WOT on Prime

[Thalia]

Or Perrin is kinda tall lol. But yes. I love Nyn's braid!

The pics came from Entertainment Weekly. Dunno if it's out/which issue. The accompanying article is below for anyone interested:

IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE GAME of Thrones went off the air, and even longer since Amazon chief Jeff Bezos directed his Prime Video team to deliver him a hit akin to the HBO supernova. Into this vacuum steps The Wheel of Time, a new
drama (coming November) adapted from author Robert Jordan's best selling series of the same name.

Spanning a whopping 15 novels, The Wheel of Time-which debuted in 1990 seemed impossible to adapt before shows like Thrones. But while George R.R. Martin's epic beat Jordan's opus to televisions, showrunner Rafe Judkins believes WoT serves as a perfect bridge between Thrones and the earlier mythic saga The Lord of the Rings (another literary world getting a show at Amazon), "Wheel of Time is the first fantasy series that really dove into the political and cultural worlds of all these different characters." Judkins (a former Survivor contestant and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. producer) says of the insanely popular and lengthy books. "It was also one of the first to dive into multiple POV characters, so you're following an ensemble, with each of them having their own agendas and approaches to everything. That's always felt to me like the missing piece of the fantasy literature landscape that hasn't been brought to TV or film yet."

The Wheel of Time also differentiates itself from those other big-name franchises in the way it highlights its female characters. While Middle-earth's most prominent heroine has to
herself disguise as a man, and Westeros
few female conquerors are often facing threats of sexual violence, the world of WoT is essentially
matriarchal. The largest kingdom in the novels unnamed land is ruled by a queen who will pass her crown to her daughter rather than her son, and uneasy peace is maintained by the female-only mystic order known as the Aes Sedai.
"These are not just a bunch of princesses swanning around in pretty dresses," says series costume designer Isis Mussenden. "These are women doing jobs. They're taking care of the governance, they're taking care of healing"

The Wheel of Time's most prominent Aes Sedai is Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), who rescues a handful of young villagers after monsters attack their community of Two Rivers. Though the group of new refugees doesn't trust her. "Moiraine is the guide figure in this world," explains Pike, "the
mysterious stranger who comes to town and changes their lives forever. They leave with her on a journey that will either save or destroy humanity."

As a member of the Aes Sedai, Moiraine is a master at channeling a magical force called the One Power. Lifetimes earlier, both men and women were able to access the magic, but an evil known as the Dark One tainted the male half. Now any man capable of mysticism is hunted by the Aes Sedai and stripped of his abilities (a process that can turn fatal). "If, hypothetically, one of our male characters were able to use the One Power, they understand the stakes of it," says Judkins, offering a scenario that's a bit more than a hypothetical. If WoT sticks to the plot of Jordan's books, Moiraine encourages her new female travel companions, Egwene (Madeleine Madden) and Nynaeve (Zoë Robins), to embrace their mystic potential. But she also suspects that one of their male cohorts may unknowingly possess "the spark" and be linked to the long-lost messiah known as the Dragon. She's just not sure if it's Rand (Josha Stradowski), Mat (Barney Harris), or Perrin (Marcus Rutherford)...

While shooting in Eastern Europe over the past two years (pausing for a significant hiatus due to COVID-19), Judkins and his team felt the pressure to get Jordan's story "right" and spared no expense crafting a world they hope is embraced by the millions of rabid WoT fans. "We literally built Shadar Logoth from scratch just for 15 minutes of airtime, because it's that important to the series," Judkins says of the infamous abandoned city, which is haunted by such dark energy that even the monstrous Trollocs hunting our protagonists fear to tread there. That's where it becomes very clear it's not just the forces of good and evil. There are lots of different angles"

Judkins hopes to explore all those angles as his drama expands beyond Jordan's first WoT book. It helps that Amazon has already commissioned a second season and that an unrelated WoT prequel movie in the works is sure to boost name recognition but Judkins knows he must bring in more than the existing die-hard fan base for any chance of his series lasting long enough to cover Jordan's epilogue. To accomplish that goal, he's relying on the author's celebrated world-building. "I try to stick to the spine and the heart of the books, and bring that to the screen," Judkins says of his philosophy as showrunner. "If I can successfully do that, the story and the characters will sell themselves."

[Nox]

The braid is nice. Perrin looks about right... he might be a bit too tall but he's got that blacksmith look.

