Latest news with #fantasyseries
The National
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Humare Ram at Dubai Opera: Dazzling, if inconsistently paced, adaptation of the Ramayana
One of my earliest childhood memories includes weekends spent watching TV reruns of Ramanand Sagar's 1987 fantasy series Ramayan. Balancing period theatrics with a sincere exploration of its famous mythological roots, the show and its leading cast soon became household names within our extended families. It endured the test of time that few other adaptations of Valmiki's Sanskrit epic could ever achieve. Now, almost four decades after its release, several reinterpretations have been made, with varying degrees of success. From the 2015 Star Plus series Siya Ke Raam to global interpretations such as 1993's Japanese animated feature film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, the mythological texts have had – and are likely to have – varying retellings from across the world. All of that being said, I never knew I'd find myself revisiting the oft-told story in the form of a theatre production at the Dubai Opera on Thursday. Being held for the first time internationally, and co-written and starring Rahull R Bhuchar in the titular role, Humare Ram adapts the Ramayana through a more episodic set of scenes, in which the furious, estranged sons of Rama, Luv and Kush are taken through the events leading to their father's exile of their mother Sita. While the cornucopia of lights, sound and colour often does come together to form an engaging whole, as the writing flows (both literally and metaphorically) like a poem, the narrative itself feels fractured and without focus, preferring spectacle over storytelling. Throughout the runtime, however, some elements also carry an otherwise inconsistently paced production through the finish line. Despite this, there are areas where Humare Ram shines. Ashutosh Rana is among those bright spots. His thunderous presence as the antagonist Ravana commands the stage, delivering a physical and vocal performance that fuses menace with pangs of existentialism and well-timed humour. He works well off the strengths of Bhuchar, whose warm, baritone voice is perfectly in line with the benevolent, yet wise-beyond-his-years protagonist, who is exiled from his kingdom for 14 years in a sour turn of hunger for political power. Harleen Rekhi is phenomenal as Sita, but unfortunately, since this isn't entirely her story, she isn't present for most of this play. The narrative focuses largely on the events that lead to the inevitable battle between good and evil. But the real surprise is Deepti Kumar as Shurpanakha, Ravana's vengeful sister. In just two scenes, she lights up the stage with an electrifying physical performance, playing to the crowd with unapologetic glee. Her mix of rage and slyness turns into a hilarious bit of meta-acting, leading to what might be the sharpest, most perfectly timed comedic exchange in the play. The music is mostly a delight, even if the compositions sometimes veer into soap-opera territory. With powerhouse voices such as Shankar Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam and Kailash Kher giving it their all, the soundtrack becomes a memorable companion to the action on stage. The only drawback is the title song, which is used so often as a scene-change cue that it starts to wear thin. There's still plenty to love, enough to make up for the many slow-paced scenes that bring the production's rhythm to a halt more than once. However, it's hard not to wonder, given what's already been achieved, how much further it could have gone. Thankfully, as the curtains fall, you'll be more inclined to remember the incredible stage performances of Kumar, Rana and Bhuchar, as well as some splendid musical numbers.
Geek Tyrant
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
THE RINGS OF POWER Season 3 Casts Three More as Production Kicks Off — GeekTyrant
Production on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 is officially underway, and with it comes a fresh wave of casting announcements. Prime Video confirmed that Andrew Richardson ( Ponies ) has joined the sprawling fantasy series as a series regular, with Zubin Varla ( Andor ) and Adam Young ( Masters of the Air ) set to recur. The trio are stepping into the epic just as cameras start rolling at the show's new production home: Shepperton Studios in the U.K. This is the third location for the series, which debuted in New Zealand and shot its second season at Bray Film Studios. Details about the characters remain under wraps. However, speculation is already circulating that Richardson might be playing a new character described earlier in casting calls as a young sea captain in his 20s. No confirmation yet, but fans are already drawing lines between Richardson's casting and that mysterious maritime role. Varla, interestingly, is not completely new to The Rings of Power . He did voice work in three episodes of Season 2, which could either be a setup for his live-action appearance or something else entirely. These additions follow earlier Season 3 casting reveals, includin g Stranger Things alum Jamie Campbell Bower, who joins as a series regular, and Eddie Marsan, who will recur. Bower's character has been described as a 'handsome high-born knight,' while Marsan's is said to be 'boisterous and boorish,' with a Scottish accent and a brother, which fans suspect could tie him to Prince Durin's family tree. J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay return as showrunners and executive producers, director Charlotte Brändström, who directs Season 3 episodes alongside Sanaa Hamri and Stefan Schwartz. The synopsis for Season 3 reads: "Jumping forward several years from the events of season 2, season 3 takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war and conquer all Middle-earth at last." The series takes place 'thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. 'Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. 'From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.' In Season 2, 'Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. 'Building on Season 1's epic scope and ambition, Season 2 of Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. 'Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.'
