‘The Wheel of Time’ Trailer Finally Drops Weeks Ahead of Amazon Series Premiere

The Wheel of Time teaser trailer is finally here, giving fans their first glimpse of the highly-anticipated fantasy adaptation. The Wheel of Time has been in the works for years, but Amazon Prime has been agonizingly slow to drop glimpses of the show ahead of its premiere. Now, with just two months to go, we have our first real video to go on.

The trailer includes some fan-favorite quotes from the Wheel of Time book series — particularly the opening refrain from each volume, recited here by Rosamund Pike. So far, fans have seen their favorite characters and some landmarks, but this gives us our first look at more iconic facets of the series at last, including Trollocs and Myrddraal, and Aes Sedai wielding the One Power. A few shots even hint at the changes the show may be making from the book series in ordering events for the first season.

The Wheel of Time is an adaptation of author Robert Jordan’s book series by the same name, containing 14 novels, one prequel and two companion books. It is a relatively simple story about the forces of good and evil clashing on many fronts, but the size and scope of Jordan’s world-building is what really set this series apart. Fans have been dying to see it take shape on TV for years, believing it has what it takes to live up to — if not surpass — Game of Thrones.

The Wheel of Time centers around a group of teenagers pulled from their isolated rural village into a globetrotting quest to shape the war to come. It stars Joshua Stradowski as Rand al’Thor, Madeleine Madden as Egwene al’Vere, Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon and Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara. They are guided by Moiraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai (sorceress), and her magically-enhanced “Warder,” Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney). Jordan successfully stretched the tropes of a coming-of-age story to their breaking point in his books, depicting these characters growing from shepherds and pranksters to magic-wielding world leaders and warriors.

 Like many authors of his generation, Jordan set out to twist the fantasy conventions set out by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings. This influence is especially evident in the first book, The Eye of the World, published in 1990, so it should come through strongly in the first season of the TV show as well. Jordan was a friend and contemporary of George R.R. Martin, so the chances of his story finding success on TV seem that much higher.

Amazon has already ordered another season of The Wheel of Time, which is filming now in Europe. With the amount of source material available, the show could go on for a decade and a half easily, if not more. To get there with a production this expensive, the fan response will have to be huge, but judging by the reactions to the trailer on Wednesday that should not be a problem.

The Wheel of Time premieres in November of 2021 on Amazon Prime Video. Jordan’s books are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats wherever books are sold.