Apple TV’s Brandon Sanderson Fantasy Franchise Fills Wheel Of Time’s Void

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Prime Video unexpectedly canceled The Wheel of Time right as the show was improving. Although a revival is doubtful, Apple TV’s new fantasy series looks like a great replacement.

With its strong foundation in the popular books, the Prime Video series The Wheel of Time was predicted to be a major hit in the fantasy TV genre, possibly even reaching the same level of success as Game of Thrones. The original book series by Robert Jordan offered enough material to support at least five seasons of the show.

Despite a promising start, The Wheel of Time struggled and was ultimately canceled after three seasons. Though it’s disappointing to think about what the show could have become, Apple TV’s new fantasy series offers a fresh opportunity to deliver on that potential.

Despite Having Immense Potential, Prime Video’s Wheel Of Time Failed To Live Up To Its Books

Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time books tell a complex story that slowly challenges the typical ‘chosen one’ narrative and features a magic system with strict rules based on gender. Because the books were so strong, many believed they would make a great TV series. Unfortunately, the Prime Video adaptation sped up the story and focused on many characters at once, often losing the spirit of the original novels.

The result, as The Wheel of Time‘s early audience reception suggests, was polarizing.

Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time often felt conflicted about what it wanted to be. It wasn’t always successful in blending a faithful adaptation of the books with a more modern approach. When the show was at its best, it beautifully captured the spirit of Robert Jordan’s writing. But at other times, it felt like a confused reimagining, making significant changes to characters like Rand, Egwene, and Perrin.

The show also focused too much on characters created just for the series, like Stepin, while neglecting to develop many of the popular characters from the original books.

The third season of The Wheel of Time finally started to live up to its promise, showing real improvement. Sadly, Prime Video canceled the show right as it was hitting its stride.

Prime Video Canceled Wheel Of Time Too Soon, But Apple TV’s Brandon Sanderson Adaptations Can Fill Its Void

Apple TV is now the home of Brandon Sanderson’s epic Cosmere universe. Sanderson is usually very protective of his work and hesitant to give up control, so this partnership shows a high level of trust and belief in Apple TV’s vision. He’ll have significant creative control over how the stories are adapted and will have the final say on all decisions.

It’s incredibly rare for an author to be this involved in an adaptation of their work. Even famous authors like George R.R. Martin and J.K. Rowling didn’t have this much control over how their stories were adapted for the screen.

Apple TV has become known for excellent science fiction shows, including adaptations like Silo and Foundation. By letting author Brandon Sanderson have a lot of say in how his books are turned into shows, the streaming service is likely to create adaptations that his readers will love.

Although Apple TV hasn’t revealed all its plans yet, it’s believed that The Stormlight Archive will be adapted into a TV series, and a movie adaptation of the Mistborn series is also being considered.

Given the scope of both book series, this strategy appears to be a good fit. Early signs are positive for Apple TV, indicating its attempt at epic fantasy might avoid the difficulties faced by Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time.

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2026-01-31 04:38