay true to the books!"

    "I mean let's all be honest, I'm gonna be condensing in the latter middle section of books."

    What is the heart and soul of the story?

    "To me, and the way I've pitched it since I first became involved, is that even though the world is incredible, the magic system one of the best in fantasy, and the gender dynamics are so fresh feeling, the thing at the heart of this are the characters."

    On LGTBQ+ representation:

    "I think that gender is such a key theme of the books, and discussing gender without a full representation of LGBTQ+ people would be a disservice to that discussion. Rest assured, their will be pillow friends out the wazoo."

    "WoT is controversial regarding how it handles gender/sexuality/mental health. My audience at WoTTalk has expressed concern on how these topics will be handled. Would you mind commenting on these concerns/how you plan to approach these topics?"

    "I think the explorations of these topics is something important and I'll be using a lot of advisors and writers around me to make sure that we tackle them thoughtfully."

    "Rafe, will Rand's romance plot remain close to the books? I mean, liking one girl at first but ending up with three in the end?"

    "No."

    On whether Billy Zane will be resuming the role of Ishamael from the Red Eagle informercial:

    "NO."

    How would you ideally want to handle the Shadowspawn? (CGI, practical effects, etc.)

    "I think trying to do practical as much as you can is always the right choice."

    What's THE central/key/core conflict of the series?

    "I think most people would say light vs. dark, but I'd actually say balance vs. imbalance."

    "Will you show us who killed Asmodean when it happens or leave it as a WAFO to torture those that haven't read the books?"

    "I love to torture people with a WAFO, so... WAFO"

    What is your all time favourite moment of the series?

    "Egwene’s final scene."

    Hey @rafejudkins! How would you like to handle the prologue of EOTW, and the prequel scenes from New Spring?

    "I have plans for both of these, but you'll unfortunately have to wait for the show to see"

    Which storyline is the most difficult to bring to the screen?

    "Tel’aran’rhiod is an exciting but difficult challenge."

    How do you visualize the threads and weaving of the One Power on screen?

    "This, as with most things, I want to stay true to the books. I think this can be done in a really cool way, but will hold on a firm answer until I've discussed more fully with a director."

    Will you be keeping Min, Elayne and Aviendha as separate characters each with a role in the show and their relationship to Rand intact?

    "That one you’ll have to WAFO."

    "Rigid Mars-Venus gender division etc- troubling aspects of books. Plans to update/improve these? WoT’s gr8 to discuss gender but it isn’t without problems."

    "I’m a feminist and it’s very important to me that the show is feminist in today’s context. So a lot of those things will be changing."

    Will each "season," assuming there are multiple seasons, cover 1 book or will they be split up based on storyline?

    "It’ll be dependent on book/season and not the same throughout."

    Given free rein, how many seasons would you make in order to tell the story properly? "36. But that seems untenable."

    "In an ideal world what real world locations would you use for the various settings of the the first book?"

    "This’ll really depend on base of operations. But we hope to be going all over the world. Things that look different and fresh to me are important."

    Are there any minor character/plot point/locations you are in love with but know you’ll have to cut for time? Non spoiler because I said minor right?
    "We lose a lot of Cenn Buie, and I like his grumpy old manness."

    "Considering all the fan questions Jordan, @BrandSanderson, and #TeamJordanhave answered about the #WheelofTime over the years, have you studied that mountain of data not found in the books? If not, what’s your strategy to make sure you get all the details right?"

    "I'm in communications with everyone on #TeamJordan, and will be even more so once we are further down the line. They've lived this and will be invaluable to me. I'm also the kind of writer who values all the data I can get, and then let it inform but not direct my decision making."

    With the importance of Padan Fain to the series, do you plan to disguise his "true-self" in the show better than his introduction in the book for those who haven't yet read the series?

    "Yessir!"

    Hi Rafe, in regards to special effects, what are you envisioning for weaving the one power on screen.

    "Again, director dependent but I think it’ll be great. I loved how it looked in Doc Strange."

    Aside from the books themselves, what other TV shows or movies come to mind when you think about how you want the show to feel when viewers experience it?

    "LoTR of course and GoT, but also not Shanarra (sic)."

    Who are your favorite and least favorite characters from the series?

    "Faile. But I promise she’ll be awesome on the show."

    How many seasons you think the series would take in tv format? And how many episodes per season?

    "This one I imagine will be malleable as we go. More than 5 but less than 14."

    Will there be braid tugging and dress smoothing?

    "Less than the books."

