The Wheel of Time star Rosamund Pike discussed being the story's "guide" as the enchanting Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred in Amazon Prime Video's upcoming fantasy series.
Pike opened up about her role in the story during a Q&A with Find The Metaverse. She said, "Historically I haven't been a big reader of fantasy, but with this, that changed my mind. And I know that traditionally, any guide character in a fantasy world is usually a man, and it was very intriguing to have this mysterious stranger who comes to town and changes the lives of people forever, being a woman."
Pike emphasized the rather progressive nature of author Robert Jordan's books by highlighting the prominent positions of power held by women throughout the series. The guide character often being male brings to mind characters such as The Lord of the Rings' Gandalf or Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia. Yet Jordan's story sees far more women in power due to the nature of magic in the series usually being exclusively accessible to women. These women are referred to as Aes Sedai, a group to which Pike's character Moiraine belongs.
Pike commented on the allure of playing such a role. "There were lots of things about the whole culture of Aes Sedai that really drew me a lot. I think in a sort of spiritual sense, I felt it was the right time in my life to explore such a power outside of myself," Pike said.
"I think the whole idea of channeling and tapping into something elemental was very appealing to me at this particular moment in my life, and being able to create a language to express that connection really interested me a lot, as well as taking on the responsibility of showing someone who wields great power how they do it, how they use it, when they restrain from using it, what the flipside of it is, what it means to be that person who knows they can use it, and what they're like when they're not using it," she continued. "All of those things really interested me."
The specific guiding role that Moiraine plays in the series is to the cast of young heroes from Emond's Field. A recent teaser clip provided fans with a glimpse at the moment in which Moiraine and her traveling companion Lan arrive in the small village. As other trailers demonstrated, she is a proficient and powerful wielder of the One Power, and she will be joining the likes of Rand, Mat, Perrin and Egwene as they leave on their adventure.
Season 2 of The Wheel of Time was announced in May 2021, for which production began in July. The first three episodes of Season 1 will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Nov. 19.
Source: Find The Metaverse