The Wheel of Time Will Be Adapted as a TV Series

[Kesiera_Sedai]

 

• I think Harriet made a statement that the legal wranglments were done for now. And I don't share your vision that the Wheel of Time should become a money making machine. It is what it is. Nowhere in loving a series is a wish that it is raped for someone else to make money. And then the audacity to, the widow. I accept your opinion as an opinion, but you dude have better things to do with your life.

 

U agree that the artistic vision should be the important thing, but the reality is a show that doesnt make money can't continue ..Who pays the actors, pays for the location, CGI, etc. The fact that RJ us no longer with us only complicates things. Anne Rice wrote the screenplay for Interview With the Vampire herself and with the exception of one scene, it was almost EXACTLY like the book. Of the other two movies I've seen that were based on books of hers, one flopped simply because it was a horrible movie.. imagine if someone tried to make 50 Shades of Grey into a comedy... sounds terrible, right? The second was hated by fans, but did OK, if only because the biggest star died during production, right before the last scene was filmed. Sometimes I feel like RJ was never interested in WoT being anything but a series of books, but if G.R.R Martin's and Tolkien's books can be adapted the audio-visual format it shod be possible for WoT also.

[szilard]

This would be the bare minimum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrfRMHf62hs
And this would be the inaccessible maximum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLHj-eekdNU


Anyway, I'd like to recommend Ivan Sen as DOP. He is constantly evolving as a filmmaker - his best film, Goldstone, is almost passable -, but his cinematographer skills are good enough even now.

I like his framing very, very much: calm, stable, w i d e (even the interior shots in confined spaces are so loose) etc.

[Thrasymachus]

Legal wranglements aren't specifically what I'm talking about.  I'm talking about how it looks when virtually every other adaptation, aside from the books themselves, has been ultimately met with criticism and disparagement by the creator and/or rights holders.  No matter how well deserved that criticism and disparagement is, it's going to have a stalling effect on any future media productions.  And I'm not really blaming Harriet for that, it's at least as much, if not much more Red Eagle's fault for pushing out that crap sandwich in the middle of the night, which pretty much required that kind of response.  I myself was cheering Harriet's response, personally.  That doesn't mean that it doesn't get added to the stock of existing examples where other media got crapped on by the IP's creator and/or rights holder.  Robert Jordan himself is probably more responsible for this situation than anybody else.

 

And I don't think opening up the availability of the IP so that it's more conducive to having TV shows, movies, games, and even more books, can be fairly considered "raping" the series.  I made the Star Trek comparison very deliberately.  The Star Trek universe wasn't "raped" by having thousands of books and comics, 5 TV shows, 14 movies, and dozens of games of all kinds of varieties set in its universe, and playing off its canon.  Nor was it raped when Roddenberry was sidelined in the media for which he developed that IP.  Some of the very best stories, and richest additions to that universe, occurred after he died.  Jordan has given us a fantasy world every bit as rich and ready for additional storytelling, in a variety of media, as existed for Star Trek before it became a cultural phenomenon.  There is a glaring lacuna in the high fantasy genre of a similar story-telling platform, and the Wheel of Time could easily fill that gap.  Authors don't do themselves any favors by following in Tolkien's footsteps and jealously guarding their IP.  They would be better off taking to heart the moral of The Lego Movie.  They would make more money, which isn't a bad thing in itself, and they would be able to tell more and better stories, and enable the creation of the same.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

Jordan said many times, in many ways, that he was the creator of his work and he didn't want anyone messing about with it. It was a definite no on having anyone else finish the series until very near the end of his life, I'm thinking weeks, maybe days. and .... I'm not sure why that changed to ok but it did.

 

That's a legit stance, and he owed no one anything in terms of letting them use his creation to fiddle about. His widow supports his wishes, as she should. It counts for nothing what opening his intellectual property could do for the series or the fans or anyone. it was his call to make.

 

If the rights have been sold, the producers won't much care what she thinks, though. Which is also legit.

 

I think if there's a way to profit big, show gets made. If not, it waits. Not for Harriet's passing, but for circumstances to be right for making enough money to make it worthwhile.

[Orderofolde]

Jordan said many times, in many ways, that he was the creator of his work and he didn't want anyone messing about with it. It was a definite no on having anyone else finish the series until very near the end of his life, I'm thinking weeks, maybe days. and .... I'm not sure why that changed to ok but it did.

 

That's a legit stance, and he owed no one anything in terms of letting them use his creation to fiddle about. His widow supports his wishes, as she should. It counts for nothing what opening his intellectual property could do for the series or the fans or anyone. it was his call to make.

 

If the rights have been sold, the producers won't much care what she thinks, though. Which is also legit.

 

I think if there's a way to profit big, show gets made. If not, it waits. Not for Harriet's passing, but for circumstances to be right for making enough money to make it worthwhile.