    Confirmed characters (at least at this stage):
    Rand, Egwene, Cenn Buie (if less than in the book), Logain (in an expanded role), Tam, Bela, Padan Fain, Faile, Mat.


    More news on the Wheel of Time TV series as it comes in.
     
    TheGrifter, NYGator and billdozer like this.
  12. TheGrifter

    TheGrifter It's a trick. Get an axe.
    Donor

    RegimentML and billdozer like this.
  13. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    I saw this yesterday. A little concerned by the show runner at first glance. I haven't watched Agents of Shield yet, but I also haven't heard the greatest things about it. I will be cautiously optimistic about it. Let's see what the budget is. I think that will go a long way to determining the outcome.
     
  14. TheGrifter

    TheGrifter It's a trick. Get an axe.
    Donor

    Did you read the Q&A he did? It really seems like he has the right idea for a good adaptation. He basically came as close as possible to saying some of the books were a waste of time and the women characters were basically all terrible without insulting Jordan. He specifically mentioned the braid pulling and Faile being particularly terrible.
     
    The Blackfish likes this.
  15. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    yes, I saw that. I just have concerns about execution. I hope it doesn't become another Sword of Truth. The good news is the material is stronger, but there are some things that take place that may be difficult to recreate. I also agree that there is a lot of content that we can do without and still have a very strong retelling.
     
  16. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    The Wheel of Time TV Series to Start Production in Fall 2019

    The Wheel of Time, Amazon Studios’ forthcoming television adaptation of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series, will go into production starting in September 2019, according to the trade publication Production Weekly. Wheel of Time fan site The Daily Trolloc acquired a sample issue of the weekly publication from December 20, 2018, which lists the series among over a hundred other projects currently in development. Another notable detail is the location: the series will shoot at least in part in Prague, Czech Republic.


    [​IMG]
    via Production Weekly

    The listing (above) also includes the official series description, first shared when Amazon Studios ordered the series in late 2018:

    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.

    Producers include Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon from Red Eagle Entertainment; Ted Field and Mike Weber from Radar Pictures; Darren Lemke; and Harriet McDougal, Jordan’s editor and wife. Rafe Judkins serves as executive producer and showrunner.
     
  17. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersCarolina Panthers

    Sanderson on the TV show: The Amazon show is progressing really well. I’ve read the first two scripts, and was pleased with them—and I think very highly of the team working on the project. Once filming starts, I’ll make sure to stop by the set and grab you all some photos. For now, it’s time to start getting excited, because after lots of waiting and many false starts, this one is actually happening.
     
    NYGator and RegimentML like this.
  18. Arrec Bardwin

    Arrec Bardwin La Araña Discoteca
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAtlanta FalconsChelseaAtlanta United

    If they can get GOT level production on this I may never stop jizzing.
     
    NYGator likes this.
  19. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Yes, and they should be able to edit the shit out of it and still keep a really strong story intact that follows the spirit of the text without bogging down the plot progression. There was a lot of pontificating and circular storylines that we could have done without. i would actually welcome a much more direct rewrite that advanced the plot more like Sanderson than Jordan.
     
  20. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    On the flipside if they wind up with Sword of Truth/Legend of the Seeker type production then we are fucked. WoT are much better books, but The Legend of the Seeker could have been so much better on screen, but instead we got a remake of Hercules and Xena from the 90's.
     
  21. MORBO!

    MORBO! Hello, Tiny Man. I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!!
    Donor
    New York GiantsNew York YankeesAtlanta UnitedUCF Knights

    But LOTS did give me an opportunity to stare at Bridget Regan, which was fun.
     
    NYGator likes this.
  22. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Show was fun in a campy ridiculous way, but didn’t match the original text. It was more like loosely based upon.
     
    MORBO! likes this.
  23. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
    Donor
    Atlanta BravesGeorgia BulldogsAtlanta Falcons

    I can get behind this
     
    RegimentML likes this.
  24. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    She would be a good casting decision, even though she doesn't look like Moiraine. That doesn't really matter, I guess. Though it does just say lead role and not Moiraine...
     
  25. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    The funny thing is that when the post said the lead, I literally had to stop and think who the female lead was. Given her arc in the novels I would have actually looked to one of the younger girls as the lead, but I guess it is multiple leads.

    Perspective is going to be a big deal in how they write this. That said, I would think that the early episodes would make the most sense to focus on her and her mission.
     
  26. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    I think it'd be pretty similar to how GoT treated Ned Stark early on.
     
