Latest news with #RafeJudkins
Geek Tyrant
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
THE WHEEL OF TIME Showrunner Reacts to Cancellation: 'These Fans Deserve to See the Story Finished' — GeekTyrant
Rafe Judkins, showrunner of The Wheel of Time , has broken his silence following Amazon's unexpected cancellation of the fantasy series just weeks after its Season 3 finale. The news left fans stunned, especially after the show's steady performance and deeply invested audience. Judkins himself is still processing it. In an emotional Instagram post, Judkins shared: 'I wish I could say something clear and tidy that explains to all those who love it why it's coming to an end. But the truth is, I don't really understand it myself.' Judkins went on to celebrate the cast and crew as 'talented and wonderful,' and pointed out something that makes the cancellation sting even more: 'Season 3 spent nearly 20 weeks in the Nielsen Top 10 streaming chart, a feat few shows have been able to match in the last decade.' So, the show was doing very well! Judkins didn't stop at mourning The Wheel of Time , he called out a larger issue plaguing modern TV: 'There is a larger trend in TV toward fewer seasons with less episodes… I genuinely believe that this goes against the fundamental strength of television – long-form storytelling.' It's hard to argue with him. Shows that once had the runway to evolve and deepen such as Lost , Breaking Bad , The X-Files , Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and more, are now expected to make a splash in eight episodes or less. For something as sprawling and layered as The Wheel of Time , that kind of compressed storytelling just doesn't cut it. Still, there's a glimmer of hope. Judkins hinted that the show might yet defy the odds: 'One of the reasons I chose Amazon in the first place was that it had recently picked up The Expanse after SYFY axed it… Who knows, perhaps The Wheel of Time show will do what the books have always managed to do since day one – defy the traditional definitions of 'beginnings' and 'ends.' I certainly hope it does – because this book series and these fans deserve to see the story finished.' For now, there are no official plans to shop the series elsewhere, but fans aren't letting it go quietly. A petition to save the show has already gathered nearly 130,000 signatures, proving that the wheel is still turning. The question is… will someone will step up to keep it spinning?
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The ‘Wheel of Time' Showrunner Still Hopes Its Story Continues Elsewhere
Fans haven't given up on The Wheel of Time—the Robert Jordan epic fantasy adaptation that was just abruptly cancelled by Amazon after three seasons—and neither has showrunner Rafe Judkins. Prior to what turned out to be the show's final outing on Prime Video, Judkins spoke about his commitment to finishing The Wheel of Time's story, and he's renewing that vow in a new social media post. Judkins took to Instagram to share his reaction to the cancellation (he feels fans' pain, that much is clear), praise his collaborators, and weigh in on the current state of the TV industry. Here's the full statement: 'I've been asked the same questions many times the last week—why was The Wheel of Time cancelled? And the truth is, I don't know. I wish I could say something clear and tidy that explains to all of us who love it why it's coming to an end, but sadly, I can't. What I can say is that the actors and crew on our show are the most talented and wonderful group of people I've ever had the pleasure to work with. And we've all been incredibly lucky to make something that not only was beloved by fans (and even critics! ha!), but was also watched by huge numbers of people all over the world, appearing in the Nielsen Top 10 for nearly 20 weeks, a feat very few shows have been able to match in the last decade. One of my core goals in making this show, even from the earliest crafting of the pitch, has been to tell the whole story. Because the Wheel of Time books do what television has always done best—get better as they go. And as our actors and team came on board, they too could see the potential if we were allowed to finish this incredible story. We made many sacrifices, both personal and creative, along the way to get to that ending, so coming up short feels like a devastating blow for all of us. Much has been written about this larger trend in TV toward fewer seasons with less episodes and finding quicker ways to acquire additional streaming subscribers. But I genuinely believe this goes against the fundamental strength of television—long-form storytelling. It is an art form, much like epic fantasy, which at its very best, gives people a place to go and spend time with the characters that they love year after year. And I believe there are executives, studios, and networks who know that. I believe that we will find our way through this current iteration of the industry and back to what we do best—bringing great characters into people's living rooms and lives every week.' Finally, Judkins offered some hope for Wheel of Time's future, referencing another fan-favorite series that got a joyfully unexpected resurrection after being cancelled. 'Will Wheel of Time get to do that with another network and finish the story? Sadly, it's not something that happens often. But it does happen. In fact, one of the reasons we first chose Amazon as a home for the show was because they were in the midst of picking up The Expanse after SYFY cancelled it. So, who knows, perhaps the Wheel of Time show will do what the books have always managed to do since day one—defy the traditional definitions of 'beginnings' and 'ends'. I certainly hope it does—because this book series and these fans deserve to see the story finished.' We'll keep you posted if and when The Wheel of Time does indeed find a new home on a different streamer. Considering the reason given for the Wheel of Time being cancelled was financial concerns, it'd have to be a deep-pocketed outlet. Maybe Netflix will pull a Lucifer-style rescue and add another fantasy title to its library, especially now that The Sandman is ending soon?
