The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins is aware of the current social climate and explained why it's important to remain faithful to the message of balance in the source material.
In an interview with Comic-Con@Home, Judkins shared that he wanted to keep what made the world of the books so special and translate that for the Amazon Studios series. "Thematically, a story that is really about balance is something that's meaningful in the world, I think, with our world being divided and hyper-polarized it's refreshing to see a fantasy series where it's not so much 'good versus evil' but as 'balance verses imbalance,'" Judkins said. "That is a message that's worth writing about right now and something that is meaningful."
The books feature a magic system that's split between the women and men that make up the fantasy world. Women in the series are associated with the Powers of Water and Air, while the men tend to possess Earth and Fire; both sides have equal access to Spirit. Each element has its own particular attributes, but these aren't presented as absolutes since the lines between them blur, and the channeler must unite these forces in what's called "weaves."
Judkins wants to bring this world to life through its characters, and Moiraine Damodred, played by Rosamund Pike, will be the foundation of this story. Moiraine is an Aes Sedai, a powerful channeler of the One Power (which only the series' women can wield), and will be the sole character who uses magic at the beginning of the series. A clip shared on the show's Twitter featured a close-up of Pike as Moiraine with her saying, "Do not underestimate the women in this tower," prior to her reveal.
The Wheel of Time series consists of 14 novels and was first published in 1990 by Robert Jordan. After Jordan's death in 2007, the final three books were co-written by Brandon Sanderson. In the series, Moiraine leads a group of young villagers on an awe-inspiring adventure, believing one of them to be either the savior of the world or its destroyer.
Executive produced and written by Rafe Judkins, The Wheel of Time premieres this November on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Comic-Con@Home