Reverse the death sentence — Prime Video’s ambitious 3-part high fantasy series deserves a renewal

There are fantasy series so big you can barely fit them on the shelf—The Wheel of Time absolutely qualifies. Hollywood always talks about giving this genre its due, especially after the mega-success of The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. In practice, though? Streamers like Prime Video end up facedown in a puddle of good intentions and blown budgets. The Wheel of Time is the latest casualty of this particular dream.

How We Got Here

Let’s be clear about ambition. Prime Video did not throw the sort of money at The Wheel of Time that they did at The Rings of Power, but it was still a huge investment. Adapting fifteen meaty fantasy novels is not for the faint of heart (or wallet). Amazon never even got close—they managed three books, across three seasons, and then binned the whole thing due to rising costs. The first two seasons, to put it politely, had more rough edges than the back of a spoon. Season three tried to course-correct, and in places, it almost pulled it off.

The Wheel of Time adaptation lasted three seasons, but only covered three out of fifteen novels before being axed.

What’s behind the sudden caution from studio execs, you ask? There’s more to it than just mediocre reviews or big cheques gone astray. The writers’ and actors’ strikes back in 2023 led to a major shift in what Hollywood was willing to bankroll. A pile of fantasy shows were greenlit after Game of Thrones exploded onto the scene, but most have since sunk without a trace. Six years ago, everyone wanted their own blockbuster franchise. Now, the vibe is closer to regret—too much money, too few hits, and one almighty hangover.

But Was It Ever Going to Work?

Here’s the rub: the Wheel of Time books are beloved—massive bestsellers, tonnes of lore, exactly what fantasy fans want. But it’s also old-school, classic questing stuff, a hard sell for anyone chasing HBO-sized ratings. The show’s Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score for season one sat at 62%, which tells you everything about its rocky start. The thing is, shows like this rarely claw their way back after stumbling out of the gate. Once a series picks up the stink of 'disappointment', it tends to linger.

After season three, there were some proper improvements—a handful of arcs started to deliver, the world finally felt less like papier-mâché. But the damage was done, and if anything, this is the textbook case of the wrong lessons learned after Game of Thrones. Instead of understanding what made the books great, the adaptation turned the source material into a checklist—missing the point, and most of the appeal, in the process.

Can It Be Fixed?

Some say—me included—The Wheel of Time still deserves a great TV version. Brandon Sanderson, who finished Jordan’s series, reckons the show failed because it wasn’t properly planned. The adaptation was pulled about by the need to squeeze a fifteen-book epic into TV pacing, leading to plots that wandered and clunky changes between episodes.

Any revival, if it’s coming, probably still belongs at Amazon. They’ve shown with Fallout and The Expanse that they don’t always bugger it up, provided the right crew is in charge. The core lesson from this mess: don’t wing it. Give it a solid plan. Respect the original’s obsession with detail, or you might as well not bother.

• Amazon’s adaptation covered three books before cancellation
• Funding shifts after the 2023 strikes left streamers wary of big spends
• Season one’s critical reception set the tone – and it never quite recovered
• Renewed interest in a reboot depends on whether fans believe Amazon could finally get it right

If the wheel turns again, this saga needs a proper reset—a high-budget do-over that learns from the original’s missteps. It needs to be smart, patient, and just a bit braver than last time. Because with something this vast, you only get so many spins before the next big thing comes along.