Universal Buys Wheel Of Time May make the late Robert Jordan's epic Source: Variety
There are 11 doorstop-sized books and a prequel in the series so far. There are 1500 named characters, at least 35 of whom are important enough to get regular POV* segments. There's magic - BIG, earth-cracking magic - and every environment from tundra to desert. There are monsters and strange beings and lots of women in low-cut dresses. Frankly, no sane studio would even dream of tackling Robert Jordan's fantastic but stupidly long The Wheel of Time series.
But rejoice, fantasy fans, for Universal is clearly not sane (in a good way)! They have optioned the books, previously with NBC for a mini-series in 2000 and then bought by Red Eagle Entertainment in 2004. In both the previous case and this one, the plan is to work on the (emminently adaptable) first book, wherein a farm boy and his friends are whisked off on a mysterious quest by a witch and a warrior (essentially), and chased by trolls and demons. The headaches will start when they look at the rest of the series. "Well, those Harry Potter films were two and a half hours long, so by our calculations each film in this one should last till, oooh, Thursday".
Jordan himself very sadly died last year, aged just 58, so the twelfth and reputedly final book** in the series is being completed by Brandon Sanderson from Jordan's notes and tapes. In the meantime, fingers crossed that Universal does something with this, but don't be too surprised if the executive in charge gets around to reading the second book and realises it's probably impossible. Still, you gotta love them for giving themselves a challenge.
*That's "point of view", just in case you're reading this a bit early in the morning.
** If he can tie everything up properly in one book, colour us amazed. To do so, he'd have to completely abandon the rather laconic pace with with Jordan proceeded for at least the last, oooh, six books.
L: Stevie C 123
*Read 'done well' as film every single thing that happens in the books, and exactly as how they happen.
his kind of sums up what I mean- http://wotmania.com/wotmessageboard2showmessage.asp?Mes sageID=98587
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I think I'm probably the only person in the world who liked Faile. At first i didn't like her but now I've come to appreciate her more.
In saying that I do believe she's ruining Perrin
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I know what you mean. Its been a few years since I read the books but Perrin struck me as being the most sensible of the three and he came into his own leading the people in the Two Rivers battle.
But I think as the story went on he became more and more beaten down by Faile who isn't a character I warmed to. Seemed very happy to use people to her own ends and twisted Perrrin round her finger.
At least with Mat you got some comedy and with Rand...well I'm not going to... Read More
Kinda, yes, but I rather like the running joke that all three of the boys always think the other two are ladies' men. I just don't like the whole Perrin/Faile thing and I don't quite know why not. ... Read More
L: Helen OHara
Stevie, I'm kind of a fan. Yes, they're painfully, well-nigh unforgiveably slow moving after book five (if not earlier) but I read fast enough that that doesn't bother me, and I enjoy revisiting the characters fairly regularly. Except Faile, and the search for her, which I cannae be having with.
sp;
Was it just me or did every chapter with Perrin in it after he met Faile have a comment about he didn't understand girls? That got annoying pretty quickly.
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Stevie, I'm kind of a fan. Yes, they're painfully, well-nigh unforgiveably slow moving after book five (if not earlier) but I read fast enough that that doesn't bother me, and I enjoy revisiting the characters fairly regularly. Except Faile, and the search for her, which I cannae be having with. ... Read More
Although I doubt it will be 'done well'*. Anyway if they make it it'll mean Dragonmount and Wotmania will still be active in a few years time, which would be good.
Are you a fan of the series yourself Helen, or are you just acquainted with them?
*Read 'done well' as film every single thing that happens in the books, and exactly as how they happen.
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I always thought the belgariad would make awesome movies. They have that magical quality while not taking themselves half as seriously as LOTR.
Plus there are five good length books with decent conclusions to each one, why is no studio thinking 'hmmm 5 christmas installments' here? ... Read More
