The Wheel of Time's Rosamund Pike addresses major season 3 book change
"There'll be debate about it."
With The Wheel of Time returning to screens very soon for season 3, Rosamund Pike has reassured fans about one major change from the books.
The upcoming season, which will adapt events from The Shadow Rising, will follow Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski), the Dragon Reborn, as he heads into the Aiel Waste.
Fans might notice this marks a change in the books' chronology, which Pike (who plays Moraine and serves as an executive producer) has addressed.
"We haven't neglected the Stone of Tear, we've just rearranged the order," she exclusively told RadioTimes.com.
"There'll be debate about it, but instead of Rand, as you would expect, his next point on his journey would be to go and get Callandor from the Stone of Tear, we are going into the Aiel Waste first, because he needs to discover who he is.
"Obviously in the novels, there's loads of opportunity for the internal battles of Rand, coming to terms with being the Dragon Reborn - but we need to make that active.
"We can't do subjective thinking on film. So we need him to go and discover who he is by going to the land of where he comes from. So we're going to the Aiel Waste first and I hope you'll understand and appreciate why."
Meanwhile, showrunner Rafe Judkins also had some words of assurance for fans of the novels, telling RadioTimes.com that fans will get to see Rand and Perrin shine.
He said: "So many people who love the books love different things about them.
"One of the reassurances I would give – there are some people who read the books and the only thing they love about it is Rand and his story in them. And there are some people who really love the Perrin story.
"For those people who have felt under-serviced in previous seasons, I can assure them that this season we've always been planning to and you really get to see these great characters serviced.
"I love Rand and Perrin just as much as they do and and this is the right time to really see those characters shine and you really get to. And Marcus [Rutherford] and Josha, who play them, are really up to the task of what we ask of them this season."
Season 3, which is also set to introduce new cast members including Olivia Williams as Queen Morgase Trakand, will follow Rand as he's set to make critical choices between light and dark, while he's hunted by the Forsaken.
The Wheel of Time season 3 will begin on 13th March on Prime Video.
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Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
