EXCLUSIVE: Prime Video will not be renewing The Wheel of Time for a third season. The decision, which comes more than a month after the Season 2 finale was released April 17, followed lengthy deliberations, sources said. As is often the case in the current economic environment, the reasons were financial as the series is liked creatively by the streamer’s executives.
The TV adaptation of on the book series of the same name by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, co-produced by Sony Pictures TV and Amazon MGM Studios, is a high-end fantasy drama, which ushered in the genre on Prime Video, later joined by The Lord Of the Rings: The Rings Of Power.
Starring Rosamund Pike, The Wheel Of Time got off to a strong start in 2021 as Prime Video’s most watched series premiere of the year and one of the platform’s Top 5 series launches of all time.
Three seasons in, the series has remained a solid performer but its viewership has been off, with the fantasy drama dropping out of Nielsen’s Top 10 scripted originals chart after the first three weeks of Season 3 while staying on the list for the entire runs the previous two seasons. (The Wheel of Time was back on the Originals list for the week after the Season 3 finale at #10.)
The Nielsen rankings reflect U.S. viewership and The Wheel of Time is a global title. It did rank as #1 on Prime Video in multiple countries with the most recent season.
Still, the Season 3 performance was not strong enough compares to the show’s cost for Prime Video to commit to another season and the streamer could not make it work after examining different scenarios and following discussions with lead studio Sony TV, sources said.
With that possibility — and the show’s passionate fanbase in mind — the Season 3 finale was designed to offer some closure.
Still, the news would be a gut punch for fans who have been praising the latest season as the series’ best yet creatively. Prime Video executives also have spoken of the show getting better creatively every season, something supported by critics as Season 3 ranks 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, up from 86% for Season 2 and 81% for Season 1.
Prime Video and Sony TV will continue to back the Emmy campaign for The Wheel of Time’s third season.
The Wheel of Time stars Pike as Moiraine Damodred, Daniel Henney as al’Lan Mandragoran, Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor, Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al’Meara, Madeleine Madden as Egwene al’Vere, Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara, Dónal Finn as Mat Cauthon, Ceara Coveney as Elayne Trakand, Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda, Slow Horses) as Siuan Sanche, Kate Fleetwood (Harlots) as Liandrin Guirale, Natasha O’Keeffe (Peaky Blinders) as Lanfear, Ayoola Smart (Killing Eve) as Aviendha, Kae Alexander (Game of Thrones) as Min Farshaw, Priyanka Bose (Lion) as Alanna Mosvani, Taylor Napier (Hanna) as Maksim, Hammed Animashaun (Black Ops) as Loial, Meera Syal (The Devil’s Hour) as Verin Mathwin, Jennifer Cheon Garcia (Van Helsing series) as Leane, Johann Myers (Halo series) as Padan Fain, Jay Duffy (Northern Lights) as Dain Bornhald, Laia Costa (The Diplomat) as Moghedien, Isabella Bucceri (Everything In Between) as Faile Bashere, Olivia Williams (Dune: Prophecy, The Crown) as Queen Morgase Trakand, and Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Saddam, The Penguin) as Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan.
The Wheel of Time was adapted for television by executive producer and showrunner Rafe Judkins. Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of iwot productions (Winter Dragon), Ted Field of Radar Pictures (Jumanji: The Next Level, Winter Dragon), Mike Weber (Jumanji: The Next Level, Beirut), Marigo Kehoe (Outlander, The Crown), Ciaran Donnelly (Kin), Justine Juel Gillmer (The Survivor, Halo), Dave Hill (Game of Thrones) and Rosamund Pike (Saltburn, Gone Girl) also serve as executive producers. The Wheel of Time is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios.