Exactly.  They won't want competition, like GOT.  They will slide in while the whole fantasy community is screaming for more and yes, probably make a huge profit but that's okay because it means big budget and lots of advertising bringing in more money which will mean longevity.  Not another Seeker of Truth show.

[szilard]

Jordan said many times, in many ways, that he was the creator of his work and he didn't want anyone messing about with it. It was a definite no on having anyone else finish the series until very near the end of his life, I'm thinking weeks, maybe days. and .... I'm not sure why that changed to ok but it did.

 

That's a legit stance, and he owed no one anything in terms of letting them use his creation to fiddle about. His widow supports his wishes, as she should. It counts for nothing what opening his intellectual property could do for the series or the fans or anyone. it was his call to make.

 

If the rights have been sold, the producers won't much care what she thinks, though. Which is also legit.

 

I think if there's a way to profit big, show gets made. If not, it waits. Not for Harriet's passing, but for circumstances to be right for making enough money to make it worthwhile.

 

Jordan's last interview is the living proof that he wanted finish WOT alone. These urban legends (he chose BS, he left extensive notes behind, Harriet chose BS because of his eulogy etc) need to die. TOR (Doherty, who was a slave driver according to RJ) wanted its advance back, plus it wanted to catapult BS into the place of Jordan. That's it, end of story.

 

The whole situation reminds me what happened to Harper Lee. An evil lawyer took advantage of a very sick woman. So far there is no Christopher Tolkien in Jordan's family, but I hope that some day somebody will brave enough to tell the story behind the scenes, plus they will remove Jordan's name from the fanfictions, because RJ had nothing to do with them.

 

Apropos fanfiction: we don't need them, write your own stories.

 

We don't know the content of the contracts, but I hope that Harriet did not sell everything.

 

They could stall the series for a while, but the audience will be smaller each passing year, and there are other series (amongst them BS's books) which will get adapted.

[Guest]

 

 

 

Jordan's last interview is the living proof that he wanted finish WOT alone. These urban legends (he chose BS, he left extensive notes behind, Harriet chose BS because of his eulogy etc) need to die. TOR (Doherty, who was a slave driver according to RJ) wanted its advance back, plus it wanted to catapult BS into the place of Jordan. That's it, end of story.

 

The whole situation reminds me what happened to Harper Lee. An evil lawyer took advantage of a very sick woman. So far there is no Christopher Tolkien in Jordan's family, but I hope that some day somebody will brave enough to tell the story behind the scenes, plus they will remove Jordan's name from the fanfictions, because RJ had nothing to do with them.

 

Apropos fanfiction: we don't need them, write your own stories.

 

We don't know the content of the contracts, but I hope that Harriet did not sell everything.

 

They could stall the series for a while, but the audience will be smaller each passing year, and there are other series (amongst them BS's books) which will get adapted.

 

 

So, you szilard, claim to know RJ's desires after his last interview better than his own wife does? Do you realize the unmitigated gall coming from a sentiment such as that? You knew better what Robert Jordan wanted than his own wife?????

[dexterryu]

Well, it's officially happening...

 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/20/wheel-of-time-tv-series-sets-showrunner-production-studio?abthid=58f83c2a6fadfc0c2100002c

 

Not a fan of Agents of Shield, but I did enjoy Chuck and Hemlock Grove.

 

Not sure what "Consulting Producer" means but I'm glad that Harriet is a part of this. Hopefully it's more than just an honorary credit and it helps to keep the show less cheesy than Shield / Chuck.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

Sony Pictures Television will serve as the producing studio for the Wheel of Time adaptation. Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures will produce. Red Eagle's Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon will act as executive producers, with Radar's Ted Field and Mike Weber and Goosebumps' Darren Lemke also serving as executive producers. Jordan's widow and longtime Wheel of Time editor Harriet McDougal will serve as consulting producer.

red eagle. awesome. lol.

[wotfan4472]

It's moving!! That has to be great right!?!?!?!

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

red eagle held the rights for many years. thy are executive producers here. there is no date set for anything. whatever happens happens but I don't see anything comforting in that announcement.

[dexterryu]

Sony Pictures Television is really what I am researching here. They do have a decent track record for 1 hour long dramas:

 

Justified (FX)

Better Call Saul (AMC)

Bloodline (Netflix)

Breaking Bad (AMC)

Outlander (Starz)

 

So I'm not upset it's them that is running with this.

[szilard]

Sony Pictures Television is really what I am researching here. They do have a decent track record for 1 hour long dramas:

Outlander (Starz)

 

 

 

Big-budget drama Outlander films in Scotland

• 12 March 2014

For the past six months a multi-million pound US TV series has been filming in Scotland, but there is still no word on when it will be shown in the UK.

Outlander has been filming across various locations, including a one-month stint at Doune Castle.

The drama's production is expected to last 38 weeks at a cost of more than £50m.

It has been described as Scotland's answer to Game of Thrones, the hit series from the US HBO network that has boosted the industry in Northern Ireland where it is mainly filmed.

