It looks like we’ll be getting even more of The Wheel of Time on screen, as a new live-action film is being developed exploring the origins of Robert Jordan’s best-selling book series.
Deadline first reported the news on Thursday, which IGN has confirmed with a press release from production companies iwot Productions and Radar Pictures. Kari Skogland, who most recently directed all six episodes of Disney+ MCU series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, is set to direct The Age of Legends, which the production companies are calling the first film of a planned trilogy.
In another MCU connection, Zack Stentz, who co-wrote 2011’s Thor (as well as X-Men: First Class), is writing the screenplay. Stentz is also writing The White Tower, an animated Wheel of Time prequel film.
Eva Longoria is among the executive producers of The Age of Legends, along with James Leon, Mike McGuiness, and Justin Smith.
The Age of Legends will be set “several millennia before” the timeline of Jordan and Brandon Sanderson’s beloved fantasy novels, “in an era celebrated for extraordinary achievements in magic and technology.” Per the official synopsis of The Age of Legends:
“Utopia was lost with the emergence of the Dark One, and the world descended into darkness and war. The film will delve into the corrosive nature of power and pride, as seen through the tragic tales of the Forsaken – once honored leaders who fell victim to the Dark One's seduction, each personifying distinct elements of human weakness and ambition.”
“Directing The Age of Legends is a remarkable opportunity to bring a beloved universe to life and delve into the rich lore that has long-captivated the hearts of millions of book readers around the world,” Skogland said in a statement in the announcement. “My vision is to honor the worldbuilding of Jordan’s masterwork, while peeling back the layers of legend and myth to reveal the flesh-and-blood characters underneath — flawed heroes and villains alike — ordinary people forced to make extraordinary choices as their world unravels.”
The Age of Legends is only the latest on-screen take on Jordan and Sanderson’s vast fantasy world, with Prime Video airing its second season of The Wheel of Time earlier this year. That series, however, follows more closely the events of Jordan’s initial Wheel of Time novels, centering on Moiraine Damodred and five young people from the village of the Two Rivers as they attempt to save the world from The Dark One.
Interestingly, the Prime Video series and The Age of Legends have some creatives in common; Rick Selvage and Rick Selvage of iwot Productions and Rick Selvage of Radar Pictures are producers on the film, and separately also produce Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time. Iwot is also producing The White Tower.
There’s no word, however, on when The Age of Legends might release or head into production. We’re also still awaiting information on the already-announced third season of The Wheel of Time.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
