Sony Pictures Television, in conjunction with Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures, is at last moving forward with a long-standing plan to create a Wheel of Time TV series adaptation, according to Variety. The project was first announced last April when author Robert Jordan’s widow Harriet McDougal and series consulting producer made an online post about how legal issues would no longer stand in the way of The Wheel of Time becoming cutting edge TV series, which was later followed by an official announcement. Studios have been considering and attempting The Wheel of Time television projects since 2000, according to Variety. In 2015 one pilot episode called “Winter Dragon” even aired on FXX without Harriet McDougal’s consent or knowledge.
Wheel of Time is based on the series of fourteen fantasy novels penned by Robert Jordan (James O. Rigney Jr.). The books describe a great quest to find the Dragon Reborn (no, not Daenerys or Stanis) in order to unite powerful forces who will combat The Dark One. The first book The Eye of the World was published in 1990 and followed by The Great Hunt, Dragon Reborn, The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords, The Path of Daggers, Winter’s Heart, Crossroads of Twilight, Knife of Dreams, The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight, and A Memory of Light. The final book A Memory of Light was completed by Brandon Sanderson due to Robert Jordan’s death in 2007.
Wheel of Time will host writer and executive producer Rafe Judkins who has previously worked on shows like Agents of SHIELD on ABC, Hemlock Grove, and NBC’s Chuck. Also among executive producers are Larry Mondragon and Rick Selvage (partners of Red Eagle), Ted Field and Mike Weber (of Radar), and Darren Lemke.