Forbes
05-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Netflix Should Pick Up ‘The Wheel Of Time' After Amazon Cancels Its Best Live-Action Fantasy Show
Wheel Of Time It's been a tough run for fantasy shows lately. Ever since the massive popularity of Game Of Thrones, streaming services have been trying – and failing – to replicate that success. Amazon tried with two big-budget fantasy series: The Rings Of Power and The Wheel Of Time. The latter was killed so the former could live on, though many fans wonder why the better of the two was cancelled while the execrable Rings Of Power was given yet another season. One notable fan who publicly questioned the cancellation is Brandon Sanderson, who penned the final three books in Robert Jordan's fantasy series. 'I do think it's a shame," the author said in a comment on his YouTube channel, "as while I had my problems with the show, it had a fanbase who deserved better than a cancelation after the best season. I won't miss being largely ignored; they wanted my name on it for legitimacy, but not to involve me in any meaningful way.' I couldn't agree more. While the show made some pretty major departures from the source material, and while there is no doubt it got off to an incredibly rough start, Season 3 was easily the best of the bunch and it was clear that the creators and cast were finally finding their feet. As I noted in a previous post, the show deserves another season – warts and all – because it is currently not just the best live-action fantasy series on Prime Video, but really the only major live-action fantasy series worth watching these days. Indeed, unless the new HBO Harry Potter series can save fantasy, things are looking pretty grim for the genre. House Of The Dragon certainly isn't sitting well with fans after its disappointing second season. Television was the best hope for epic fantasy on screen, as outside of a few diamonds in the rough (Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy, for instance, or Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) there are few fantasy films worth taking seriously. As with other major cancellations of TV shows that deserved better, the hope from fans is less that Amazon will reconsider and more that some other streamer might pick up the show and give it new life. I said much the same thing when HBO canned the excellent – if incredibly bizarre – sci-fi series Raised By Wolves. Netflix has had terrible luck in its attempt to create its own Game Of Thrones, with series like Shadow & Bone not making much of a splash before their own untimely demise, and The Witcher fizzling out after a strong first season. And while it has projects in the works, like its Narnia films, there really isn't much to show for the company's investment in fantasy. A smart move would be to pick up The Wheel Of Time and give it a second chance at the biggest streamer out there. There's a baked-in audience. The cast and crew is already in place. Such a move is not unheard of, after all. Amazon saved The Expanse from an early grave, much to the delight of fans. That ended up being one of the most popular sci-fi series of all time. Netflix certainly has the cash to acquire the rights and it would earn a huge PR victory in the process. Over 124,000 fans have already signed a petition to save the show, and I suspect quite a few would happily fork over the cash for a Netflix subscription if the streamer made the move. It might be pie-in-the-sky thinking, but I genuinely believe that Wheel Of Time on Netflix makes sense, and would give the streamer the premium fantasy series its been hoping for all these years, while taking a feather from Amazon's cap in the process. That's basically two wins for the price of one. Of course, I will beat the animated fantasy series drum once more and just urge more streamers to consider animated adaptations of fantasy epics going forward. I'd love an animated Lord Of The Rings series or a show based on Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. Hell, I'd love to see an animated reboot of The Walking Dead. For now, it's just hope. But rebellions are built on hope.
