An upcoming remake of Prime Video‘s cancelled fantasy series has the potential to span more than 10 seasons, and it benefits from a change that more adaptations in the genre should embrace. The Wheel of Time is getting a second chance on the screen, assuming the planned projects from iwot Studios and Arcane producer Thomas Vu are picked up by studios and streamers. Following the cancellation of Prime Video’s take on the series, it’d be nice to see a revamped adaptation of Robert Jordan’s books — one that addresses some of the issues with the first attempt at bringing it to life.
Committing to a more faithful rendering of the series and including Brandon Sanderson, who finished Jordan’s fantasy story, are a couple of ways to avoid Amazon’s mistakes. And another confirmed change from the prior Wheel of Time show will make a successful run easier to achieve. It’s an approach that more fantasy adaptations should take, especially given how hit or miss many titles following Game of Thrones‘ ending have been.
The Wheel of Time’s Upcoming Remake Will be Animated
Per Variety, The Wheel of Time projects planned by iwot Studios and Vu include an animated TV series and animated feature films. This is a major change from Amazon’s adaptation, which attempted to tell the story in a live-action format. It’s a shift that could be beneficial for the remake, though, considering that Jordan’s fantasy series spans more than 10 books (14 installments in the main story and a prequel). Animation would enable a new TV show to continue with fewer concerns about actors aging out of their roles, and thus, less of a need to condense important narratives. There would also be fewer budgetary constraints, and it would be easier to capture the most fantastical details of the story and setting this time around.
Why More Fantasy Adaptations Should Embrace Animated Formats
Image Courtesy of Prime Video
The reasons The Wheel of Time would work better as an animated TV show make a good case for more fantasy adaptations, generally, going this route. The genre is known for extraordinary feats of magic, creatures, and settings — and capturing those things on-screen can range from costly and difficult to downright impossible. Animation makes doing so easier while coming with fewer limitations. And series like The Legend of Vox Machina, The Mighty Nein, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Arcane prove that the medium is capable of achieving the same scope and depth. Those titles certainly aren’t less popular due to their format, either.
Although plenty of series still strive to bring fantasy to the screen in live-action, there are a number that could benefit from animated takes. Apple’s upcoming Stormlight Archive show comes to mind, and it’s far from the only story that could have a longer, fuller run this way. Hopefully, Hollywood sees the potential for more animated adaptations and acts on it. A successful Wheel of Time series would certainly go a long way in making a case for them.
What upcoming fantasy adaptations do you think would benefit from an animated format? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
