Despite Season 3 ofThe Wheel of Timebeing the best season yet in the eyes of fans and critics, Amazoncanceled the big-budget fantasy serieslast week seemingly out of the blue. It was always in danger thanks to its massive production costs, but no one saw it coming; least of all those that had supported the series from the beginning. Now, many of those same people are taking to social media to express their disappointment over the beloved fantasy series getting the ax.
“The Wheel of Timedeserves more seasons,” said X user @itsbiggiesam, adding: “I can’t believe it’s been canceled while it’s just getting started. The series is 100 percent the best fantasy series I have watched in a long while.Prime Videodid us dirty.” Indeed, many feel the same way about Amazon, while others have taken into consideration the repercussionsThe Wheel of Time’s cancellation will have on those in the industry. Take @FREYDISHESSA for example, who said:
“The Wheel of Time’s cancellation affects more than fans — it puts hundreds of jobs at risk: actors, crew, costume designers, and many more. This series is a whole community. Please consider the human cost behind the story.”
‘The Wheel of Time’ Wouldn’t Be Nearly as Great If It Was More Faithful to the Books
Prime Video’s beloved fantasy series proves that following the books to the letter isn’t always the right call.
Though it remains unclear just how much money it cost to produce Season 3 ofThe Wheel of Time, the first two seasons cost Amazon upwards of $260 million dollars. As devoted as its fan base is, the streaming numbers just weren’t there to justify the enormous budget, leading to Amazon making the tough decision to cancel it despite many in the company praising its creativity.
Could Another Streaming Service Continue ‘The Wheel of Time?’
In addition to all the fans reacting toThe Wheel of Time’s cancellation,star Madeleine Madden(Egwene al’Vere) also took to social media, saying, “Bringing Egwene to life has been the highlight of my career. I’ve learnt so much about myself from playing her and experiencing the world through her eyes has been the biggest gift. She’ll always be a part of me.”
X user @Bondos_b also noted that now thatThe Wheel of Timeis gone, “we’re gonna be in a drought of good big-budget magical fantasy series.” They’re not wrong, as pretty much the only big fantasy series left on TV isThe Rings of Power, which is also produced by Amazon and has the distinction of being the most costly television series in history.
“Amazon never deservedThe Wheel of Time. They failed to promote it, failed the cast, and now they cancel it? Shameful,” @FREYDISHESSA also said in a later post. Then there’s @swarmofshadows, who is all of us when they say:
“I don’t see the point of starting TV shows anymore if they’re all gonna just get canceled. Hope whoever decided to cancel Wheel of Time never knows peace.”
Thus far, there’s been no indication that another streaming service might come along to pick upThe Wheel of Time, which isn’t a surprise, really. When you take into consideration its budget and streaming numbers, it’s not a good investment from a financial standpoint, no matter how lauded it is creatively. The only one that might be able to save it is Apple TV+, but they’d have to take a long hard look at the numbers before committing to anything. After all, it’s not called showbusinessfor nothing, which unfortunately means that in most cases, money takes precedence over art.
The Wheel of Time
