Brandon Sanderson Says The Wheel of Time Fandom 'Deserved Better' Than a Cancelation After 'The Best Season,' as Over 120,000 Fans Desperate for Season 4 Sign Petition

The Wheel of Time seems dead in the water after Amazon’s cancelation of the Prime Video series following the conclusion of Season 3, and a new report that claims it’s not being shopped around to streamers. On top of that, Brandon Sanderson, who finished author Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, had some choice words for the people making the decisions.

Last month, it emerged that Prime Video had decided against renewing The Wheel of Time for Season 4 after what Deadline reported were “lengthy deliberations.” Apparently executives like the show, but couldn’t make it work financially.

The Wheel of Time is an adaptation of the much-loved fantasy book series of the same name by Robert Jordan, with a cast led by Rosamund Pike. After a shaky first two seasons that had fans of the books in uproar over controversial changes from the source material, Season 3 appeared to win over the fanbase and, it was felt, set up the show for even better things to come.

However, it seems The Wheel of Time cost too much for co-producers Sony Pictures TV and Amazon MGM Studios, the latter of which also makes the super expensive The Lord Of the Rings: The Rings Of Power.

As Deadline put it:

... the Season 3 overall performance was not strong enough compared to the show’s cost for Prime Video to commit to another season and the streamer could not make it work after examining different scenarios and following discussions with lead studio Sony TV, sources said.

Let’s start with Sanderson’s comments on the cancelation, made in the comments of a recent video published to his YouTube channel.

“I wasn't really involved,” he began. “Don't know anything more than what is public. They told me they were renegotiating, and thought it would work out. Then I heard nothing for two months. Then learned this from the news like everyone else.

“I do think it's a shame, as while I had my problems with the show, it had a fanbase who deserved better than a cancelation after the best season. I won't miss being largely ignored; they wanted my name on it for legitimacy, but not to involve me in any meaningful way.”

Clearly, Sanderson was less than impressed with the show's decision-makers, but he acknowledged the frustration among fans who had seen a clear improvement season to season, and who had hoped to see the story continue.

Now on to a new report that claims The Wheel of Time isn’t being shopped around to other streamers. TVLine said its “well-placed sources” confirmed the news that is sure to disappoint fans who’d hoped for Season 4 at least.

Meanwhile, over 120,000 fans have signed an online petition to “Save The Wheel of Time.” “Finish the story,” the organizers of the petition say on their website. “It deserves to be told in full!”

It’s increasingly likely those pleas will fall on deaf ears. Some fans hope Apple, which has form when it comes to glossy sci-fi and fantasy shows that cost huge amounts of money to make, may pick up The Wheel of Time for Apple TV+, but given the slate of shows it already has on its books, that is perhaps wishful thinking.

So, this The Wheel of Time adaptation does indeed look like it is out of time, and yet another disappointing attempt to adapt what many consider to be the greatest fantasy novel series ever written.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.