The Wheel of Time cancelled by Prime Video after three seasons – why won't season 4 happen?
Time out.
Following the conclusion of its third season last month, it has been reported that The Wheel of Time has been cancelled.
The fantasy series based on the Robert Jordan book series premiered in 2021 to high viewership and very solid reviews from critics - which only increased their praise in the show;s recent run.
With an acclaimed cast starring Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred alongside the likes of Daniel Henney (Criminal Minds) and Sophie Okonedo (Ratched, Britannia), it's not hard to see why the show launched with such broad appeal.
And despite many believing that the most recent season marked the show's best so far, that doesn't appear to have been enough to secure it a fourth season.
According to Deadline, Prime Video made the decision not to renew the series following "lengthy deliberations," with the platform's move credited to financial reasons.
RadioTimes.com has reached out to Prime Video for comment on Deadline's report.
Despite previous relatively high viewership and a dedicated fan following, overall viewership had dropped by the time season 3 rolled around.
Compounded with the high cost of producing such a show, it appears Prime Video was simply unwilling to continue financing it, with season 3's performance being deemed by Deadline's report to be "not strong enough compared to the show's cost for Prime Video to commit to another season."
One must also consider the other high-budget productions Prime currently has in their charge, including The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Fallout, as well as parent company Amazon's recent takeover of the James Bond franchise.
According to Nielsen's Top 10 Originals chart, which reflects US viewership figures, the latest season of The Wheel of Time dropped out after three weeks, while the first two seasons remained on the list for their full runs.
While this ranking doesn't take into account global viewership, with the title having ranked highly on the platform in multiple countries, falling viewership in one of Prime Video's largest markets would be a poor omen for almost any show.
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The show's cancellation will undoubtedly be a gut punch to its devoted fans, with the series having come into its own somewhat in season 3, although how the third season's ending was handled may bring them some closure.
Despite the cancellation, both Prime Video and lead studio Sony TV are noted by Deadline to be continuing to push the Emmy campaign for The Wheel of Time's third season.
The Wheel of Time seasons 1 to 3 are available to stream on Prime Video.
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