1. First, we consider our specific dealings with Robert Jordan, Harriet and Mr. Jordan’s business successors to be private matters. I know that you would like us to provide additional information about any past disagreements we may have had, but we will not out of respect for Mr. Jordan’s memory and in consideration to all parties involved. What I can say is that the past issues you refer to have been fully resolved, and we are very happy with our current relationship as evidenced by a recent agreement expanding our video game rights, an agreement clearing the way for the New Spring comic to be completed, and Harriet’s kind words in support of this past week’s video game announcement by Red Eagle Games.

 

2. Second, with respect to New Spring, the average refund for a U.S. subscriber for the remaining 3 issues amounts to $15.36. However, after talking to many of our New Spring subscribers, the overwhelming request was not to receive a refund, but rather, that we complete and deliver the final issues of the New Spring comic series as promised. To this end, we expect that an announcement will be made in the near future concerning plans to complete New Spring by another comic publisher, although we don’t control the exact date on which the announcement will be made. As part of this effort to complete New Spring comic series, all Red Eagle subscribers will receive the publication at no additional cost when the final issues are published. However, if there is any subscriber who no longer wants to receive the completion of New Spring, they can send an e-mail to

to request a refund.

 

3. Finally, we are only at the very beginning of the process of making a movie. Accordingly, there are many creative decisions regarding the adaption of the story to film that have yet to be made. In making these decisions, we will work closely with our studio partner, screenwriter, director, and with the advice of Harriet. You should also know that our effort, like most successful movie ventures, is fueled by the combination of a significant business opportunity with a deep, personal passion that we have for The Wheel of Time story. I have personally read every book in the series and I have a great appreciation for both the intricacies of the story and the brilliance of the many carefully-placed clues that the author has planted for readers in his writing. We would not have touched this project if we believed The Wheel of Time was simply "standard fantasy" fare. Instead, in The Wheel of Time, wits count for as much as brawn, the tension between the sexes is palpable, and the greatest powers can be only unleashed by cooperation between men and women. In addition, the reader has the unique ability to see each character’s motives from first, second and third-person perspectives, and the author portrays an ancient world that is placed amid relics of our own future. Like you, we consider The Wheel of Time to be something special. We believe Jordan’s story redefines the fantasy genre.

 

Our every effort will be to ensure that the motion picture we produce does nothing less.

 

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I appreciate the obvious thought and energy you have put into your postings here on Dragonmount. I want to thank you for your very insightful and constructive comments.

 

Fan Communication: You may be surprised to learn that I agree with you that our past communication with Wheel of Time fans has been inadequate and is in need of improvement. As Rick and I are fully consumed in producing the movie and with the launch of the recently-announced Red Eagle Games studio, we just don’t have the time day-to-day to make regular postings on these boards. To cure this problem, we are engaging a long-time member of the Wheel of Time community to work closely with the online fans with the aim of keeping everyone abreast of major developments in our projects. If we get this right, we are hopeful that a constructive flow communication can travel both ways. As we stated in our recent Interview with Jason, we would like to draw upon the boundless vigor and creativity of the Wheel of Time fan community for inspiration and guidance as we proceed with our movie and video game projects.

 

Our Relationship with Robert Jordan: I’m very sorry [...], but for the reasons stated in my prior posting, our past relationship with Robert Jordan will remain a private matter. On this one point, we will have to "agree to disagree."

 

The New Spring Comic: Over the past couple of years, we have given a number of refunds to our subscribers upon request, and we will continue to do so. But we do not want to introduce any confusion by making a refund announcement that directly precedes an announcement of the completion of the New Spring series. We will soon join with Harriet and the new publisher of the comic to announce the completion of New Spring, along with the offer to provide all existing subscribers with the final issues at no charge. We have also provided the new publisher with our master customer list so that all New Spring subscribers can be personally contacted with news of the offer. For those who have changed their contact information, all major Wheel of Time websites will be asked to prominently feature this announcement – so it will be hard to miss for anyone who follows the online WOT community. Of course, anyone who is unable to wait, or who is not interested in receiving the completion of the New Spring series, can contact us directly for a refund. If you have any friends who believe they are entitled to a refund, please have them send an e-mail to

.

