Sunday, March 8, 2015

"Wheel of Time" Pilot Episode

Wheel of Time
If you think the the ”Game of Thrones” is an epic science-fiction fantasy thriller series of all time to hit your TV screens, then you haven’t heard about Robert Jordan’s ”The Wheel of Time” TV adaptation yet. Moreso, if you haven’t been paying attention to FXX when it aired half-hour pilot of the ”Wheel of Time: Winter Dragon.”

If you missed it, then you are not alone. In a statement released earlier today by Jordan’s editor and widow, Harriet McDougal, the pilot that aired was produced without any knowledge or cooperation from either her or Jordan’s estate.

McDougal explains that "Bandersnatch [Jordan's estate] has an existing contract with Universal Pictures that grants television rights [to The Wheel of Time] to them until this Wednesday, February 11 – at which point these rights revert to Bandersnatch."

It appears Universal had been working with Red Eagle Entertainment to bring the series to the screen when they received the rights in 2008.

However, the terms of Universal's contract with Jordan's estate and their involvement with Red Eagle Entertainment's pilot still remain unclear. Rick Selvage, the CEO of Red Eagle Entertainment, stated in an interview with io9 that the timing of the pilot was a factor in its sudden airing, and that it should be viewed as "a pilot for a high-budget production television series," with more announcements coming soon.

The ”The Wheel of Time” is an epic fantasy series written by Robert Jordan and later concluded by author Brandon Sanderson after Jordan’s death in 2007. It spans over 14 books and details the story of Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn. The pilot itself portrays the events of the prologue to the first book, The Eye of the World, depicting events and characters from hundreds of years before the series is set.

With the massive popularity in Game of Thrones, itself famously adapted from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books, it’s easy to see why Red Eagle Entertainment would want to attempt to keep their rights to a similar epic fantasy series in an attempt to produce a TV series farther down the road. It's a shame it had to have been done in such a clandestine manner.

Fortunately, you can watch the pilot again courtesy of Youtube below. Unfortunately, the episode fell below the standards of many WoT fanatics like myself. If they won't make any improvements anytime soon, braid-tugging Nynavae will blow them ti bits with Saidar before fixing her pleated skirt.

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