Prime Video has canceled The Wheel of Time based, on the popular book series, after three seasons despite its critical praise and a passionate global fanbase.
The Wheel of Time has officially come to an end at Prime Video. After three seasons, the streamer has decided not to move forward with a fourth installment of the ambitious fantasy drama, Deadline has confirmed.
The decision follows more than a month of deliberation after the Season 3 finale premiered on April 17. Despite being well-received creatively and still maintaining a passionate fanbase, the cancellation was ultimately due to financial reasons. In today’s challenging economic landscape, even popular and critically acclaimed shows are not immune to the budget axe.
Based on the epic book series by Robert Jordan and completed by Brandon Sanderson, The Wheel of Time was co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios. The high-end production helped usher in the fantasy genre on Prime Video, paving the way for future projects like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The series starred Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred and featured a sprawling ensemble cast including Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, Zoë Robins, Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford, and many others.
When it launched in 2021, The Wheel of Time became Prime Video’s most-watched series premiere of the year and one of the platform’s Top 5 launches of all time. Though it remained a solid performer, Season 3 saw a dip in viewership, falling out of Nielsen’s Top 10 Originals chart after just three weeks — a contrast to the show’s stronger staying power in Seasons 1 and 2. It did make a brief return to the chart at #10 following the Season 3 finale.
While U.S. numbers play a role, streaming renewals often hinge on global performance. The Wheel of Time continued to perform well internationally, ranking #1 in multiple countries on Prime Video. Still, the show’s costly production and declining viewership meant that even with various options explored and discussions held with Sony TV, a viable path forward could not be found.
Fans, who have widely considered Season 3 to be the strongest yet, will be disappointed. The creative team seemed to anticipate this possibility, however, and crafted the finale to provide some sense of closure. Critics echoed fan sentiment, giving the final season a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes — a noticeable climb from Season 2’s 86% and Season 1’s 81%. Prime Video executives have even publicly acknowledged the show’s continual creative improvement over time.
Despite the cancellation, Prime Video and Sony TV will continue to back The Wheel of Time in this year’s Emmy race, hoping the critically acclaimed third season receives the recognition it deserves.
The ensemble cast also included Dónal Finn, Ceara Coveney, Sophie Okonedo, Kate Fleetwood, Natasha O’Keeffe, Ayoola Smart, Kae Alexander, Priyanka Bose, Taylor Napier, Hammed Animashaun, Meera Syal, Jennifer Cheon Garcia, Johann Myers, Jay Duffy, Laia Costa, Isabella Bucceri, Olivia Williams, and Shohreh Aghdashloo.
The Wheel of Time was brought to life for television by showrunner and executive producer Rafe Judkins. Additional executive producers included Rick Selvage, Larry Mondragon, Ted Field, Mike Weber, Marigo Kehoe, Ciaran Donnelly, Justine Juel Gillmer, Dave Hill, and lead star Rosamund Pike.
