The Wheel of Time is an Amazon Prime Video original American epic fantasy television series. The show is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios and is directed by Rafe Judkins. It is based on Robert Jordan’s novel series of the same name.
In the show, Moraine, a magical woman, guides five individuals on a trip in the hopes that one of them is the reincarnation of the Dragon, who would either save or destroy the world.
Release last year in November, The Wheel of Time ended up becoming Amazon Prime Video’s most-watched original series of 2021, which (very obviously) calls for a Season 2.
Has The Wheel of Time renewed for Season 2?
There’s no way you’re getting no for an answer. The Wheel of Time Season 2 has officially been renewed and it’s happening.
What is interesting about The Wheel of Time Season 2 is, it was announced 6 months prior to the release of Season 1.
TVLine spoke with Vernon Sanders, Amazon Studios’ Head of Global TV, just before the first finale aired, about the reasons behind the early announcement. He said, “We’re fans of the show, and as episodes came in and we saw the level of craftsmanship, and as we continued to talk to Rafe about where future seasons would go, we felt really confident that we had something that could go for a very long time for us. These are giant investments, so obviously we spent quite a bit of time making sure we were making the right choice here, but it continues to pay off for us. All credit to Rafe and his incredible team, and the cast led by Rosamund.”
What will be The Wheel of Time Season 2 about?
When questioned by TVLine about season two and whether it will “go even bigger” than the first, Vernon Sanders had a very encouraging reaction for those eager to see what’s next.
He said: “Rafe has been a fantastic leader — thoughtful, kind, really dedicated to trying to do this the right way — and Rosamund as well. So we absolutely went into season 2 with a real conversation about, ‘What can we do even better now that we have introduced this giant world and established these characters?’ So I will absolutely predict that season 2 will be bigger, bolder, and a more expansive Wheel of Time.”
Because there are 14 novels in the original series, and that’s a lot of material to sort through, this program needs to be bigger, bolder, and more expansive going ahead.
Thankfully, showrunner Rafe Judkins appears to be up to the challenge, telling Deadline that he envisions the show lasting up to eight seasons.
The Wheel of Time Season 2 Release Date
No official release date for the second installment of the series has been announced yet.
The second season has already begun filming. Vernon Sanders has already received the first edits of the first episode of the next season. As a result of these claims, some reports suggest that filming would wrap up in the last week of February 2022, with The Wheel of Time Season 2 set to debut in the spring of 2022.
The season will have the same eight-episode format as the first season. According to their official Twitter page, the first episode of the season two saga will be titled A Taste of Solitude.
The Wheel of Time Season 2 Cast
Rosamund Pike will undoubtedly return to her role as Moiraine Damodred in The Wheel of Time Season 2, and she is fully dedicated to giving it her all.
In an interview with Access, Pike said, “We are putting our hearts and soul towards something that is epic in scale, that has a lot of action. That you care about the characters because ultimately people will be able to see themselves in any one of our characters and I think they’ll be fan favorites.”
She’ll be joined by a number of new cast members, including Ceara Coveney, Meera Syal, and Natasha O’Keeffe. In season two, those three will be joined by actors Guy Roberts, Arnas Fedaravicius, and Gregg Chilingirian, who will all have recurring parts.
Aside from one significant exception, the majority of season one’s cast should return. Mat Cauthon, who was initially played by Barney Harris, has been recast as Dónal Finn from The Witcher.
When asked why this happened, showrunner Rafe Judkins remained tight-lipped, but he did assure Deadline that the change won’t be too shocking for viewers. “It’s always hard but we’re really lucky that Barney is so great in the first season; I love him in the show,” he said. “And Dónal Finn, who is playing Mat in Season 2, is amazing. I have seen him up on set doing his scenes now and they’re incredible and they fully capture the character.”
Loial, played by Hammed Animashaun, is another character whose fate appears to be up in the air following the season one finale. Fortunately, Rafe has confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Loial is still alive and well. “Loial is not dead. He is alive and well and shooting in Prague. I wanted people to be a little on their toes because real deaths are coming for characters that don’t die in the books. We have to because we can’t hold 2,000 series regulars through multiple seasons. It’s coming, and I want people to emotionally prepare themselves. The thought that Loial might be gone will hopefully start to get people emotionally prepared, but I couldn’t. He’s my favorite,” he said.
With the creators of the show themselves being so confident with the show, we can’t help but be excited for The Wheel of Time Season 2. Stay tuned for more updates.