Fans of author Robert Jordan aren’t likely going to be thrilled with the news from over the weekend, as it was announced that Amazon Prime Video wouldn’t be renewing the Jordan series adaptation “The Wheel of Time” for a fourth season, instead, ending after three.
Sadly, audiences won’t be getting a “Game of Thrones” volume of episodes as The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the streaming giant has decided against making another season of the expensive fantasy series led by British actress Rosamund Pike (“Gone Girl”). Reports cite financial reasons for the cancellation after the show’s finale debut on April 17, along with the show slipping in viewership compared to previous seasons.
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The lives of five young villagers change forever when a strange and powerful woman arrives, claiming one of them is the child of an ancient prophecy with the power to tip the balance between Light and Dark forever.
The fantasy show was adapted for television by executive producer and showrunner Rafe Judkins along with a producing team that features Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of Iwot Productions, Ted Field of Radar Pictures, Mike Weber, Marigo Kehoe, Ciaran Donnelly, Justine Juel Gillmer, Dave Hill, and Pike.
Other actors on the show alongside Pike are Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, Zoë Robins, Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford, Dónal Finn, Ceara Coveney, Sophie Okonedo, Kate Fleetwood, Natasha O’Keeffe, Ayoola Smart, Kae Alexander, Priyanka Bose, Taylor Napier, Hammed Animashaun, Meera Syal, Jennifer Cheon Garcia, Johann Myers, Jay Duffy, Laia Costa, Isabella Bucceri, Olivia Williams, and Shohreh Aghdashloo.
One of the downsides of streaming is that viewership numbers aren’t the only way a show can get on the chopping block, as the staggering operational overhead costs of overseeing and paying for these massive shows’ budgets can hinder what they’re able to spend on new and existing projects. Moving money around can mean notable shows can get shelved, Netflix being increasingly known for ending popular shows simply to shift budgets to new things.
Also, it’s not like Amazon isn’t already spending a hefty amount on things like “The Rings of Power” (has a five-season commitment), the second and third seasons of “Fallout,” and a multitude of other expensive shows in various stages of development.
However, whenever a show like “The Wheel of Time” doesn’t finish on its own terms, it can feel like fans have been short-changed. So, we shouldn’t expect those who had been following the show to be satisfied with the situation or how things ended.
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At one time, on the back of the show’s success, Judkins was tasked by Amazon and Sony Pictures Television to tackle a series adaptation of the PlayStation video game “God of War” before being replaced with Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica”) in October.