Gizmodo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘The Wheel of Time' Was a Damn Good Show
Three seasons—and then an abrupt end. It's a routine genre fans are unfortunately familiar with. There are still people out there (me included) holding out hope for fourth seasons of The Orville and Hannibal. The latest three-season casualty is Prime Video's The Wheel of Time. Sometimes a miracle happens and another platform steps in; remember when Lucifer made three seasons at Fox, then got resurrected for three more at Netflix? Or when The Expanse was rescued from the Syfy scrap heap after its third season, and got a few more notches on its belt from Amazon? Amazon's the one doing the scrapping this time around: The Wheel of Time fans learned last week that the fantasy show will not be returning for a fourth season. Pickup elsewhere seems like a grim prospect, no matter how passionate the online outcry, mostly because the reason given for its cancellation was how much it cost to produce—a price tag that apparently wasn't justified by its viewership numbers. That's a true shame, because The Wheel of Time was a damn good show. Its budget wasn't as lavish as Prime Video's other big fantasy series—The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is currently working on its own third season—but it definitely wasn't made on the cheap. It had a large cast headed up by Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred; though the rest of the main characters were mostly played by up-and-comers, more familiar faces (Sophie Okonedo, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Olivia Williams, Lindsay Duncan, Hayley Mills) were sprinkled through the supporting cast. Across the board the performances were excellent; special shout-out to Madeleine Madden for Egwene's absolutely searing season-two arc, though. Its production values were outstanding; on a show filled with a vast array of cultures across diverse landscapes—deserts, forests, cities, villages, throne rooms, dungeons, freaky in-between worlds—it did a striking job creating tones and textures that felt distinct and detailed. The costumes were particularly notable in this regard. I'm still haunted by the spooky outfits, especially the gold mouth shields, forced onto the magic-wielding 'damane' slaves in season two. The special effects were also impressive, bringing both practical creatures (Loial the Ogier, brought to life by Hammed Animashaun in heavy prosthetics, being particularly emotive) and mystical magic 'weaves' to the screen. Much like Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time is based on a beloved book series, though as popular as Robert Jordan's work is, it's definitely not part of mainstream culture the same way JRR Tolkien's work is. There's no Oscar-winning trilogy of epic movies for The Wheel of Time, for one thing. Though there had been games (both video and tabletop) based on The Wheel of Time in the past, the TV adaptation drew in a lot of newcomers along with seasoned readers, and the show was careful to remain accessible for the former while also dotting in winks and Easter eggs for the latter. The worldbuilding was high-quality, and if the story felt familiar and trope-y at times—it's kind of Tolkien meets Game of Thrones but with more women-powered magic, and an end-of-the-world prophecy that's both cyclical and inevitable—the series, broken into eight-part seasons of episodes that ran at or just under an hour, was still propulsive and enjoyable. The tone was overall fairly serious (as we mentioned, the fate of the world is at stake here!), and many of its storylines dealt with darker themes of trauma and grief, as well as the frustration of being powerless to control one's fate, especially in a world where prophecies are seen as both irrefutable and subject to interpretation, depending on who you ask. But The Wheel of Time also made room for humor, romance, music, and even some delightfully campy moments, especially as the show found its footing in seasons two and three. Perhaps the biggest bummer about the show's cancellation is that it was clearly building toward something very big. The Wheel of Time's 'Last Battle' is, as implied, the showdown at the end of days between the Dragon Reborn, the reincarnated chosen one, and a villain so sinister he's known only as the 'Dark One,' with lieutenants running around among humankind known as 'Darkfriends' (if they're mortal) and 'Forsaken' (if they're not). The Last Battle was teased throughout all the show's seasons, with the character of Rand learning in season one that he was the Dragon Reborn. Season two followed him as he came to terms with that awful yet awesome responsibility, compounded by the known fact that in this world, men with magical abilities will inevitably go insane. And season three saw him begin to prepare, strengthening his control over his burgeoning powers while building an army of supporters. Every other character, without exception, is also invested in the Last Battle in some way. They're on different sides and serve different purposes, but they're all counting down to it just the same. It is the defining event of the story. Everyone knows it's coming. And Amazon pulled the plug before the show got there. This is all the more crushing because Wheel of Time series creator Rafe Judkins had high hopes that Amazon would grant the space to tell 'the whole story,' as he explained to io9 in an interview ahead of season three. There are over a dozen books in the Jordan series, so you can't imagine he meant that Wheel of Time would continue for a decade. But he definitely had plans for a fourth and maybe a fifth season, and you can tell that season three was plotted accordingly. While fan campaigns are now underway to save Wheel of Time (read more about that on Nerdist), maybe the best case scenario would be a made-for-Amazon movie. Another Prime Video show that's meeting an early end for entirely different reasons—Good Omens—is getting a send-off movie in place of a third season, wrapping up that show's own tantalizing cliffhangers. With a fourth season apparently relegated forever to Tel'aran'rhiod, The Wheel of Time's slippery dream world, would it be too much to ask for, say, one more jumbo-sized episode to craft a satisfying conclusion? Especially for fans who invested time and emotions into the three existing seasons? Of course it would be. At least you can always pick up Jordan's books and find out how the author envisioned the Last Battle—then stick around to dive deeper into the world the show, after just three seasons, has sadly left behind.
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