Based on a series of novels from American author Diana Gabaldon, Outlander follows the story of Claire Randell, a nurse from 1946 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened.

 

 

Dear Sony, 64 million is enough for the first season (if we are talking about Book 1, and not about Book 1+2), but, please, you are in a bad situation, so this is the time when you must take a risk. Give them money. Please.

 

 

Out lander: never seen an epi at all. How does it look?

[szilard]

Well, it looks that Sony has Justified ("it is probably worth $35 million to $45 million") and Outlander ($64 million) as their most expensive shows. Am I right?

[szilard]

One more thing: if this adaptation will fail, then the REE will be out of the picture.

[szilard]

I'm terrified. You know, so far the whole thing was just a theoretical game/experience.

 

No, to say I am terrified is an understatement.

[Elgee]

Rafe Judkins has been tapped to serve as showrunner, executive producer and writer on the Wheel of Time TV show. A longtime fan of Robert Jordan's epic 14-book fantasy series, Judkins previously wrote and produced on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. He also wrote episodes of Chuck and wrote and produced episodes of Netflix's Hemlock Grove.

 

 

 

Well, at least he's a fan. Maybe he'll not muck it up too badly.

[Werthead]

Red Eagle will on board as Producers In Name Only. They didn't win the legal battle last year, there was an out-of-court resolution. The traditional outcome in cases like this is that they would agree not to hold things up by continuing legal action in return for a slice of the pie. So they'll get a credit and a relatively nominal payment and won't be involved day-to-day (Judkins - who was a contestant on Survivor in 2005! - will be the primary writer and producer and they rarely take on board advice from rights-holding companies).

 

Much depends on the channel that picks this up. If it's FX, Starz, Netflix or Amazon, I think it could do very well. If it's AMC - and I'm hearing that AMC may have the best shot or first refusal but are not a lock - I would be more concerned. AMC are tightwads in how much money they spend and Wheel of Time needs 14-16 episode seasons and at least (bare minimum) $5 million per episode to start with (a lot more later on). AMC, on the other hand, have refused to give a budget increase to The Walking Dead from its already-low budget of $3.2 million for over four years despite it being one of the most popular TV shows on the planet, which is ridiculously cheap of them.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

imo amc has the best shows of that bunch and if they do it without breaking the bank good for them. I trust them more with quality regardless of money and I coul care less for effects. just doesn't seem like their kind of show tho.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Mrs. Cindy Gill

[Guest]

I hope that The Wheel of Time series will be on AMC. They have a strong history of making some of the highest rated and most enjoyable TV series on cable television.

[Werthead]

I think it'd be decent on AMC. But they will be cutting a lot of stuff out of it. I don't see how they can afford showing much of the One Power or more than a few Trollocs on screen.

 

OTOH, this might be the project that convinces AMC they need to stop being so cheap and start putting some serious money into their shows, which can only be for the good. I agrees effects and money are not everything, but you can't make a show like WoT on a low budget, it'll look terrible and will put off people from watching it.

[Jim Dodd]

I doubt HBO.  But there are other pay-networks that might want into the Fantasy genre.  Starz, Showtime, etc...  Its not all HBO.

 

But, then AMC does a pretty good job with its shows, too.  Just no major networks, please.

 

Werthead, they could do Trollocs with practical effects, rather than CGI.  That would cut the budget considerably.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Moloch

[Ryrin]

I'm glad to finally hear something.

[szilard]

 

Rafe Judkins has been tapped to serve as showrunner, executive producer and writer on the Wheel of Time TV show. A longtime fan of Robert Jordan's epic 14-book fantasy series, Judkins previously wrote and produced on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. He also wrote episodes of Chuck and wrote and produced episodes of Netflix's Hemlock Grove.

 

 

 

Well, at least he's a fan. Maybe he'll not muck it up too badly.

 

 

They always say that... You know, they have to drop a bone to the fans... Maybe (maybe?) Judkins has never even heard about WOT before...

 

My opinion: with J we will get something like this: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/59d01f60882d5860856993fda4c675adc16fa3750753e47f4961202bae0cfd52.gif

[BFG]

Oddly enough I think the story would be better told by someone who isn't a fan

 

The story as is, is too long to tell unabridged, and I would guess it would be easier for a none fan to make the needed cuts without bias towards favourite characters/sub-plots. I can see a fan trying to tell the whole story, and I'd rather get the full story from some characters/sub-plots and drop some all together then lose a little from everything. And although I have my favourite and least favourite subplots I won't mind which are cut so long as the ones left are told well

 

Things I'm wary of,

 

characters in general and Mat in particular losing their/his subtlety (thing various portrayals of Mrs Bennett or Mr Collins from pride and prejudice, or pippin in lotr)

 

Looking cheap or cartoony (id rather ignore the Aes sedai ageless look and just give a general gravitas type thing for those characters then have something look badly done)

 

Trying to tell the story word for word

Edited April 21, 2017 by BFG