[Thalia]

Oh I just meant maybe he looks short because he's beside Perrin in the ensemble picture, I think the actor is slightly taller than Rand's actor but I could be wrong (think they are both over 6 feet). He looks suitably blacksmith like. Was Rand supposed to be like a head above?

The costumes aren't what I was expecting, though not really sure what I was expecting. I like it though, especially Moiraine's.

[Nox]

I don't recall their descriptions exactly but I know Rand was like the tallest in the village, he stood out because of it and his red hair.

I think the costumes fit for the very beginning of spring. Rand's outfit definitely fits the sheep farmer I think Tam is.

[Ascendancy]

The Emond's fielders definitely have the "country bumpkin" look going for them. I like the grittiness of everyone's attire. They aren't lords and ladies (not even Moiraine) on a tour through the land. They're literally crossing wide swaths of open country hiding in bushes and barely escaping with their lives. They shouldn't look like they've had a recent shower and fresh sleep. But I get what you're saying, Thal. I dont know what I was expecting, but the look is definitely not what I was imagining. I think it's the bulkiness of everyone's clothes. Even the boots are very lumpy. I think that's part of the country-bumpkin look though and hope that as the characters become their worldly versions, they get well-made, tailored clothing. I can imagine how Mat makes fun of Rand for looking like a king/lord later on based on if this is the way he remembers his old sheepherder friend. Taking that guy and putting him in a silk coat with embroidered dragons on the sleeves would definitely be a startling difference.

Logain's crazed eye look is awesome. The cage itself is kinda different. It's so fancy! Guess the Reds like to parade their captures around in style. 

Shadar Logoth looks cool. I really really hope it's creepy and horrific. 

The article in EW that came with the pictures gives me hope though! I like the "Prime Time" catchphrase too.

[Marcus DuBois]

I am overall pretty happy with this. I hadn't thought about the bumpkin angle, but it fits perfectly, as Asc describes. These are homemade clothes designed to last through months and years of wear and changing body types.

Nox is right, though. Josh is short, for Rand. In the books, he is about a head taller than everyone in the village. 6 foot 6 was what RJ said, I think. Perrin was maybe 6 feet (though his blacksmith's build made him seem even more massive). That height is part of what singles Rand out as not a native two rivers man (Aiel) and ultimately the Dragon born on Dragonmount.

That being said, his hair and eyes also set him apart and he at least has the hair and eye color is not hard to change. So the net effect (importance to the story and character isolation) would be the same. Rand clearly doesn't fit in with traditional Two Rivers looks.

Shadar Logoth is awesome. I hope we get more than 15 minutes there, but still....awesome.

The only thing that curdled my stomach was the 'prequel movie' Entertainment Weekly mentioned. I can't stand Red Eagle and knowing they are getting press and pushing their own cash grab disgusts me. Personal opinion, but they have always come across as people who wanted to exploit the wot property. I hope they aren't rewarded for their avarice.
/end rant.

;-)
I am excited. I have been envisioning a WOT series since i started reading in the 90s. Movies would never do. Amazing that it's actually happening.

[Jay Carpenter]

Sick.

*grin

[Thalia]

               

Question about the forsaken in season 1 is interesting. And I can't wait to see how they do TAR.

I love Logain's crazy eyed look, and the cage. Looking forward to seeing the contrast of saidin-mad Logain and gentled Logain. I think the actor will do a great job of that. It's Alanna and Kerene behind him, presumably holding the shield, and since Kerene died in NS I wonder if Logain might be the one to kill her rather than Black Ajah?

The set looks amazing. I'm sure 15min will be made to feel a lot longer.

I wish you could see some more of the costume details. Moiraine has a ring on her left hand that might be the AS ring. Mat looks like his shirt is buttoned up wrong too. He definitely looks scruffy enough to be post-dagger Mat.

Asc you hit the nail on the head about the country bumpkin angle, and esp traveling clothes. I think you're right, it's the bulkiness I wasn't expecting.

Totally agree about Red Eagle, CK. If the show is the success Amazon appears to hope it will be, I doubt they will let dilution of the franchise stand unchallenged (and they certainly have the money behind them). If the show flops then I doubt we'll hear anything more about the prequel anyway.

[Thalia]

Are we excited? I'm excited. Though today is the longest day in the existence of days.

[Thalia]

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fus4Xb_TLg