Geek Tyrant
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Amazon Cancels THE WHEEL OF TIME After Three Seasons — GeekTyrant
Amazon Prime Video has officially pulled the plug on The Wheel of Time after three seasons. The ambitious adaptation of Robert Jordan's sprawling fantasy epic, which had become a cornerstone of the platform's genre programming, won't be moving forward beyond its already-filmed third season. The series followed Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the powerful Aes Sedai order, as she shepherded a group of young villagers, one of whom, Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski), is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, a figure destined to either save or doom the world. Season 2 confirmed Rand's identity and set the stage for a third season full of spiritual tug-of-war, with both dark and light forces vying for control. Meanwhile, characters like Egwene al'Vere (Madeleine Madden) and Moiraine continued to anchor the show's moral center. The ensemble cast also featured Daniel Henney, Zoë Robins, Marcus Rutherford, Dónal Finn, Ceara Coveney, Kate Fleetwood, Natasha O'Keeffe, Ayoola Smart, Kae Alexander, and Sophie Okonedo. Rafe Judkins served as the series' showrunner and adapted Jordan's massive story for the series. He was joined by a deep bench of executive producers, including Pike, Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of Iwot Productions. The show was a joint effort between Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios. News of the cancellation comes just months after it was reported that Iwot Studios is developing a video game based on The Wheel of Time . At the time, the studio stated the game would 'build on the global success' of the TV series and was expected to be in development for about three years. So, while the tv show may fade to black, the franchise isn't entirely out of lives yet. Between the upcoming video game and the still-untapped wealth of source material, The Wheel of Time may spin again, but not on Amazon Prime Video. Source: Variety
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
No season 4 for Prime Video's 'Wheel of Time'
May 24 (UPI) -- Prime Video has canceled its fantasy-drama, Wheel of Time, after three seasons. The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and TV Line reported the news Friday, citing low ratings and high costs as the reasons for the decision. Season 3 wrapped up in April. The show adaptation of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson's books co-starred Josha Stradowski, Daniel Henney and Sophie Okonedo. Rafe Judkins served as show-runner on the series.
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Why Did Amazon Just Cancel A 97% Scored Prime Video Show?
The Wheel of Time Amazon Streaming services work in mysterious ways, and it was indeed pretty stunning on Friday when it was announced that Amazon Prime Video's The Wheel of Time was canceled, and would not be returning for a fourth season. The show had just seemed to find its groove. Season 1 had an 81% score and season 2 had an 86% score, but season 3? A stellar 97% critic score which you rarely see, especially on Amazon. So what happened here? A few things, supposedly: The Wheel of Time Rotten Tomatoes In a now poorly aged article, I wrote that there shouldn't be much to worry about in terms of the series getting a fourth season. Part of that was based on the confidence of the cast and showrunner. Here's Josha Stradowski (Rand al'Thor) last month: Then Rafe Judkins on his conversations with Amazon: Fans began to panic in recent weeks as cast members and the showrunner started sharing a fan-created 'renew Wheel of Time' petition for season 4, implying they too were not worried about it. It turns out everyone was right to worry, as here we are. It's frustrating for fans because Amazon is also airing The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, its billion-dollar fantasy series that has had a lukewarm reception and its viewership reportedly dropped by half from season 1 to season 2. It was renewed for season 3, albeit this cancellation of a high-budget family show does raise questions about whether Rings of Power will be able to get to its supposed five-season plan. So, Wheel of Time fans are sad, book-readers who didn't like the adaption didn't care, but with a stellar third season, I'd consider this a tragedy. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
