‘The Wheel of Time’ Star Rosamund Pike Says Terrible Churn was to Blame for Fantasy Saga’s Cancellation

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Fans of fantasy were excited when Prime Video started streaming both a Lord of the Rings series and an adaptation of Robert Jordan’s epic The Wheel of Time. While the Lord of the Rings show, The Rings of Power, has faced criticism, Prime Video continues to support it. However, The Wheel of Time was unexpectedly canceled after only three seasons, and one of the show’s stars believes they know the reason why.

In a recent interview with Collider to promote her upcoming film, Now You See Me, Now You Don’t, Rosamund Pike discussed how streaming services’ constant push for fresh content – what she called the “terrible churn” – can quickly make older shows feel outdated.

I have to admit, the first season didn’t quite hit the mark, and looking back, I can see why. We really struggled during filming with COVID hitting our set hard, and we also had some key crew changes. But we learned from those challenges! By season two, things were already improving, and by season three, we finally found our stride. It was incredible to see the show become what we always knew it could be – a really strong, well-acted, and compelling story that even attracted some amazing actors for smaller roles. We proved what we were capable of, and it’s a shame it wasn’t enough. I often wonder if we’d had that strong start, things might have been different. It just feels like we were caught up in the constant push for ‘the next big thing,’ and sadly, that meant our show didn’t get the chance it deserved.

Could ‘The Wheel of Time’ Ever Return to Screens?


Prime Video

Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series is as popular and extensive as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but it hasn’t reached the same level of mainstream recognition. The question is, if the series isn’t completed, could it be continued by another author? According to Pike, the devoted fanbase is large enough to make that a real possibility.

I’ve seen how much the show means to people, but this event let fans truly share their experiences. They came together – people who met, fell in love, and even found the strength to come out, all because of The Wheel of Time. Some even shared that the show helped them through incredibly difficult times, even saving their lives. It was deeply moving, and I wished the Amazon executives could have been there with me to hear these powerful stories firsthand.

Robert Pike’s observation that The Wheel of Time started slowly seems accurate, as the show’s ratings steadily increased from its first to third season – jumping from 62% to 85% among viewers. Despite consistently negative audience reactions, The Rings of Power continues to draw large viewership numbers, which suggests The Wheel of Time’s cancellation wasn’t solely due to poor reviews. It remains to be seen if another streaming service might pick up the series, but that’s a possibility.

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2025-11-16 19:22