Summary
- Amazon renewed The Wheel of Time season 2 in 2021, indicating confidence in the high-profile fantasy adaptation of the popular novels.
- The full-length trailer for Wheel of Time season 2 reveals changes from the books, including new character introductions and altered character dynamics.
- The release date for Wheel of Time season 2 is September 1, 2023, and the story will adapt elements from the second and third books in the series, with potential deviations from the original plot.
Amazon renewed The Wheel of Time season 2 seven months before the premiere of the show — all the way back in 2021 — showing extreme confidence in its high-profile fantasy adaptation of the Wheel of Time novels. Led by showrunner Rafe Judkins (a noted fan of the Robert Jordan novels), Wheel of Time stars Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, a member of the Aes Sedai, a magical-wielding order of women who seek to protect the world. Wheel of Time season 2 will adapt the second book in Jordan’s series and parts of the third book, and what’s been seen so far of the return to the world of The Wheel of Time when the 2023 release date arrives looks promising.
Anticipation for The Wheel of Time season 2 news is high. The Wheel of Time season 1 adapted the first book of the series, The Eye of the World, while also bringing in elements from the other 13 novels. Rand al’Thor’s destiny as the Dragon Reborn is fulfilled, and his first fateful encounter with the Dark One sends him on a lonely path without the help of Moiraine and his friends from Emond’s Field. With Nynaeve, Egwene, and Perrin still at the fortress city of Fal Dara and Mat still nowhere to be found, it’s clear that Wheel of Time season 2 could have even more book changes than the first.
Wheel of Time Season 2 Recent News
The latest Wheel of Time season 2 news is, at long last, a full-length trailer. Previously, Amazon Prime had released a teaser for the series that featured Moraine warning that the Dark One had been released. That same scene features in the full-length trailer, but it also provides a lot more information about what to expect in season 2. The Wheel of Time season 2 trailer makes it clear that there will be some changes from what fans of the novels might have expected in the new season, like some characters taking on new roles, or some being introduced to the storyline earlier.
More recent Wheel of Time season 2 updates include the release of several first-look images. These The Wheel of Time season 2 photos arrived in June 2023 and show the continued journey of Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) and Lan (Daniel Henney). It also features a look at a new character, Elayne (Ceara Coveney), the princess of the kingdom of Andor. A re-released book for 1990’s The Great Hunt is also coming with a brand-new cover featuring Rutherford and Henney’s Wheel of Time characters and a sticker tying it into the Prime Video series.
This also confirms the rumors that Wheel of Time season 2 would adapt the story from The Great Hunt. This remains consistent with the first season covering The Eye of the World, which made several changes to bring it to the big screen, but mostly remained faithful to the overall story. This includes Elayne as one of the characters seeking to learn the ways of the Aes Sedai and Perrin seeking to retrieve the Horn of Valere.
Wheel of Time Season 2 Release Date
The official Wheel of Time season 2 release date is September 1, 2023, with production on Wheel of Time season 2 well underway and the first cut of the first few episodes already delivered to Amazon. However, many expected Wheel of Time season 2 to arrive sooner, given that season 1 arrived on Prime Video back in 2021. Amazon’s other high-profile fantasy show, The Rings of Power, set in the world of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, premiered on September 2, 2022, and Amazon likely didn’t want both airing at the same time as they both target similar demographics. As a result, Wheel of Time was pushed off to 2023.
Wheel of Time Season 2 Cast
Most of the faces from season 1 will be returning for the Wheel of Time season 2 cast. Rosamund Pike will be back as Moiraine, and she will be joined by Josha Stradowski as Rand, Madeline Madden as Egwene, Zoë Robins as Nynaeve, Marcus Rutherford as Perrin, and Daniel Henney as Lan. One major change has already been made to the cast, though — Mat Cauthon has been recast for Wheel of Time season 2, with Barney Harris being replaced by The Witcher‘s Dónal Finn. Additionally, several more cast members have been added to the show.
Ceara Coveney has joined the Wheel of Time season 2 cast as Elayne Trakand, the daughter-heir of Andor and an integral character to Rand’s journey. Additionally, Natasha O’Keeffe and Meera Syal have joined the show in undisclosed roles. Gary Beadle signed on to play Elyas Machera, a character who comes across Perrin and Egwene on the road. Finally, Arnas Fedaravicius, who plays Lord Ingelmar, will recur in Wheel of Time season 2 cast as a major character, as will Guy Roberts as Uno Nomesta and Gregg Chillingirian as Ingtar Shinowa.
Wheel of Time Season 2 Story Details
Wheel of Time season 2’s story will adapt book 2 of the saga, The Great Hunt, but there are still several plot threads from The Eye of the World that could be integrated into the show. A few things can be gleaned from Wheel of Time‘s season 1 finale that hints at the direction of the story, though. With Rand going off on his own, Mat returning to the dark city of Shadar Logoth, and Padan Fain stealing the Horn of Valere, the Emond’s Field Five will be scattered in various directions. The hunt for the Horn of Valere will likely take center stage, but Rand’s journey (including his reckoning with the fact that he is the Dragon Reborn) will be integral to Wheel of Time season 2.
Since there have been changes to the story of the novels, there’s nothing to be taken for granted when it comes to The Wheel of Time season 2 plot — but that doesn’t mean it’s going completely off-script. Showrunner Rafe Judkin also said that the Wheel of Time season 2 story will contain elements of the third book, The Dragon Reborn, as well. He announced this at the same time that he said Prime Video had already renewed Wheel of Time for a third season, which will follow the storyline from the fourth book, The Shadow Rising.
Wheel of Time Season 2 Trailer
The full-length Wheel of Time season 2 trailer gives plenty of hints at what’s to come in the season. While the trailer depicts some changes from the book that it adapts, that’s not uncommon with fantasy shows as screenwriters work to streamline narratives a bit more. One of those changes, for example, is that the trailer sees Rand asking Logain to teach him channeling. In the books, the two don’t interact until the eighth novel, and they certainly don’t have a mentor-teacher relationship.
Other reveals in the trailer include a look at Elayne, a new addition for season 2. Though she didn’t appear in the first season of the show, Elayne is one of the most popular characters in the novels. Much of Elayne’s story in season 2 will likely occur alongside Egwene and Nynaeve as they all are trained in channeling at the White Tower.
One of the more exciting reveals in the Wheel of Time season 2 trailer is that the characters will begin interacting with the Aiel earlier than they do in the books. The Aiel are a desert people. While they play a big role in the series of novels overall, they don’t begin playing their part until the fourth book in the series. Introducing them in season 2 (made clear by their clothing and weaponry in the trailer) allows the characters to be fully integrated into the story before the events of the fourth book play out. It’s one change in The Wheel of Time season 2 that will be a welcome one for fans.