 

The Motion Picture: Your recollection about Robert Jordan seeing a possible script of the movie is partially correct. While no script has yet been written, some time ago, we provided RJ and Harriet with a “Preliminary Outline,†which was a brief summary of our initial thoughts as to how the WOT story could be adapted into a screenplay for the first movie. This preceded a very good discussion with RJ and Harriet during one of their book tour events in Southern California. Jordan recognized that writing for a movie was much different from writing a novel, with both limitations and advantages over the written medium. We have continued to evolve our thinking on the adaption of the initial movie, and as I indicated in my last post, we will have the benefit of working with a studio partner, screenwriter, director and Harriet.

 

Everyone should understand that the process of making a live-action feature film is a very long one (especially for a movie that will likely contain numerous visual effect shots). With luck, everything can come together in 3-4 years, but it can easily take longer to make it happen. In the film industry, it is the generally the norm that fans hear very little about the making of movies based upon their favorite characters and stories until the very end of the production process. However, depending on the interest and support of the WOT fan community, we would like to do much, much more.

 

In closing, I must apologize in advance that I am unable to respond to each and every posting. But please understand that I follow these boards very closely.

 

And I am always surprised at just how much I learn from you all.

 

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Thanks for your words of encouragement.

 

Ultimately, each of you will get to decide on the merits of our work by your decision as to whether you will see the Wheel of Time movie and whether you will purchase the related video games.

 

I have always believed that bit of healthy skepticism can be a very good thing, especially when applied to a topic so dear to us all.

 

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Before starting a busy week, I wanted to give a quick response to a couple of questions that were raised [...]

 

QUESTION: "…has anybody been signed on to play a role yet or is that bs!"

 

ANSWER: No casting decisions have yet been made for The Wheel of Time movie. A good Hollywood agent is expected to aggressively seek out new opportunities for her clients, so it would not surprise me if some inquiries have already been made. However, we are still at an early stage in making the film and no roles have been filled. For what is it worth, my own personal view is that the movie needs to be driven by the simple strength of Jordan’s story and not by the resumes of major film stars. To match the evolution of the story, I would prefer that many of the key roles be taken by young, talented up-and-comers who are not yet household names, and then compliment this core cast with several strong and recognizable supporting actors.

 

QUESTION: "Someone mentioned putting multiple books into each movie, is that likely to happen?"

 

ANSWER: [...] I wish I could give you a simple answer, but here is the low-down. (As before, these are my own personal views as a producer on the film). First, until work on the initial screenplay is completed, all creative options must be on the table. Like any zealous fan of the WOT series, I begin by asking how each novel could cleanly map out to a single movie. But I find that this approach doesn’t always work. We all know Jordan’s work features intricate, multi-threaded plotlines, myriad revolving characters, great vicissitudes in tempo and pacing, and often the matters at hand are not cleanly resolved with a gripping climax at the end of each book. This is especially true in some of the later novels in the series. In my view, nothing can be worse than to end a movie with a whimper that can comes across to a theater audience as a crass come-on for a future sequel film (did anyone else leave the theater boiling angry after wasting their money on “Matrix 2†???).

 

The dedicated Jordan fan has developed an appreciation for the greater purpose served by each of the breakpoints in the novels (which for me, slowly became more apparent the further I got in my reading of the series). However, to a great many people, the films are likely to be their very first exposure to “The Wheel of Time.†Therefore, we will need to carefully strike a balance in our adaptation that will appeal to both long-time WOT fans and newbies alike. In a discussion long ago with RJ, I was surprised to learn just how clearly he understood the difference between telling a story in film and doing so with the written word. While admitting that he knew little about the filmmaking process, he instinctively knew that that a successful movie would have to both meet the expectations of existing fans, and at the same time, touch the hearts and minds of a global audience unfamiliar with the exploits of Rand and his friends. Not an easy task. And certainly some will find fault in any balance that we strike. But I do understand that if people take this personally, it is because they care so much about this special work of authorship. I only ask that you keep an open mind as to what we are trying to accomplish and fairly judge us on the finished product.

 

In closing, please understand that as I share any information about picture, I need to be considerate of the interests of our studio partner and the creative talent working on the picture. So there will likely be some questions about our film project for which I will not be able to provide you with a satisfactory answer. That being said, whenever I can share something of interest to the fan community, I am happy to do so.

 

Kind regards,

Larry