  27. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Yes I was thinking the same. I definitely think they should build up her story a bit more upfront. At the same time I can see them doing something similar and switching to town with the kids and spending some time on how they are grounded and normal before anything occurs. The first season can be pretty clean and solid. I think the most important part of this series is determining how to abridge each of the plot lines because there is way too much unnecessary material and adventures that don’t need to happen and would likely detract from the show.
     
  28. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    Pike officially cast as Moiraine
     
    TheGrifter likes this.
  29. TheGrifter

    TheGrifter It's a trick. Get an axe.
    Donor

    Honestly, I like everything I’ve heard so far about this adaptation.

    Especially the showrunner basically admitting Jordan couldn’t write female characters for shit, followed by the casting of such a strong (first season) female lead.
     
    RegimentML likes this.
  30. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    Some casting news on https://twitter.com/WoTonPrime. Rand, Perrin, Mat, Egwene, Nynaeve.

    I'd love to embed the tweets but I still get an error message when I try.
     
    billdozer and TheGrifter like this.
  31. TheGrifter

    TheGrifter It's a trick. Get an axe.
    Donor

    Billy King, billdozer and RegimentML like this.
  32. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
    Donor
    Atlanta BravesGeorgia BulldogsAtlanta Falcons

    Like them going with unknowns for the most part. Now bring on Lan's casting.
     
    RegimentML likes this.
  33. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    I think they did a solid job looks-wise. I struggle a little with Rand and Nynaeve, but let me see them act. Matt is spot on.
     
  34. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    TheGrifter likes this.
  35. TheGrifter

    TheGrifter It's a trick. Get an axe.
    Donor

    RegimentML likes this.
  36. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    Apparently he was the voice of Tadashi in Big Hero 6.
     
  37. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
    Donor
    Atlanta BravesGeorgia BulldogsAtlanta Falcons

    RegimentML likes this.
  38. jplaYa

    jplaYa CHAMPZY/SMOLTZY/CHELSEA
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesAtlanta FalconsChelseaAtlanta United

  39. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersCarolina Panthers

  40. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    The actor that played Roose Bolton in Game of Thrones has been cast as Tam al'Thor.
     
    RonBurgundy and NYGator like this.
  41. jplaYa

    jplaYa CHAMPZY/SMOLTZY/CHELSEA
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesAtlanta FalconsChelseaAtlanta United

    His voice is excellent
     
    RegimentML likes this.
  42. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    [​IMG]

    He has a thick chest and a lined face. His hair was gray with sprinkles of black at the beginning of 998 NE, but by the middle of 1000 NE, it is completely gray. He is described as being solid in virtually every conceivable way.

    He has been shown to be a superbly skilled warrior, both with a sword and perhaps even more so with a bow. He essentially never misses a shot, and his capabilities with a blade were such that even Al'Lan Mandragoran saluted his skill.
     
  43. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Any of you ever do a reread? I just don't think I can do that, but I am interested. I did reread all of the books Jordan wrote before I read the last books. My memory is pretty fleeting though of details. I even forgot what Tam's role was until I read the wiki. BTW, the wiki is excellent and I often referred to it while reading the books.

    https://wot.fandom.com/wiki/A_beginning
     
    RegimentML likes this.
  44. jplaYa

    jplaYa CHAMPZY/SMOLTZY/CHELSEA
    Donor TMB OG
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesAtlanta FalconsChelseaAtlanta United

    I’ve read the first 2 and I’m in the 3rd. I enjoy them, but they’re a time sink I don’t want to commit to unless on vacation. I’ve heard I need to finish 3 and then decide if I want to do more because apparently there’s a few places where you can stop entirely.
    With the show though, I’m more interested in finishing them.
     
  45. NYGator

    NYGator Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsNew York YankeesNew York KnicksNew York GiantsNew York IslandersNew York City Football ClubTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Definitely worth finishing. The pattern of the books can get very repetitive. The first three are a must for sure. There was also a period of a few books where you felt like they were getting further and further away from them bringing it home and that was frustrating and felt unnecessary. think Sanderson did a really good job of finishing the books and had the entire pacing of the series followed what he did it would have been much better. I know he would never do it, but would be interesting to rewrite the books prior to when he took over.
     
    jplaYa likes this.
  46. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    They're absolutely worth finishing. Books 7-10 can be a slog though
     
    jplaYa likes this.
  47. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
    Donor
    Atlanta BravesGeorgia BulldogsAtlanta Falcons

    I'm gonna do a reread a little before the show comes out. I am excite.
     
  48. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    Thom, Loial, Padan Fain, and Logain have all been cast. I'd embed the tweets but I get an error message. You can check it out here.