The Blue Carpet and the Cast of ‘The Wheel of Time’

It’s a cold November evening in London when Rosamund Pike walks the blue carpet at the BFI IMAX in Waterloo. Dressed in a white toga-style Christian Dior silk gown and bodysuit (from the Cruise 2022 line), the Oscar nominee looks like she has enchanted herself from the White Tower of Tar Vallon, the seat of the mighty S. wheel of time Chain. The author is fitting enough for the British actor playing Moiren Damodred, a powerful magic-user from Robert Jordan’s 14-book high fantasy, who takes up the lives of five youths in their quest to find the dragon Reborn, the ultimate A kind of messianic evil to stop.

Read also | Get ‘First Day First Show’ our weekly newsletter from the world of cinema delivered to your inbox, You can subscribe for free here

Pike is the last to appear in the highly anticipated premiere of the new Amazon Prime Video series, but it’s also one of the most anticipated. Her comment on how you’ll see “more naked men than naked women” on the show is “which is quite pleasing, as women have been asked to expose themselves forever and one day” already. Are in the online era. At the time, she was responding to the inevitable comparisons game of Thrones,

Although gone Girl The actor’s blue-carpet appearance is brief, she takes the time to tell me that it’s the representation of gender—how women act on equal terms with men in the books—that attracted her to the series. “Usually a guiding character in any fantasy book is a man, and it was interesting to see a woman here who changes people’s lives. So, in a spiritual sense, it was the right time for me to explore a force outside of myself,” she says, adding, “I also found the whole idea of ​​channeling very appealing.

world building and sound bites

urban legend has it wheel of time The series, which began shooting in Prague two and a half years ago, began because Amazon’s Jeff Bezos wanted to create a fantasy epic that would go beyond game of Thrones’ Success. What could be better than an epic that has maintained its active fan base over 23 years, with 14 volumes (with more than 90 million copies sold worldwide), author deaths, and notes and audio of death. Completion of the saga by another writer using recordings that Jordan had made before he died of a rare blood disease. The ambitious on-screen adaptation has been a daunting task – condensing its thousands of characters, many nations, centuries of history and, of course, vast geography.

The common sentiment on the blue carpet is excitement. I watch New Zealand actor Zoe Robbins (who plays Nyanev Al’Meara, one of the five youths) in her off-shoulder lime green Valentino gown, as I take my turn for a quick chat with Daniel Heaney. I wait American actor – known for his roles in several Korean and Hollywood films, including Seducing Mr. Perfect, Shanghai Calling, And X Men Origins: wolverine – Dressed stylishly in a slim gray suit and black polo neck. He plays Moirain’s warder, Al’Lan Mandragoran, a magically advanced bodyguard, and admits that he is rushing through the first book, Eye of the world “When we’re doing press, I need to move fast,” he laughs, laughing. “To chase an amazingly powerful woman into the dark and see where we end up is so special. And working with Pike is a challenge I’m most excited about.” Before meeting in Prague, the two first joined over two hours of FaceTime during casting.

correcting the hypermasculine gaze

The fantasy story is directed by a woman, a success of sorts for German cinematographer-director Uta Breisewitz, who is thrilled to helm a show of this scale—an “opportunity reserved for male directors in the past.” speaking of comparison The Lord of the Rings and the hypermasculine world game of Thrones, She says, “It’s a show about women being in power and how they handle it. If we give women a chance, we can bring the world back into balance.”

With its diverse cast, inclusivity is certainly a topic of discussion on the blue carpet, thanks to the fictional world of Jordan. This brings to mind Pike’s recent interview with the Radio Times, where she talked about receiving fan letters where several men wrote to her about how the women in the stories were “mentors and role models for their grown-ups.” was”.

Amazon Prime Video has already confirmed season two, and shooting has begun. Meanwhile, season one, with its six episodes – leave taking, shadow waiting, place of safety, dragon reborn, blood says blood, And tar valone flame The premiere will take place on November 19 and will go on till December 24.