Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
Amazon reveals 'Wheel of Time' premiere date, teases plans for 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' series
The Amazon Prime Video and IMDb TV SDCC@Home panel was chock full of genre announcements about their new original programming coming later this year — led by a massive fantasy franchise and a fan favorite thriller.
In particular, there was fantastic news for those waiting patiently for the adaptation of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time books. Amazon Studios greenlit the TV series based on the books way back in October 2018, with production on Season 1 just wrapping in May of this year.
The big news from from showrunner Rafe Judkins is that Season 1 of The Wheel of Time will debut on Amazon Prime Video in November 2021.
The brand-new teaser poster was also revealed. Judkins shared about it, “Fans of the book will recognize this as an iconic moment in The Eye of the World book. It’s Moiraine saying come along for the ride.”
There was also exclusive new footage revealed from Hideaki Anno’s EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME. And the first trailer for Nico Entel’s series, S.O.Z. Soldiers or Zombies.
And for horror fans, just in time for the Halloween season, Sara Goodman, the showrunner for the mystery/thriller series I Know What You Did Last Summer based on the books, revealed that Season 1 will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in October 2021.
Check out the panel below:
For those unfamiliar with The Wheel of Time, Amazon's official brief for the series says: Follow Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.
In an interview from Prague, where the series is shot, Judkins shared that he first read the book series years ago with his mom. “It connected us to each other, especially after I came out of the closet," he said. "It was this thing that let us each see what it's like to be a person who is different in the world. Her as a woman in a Mormon family. And me as the little gay kid in Utah.”
Judkins always envisioned the 14-book series as a great TV series and described it as the perfect fantasy connector material for readers who love Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones).
For those worried about how many liberties the series will take in departing from the books, Judkins said, "I wanted to stay as close to the books as we possibly can. There will be a lot of things different, but it stays true to heart of the books and the spine of the storytelling."
He also praised series lead Rosamund Pike as the perfect embodiment of Moiraine. "I’ll never forget that phone call," he said of their first time connecting by phone. "The first words out of her mouth were, 'Rafe, I know this woman. I can be this woman.'"
As for how long he potentially sees The Wheel of Time series going, Judkins said he mapped out a potential eight seasons based on all 14 of Robert Jordan’s books.
As for the eight-episode season adaptation of I Know What You Did Last Summer (the novel was adapted into the 1990's thriller of the same name), showrunner Sara Goodman promised fans of the film adaptations there would be a lot of blood in this series as well. “And I put Easter eggs throughout season for the diehard movie fans. I don’t want to be too obvious and take people out of the show, but within scenes where it felt natural, we let our characters do their take on what those movie Easter eggs may be.”
She also reitereted you do not need to have seen the films, or read the books to follow the show. It’s a contemporary update of the books, so “it’s eight episodes of not just running from a stalker. It’s more than just the mystery of who is after them, but more of the mystery of who they are.”
Click here for SYFY WIRE's full coverage of Comic-Con@Home 2021.
