How Game of Thrones paved the way for HBO’s His Dark Materials by David Harris (Razor)

Amazon is ramping up production on its adaptation of Robert Jordan’s epic Wheel of Time series, a 14-book saga with a detailed fantasy world, well-developed magic system, and enormous cast of characters. We’ve already seen a picture of the cast assembled together. Now, showrunner Rafe Judkins has taken to Twitter to announce that principal photography is officially underway, and to honor Jordan, who died 14 years ago today:

Hey everyone, today is our first day of principal photography on The Wheel of Time television series, and for all of us it’s a little bit emotional because it is also quite coincidentally the twelfth anniversary of the author, Robert Jordan’s, passing. So as much as I’m excited about his new endeavor that we’re all embarking on, I am also quite humbled and honored to remember the man who began all of this. Tai’shar Rigney.

That’s a very respectful tribute, although I’m not going to lie and tell you I know what “Tai’shar Rigney” means. It appears to be in the “Old Tongue,” a language from the books, but that’s all I got. Any Wheel of Time fans wanna help out?

The Wheel of Time books are unique in that the final three were actually written by another author, Brandon Sanderson, who picked up the torch after Jordan died in 2007.

Here’s Amazon’s official description for the show:

The Wheel of Time is one of the most popular and enduring fantasy series of all-time, with over 90 million books sold. Set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, the story follows Moiraine, a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.

Moiraine is played by Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike, a nice get for the show. The rest of the cast isn’t as well known, but if the show goes as well as Amazon wants it to, who knows where they could be by the end?

We probably won’t see the fruits’ of Amazon’s labors for a while, but we wish them luck on this journey. It’s a long road ahead.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels