According to Deadline, Criminal Minds actor Daniel Henney (Wolverine, Big Hero 6) has been tapped to portray the role of al’Lan Mandragoran in Amazon Prime’s upcoming fantasy series adaptation The Wheel of Time. In the novel series, Henney’s character Lan is known as the Lord of the Seven Towers, who is the uncrowned king and only survivor of the royal line of the fallen kingdom of Malkier.
The Korean-American actor will be joining previously announced cast members Madeleine Madden (Tidelands), Zoë Robins (Power Rangers Ninja Steel), Barney Harris (Clique), Marcus Rutherford (Obey), and Josha Stradowski (Just Friends). Based on Robert Jordan’s long-running fantasy epic of the same name, the series will be led by Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), who will play the lead role of Moiraine.
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The Wheel of Time, which has sold over 90M books worldwide, is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it. The story follows Moiraine (Pike), a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization called the ‘Aes Sedai’ as she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women. Moiraine believes one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual, whom prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it. The series draws on numerous elements of European and Asian culture and philosophy, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism.
Emmy nominee Uta Briesewitz (Westworld, This Is Us, Jessica Jones) will direct the first two episodes. Rafe Judkins (Agents of SHIELD, Hemlock Grove) is developing the series for TV and will serve as showrunner, with Sony Pictures TV co-producing. Judkins is also executive producing alongside Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of Red Eagle Entertainment, Ted Field and Mike Weber of Radar Pictures and Darren Lemke. Harriet McDougal, Jordan’s widow, will serve as a consulting producer. Pike will also produce.
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Wheel of Time began with The Eye of the World back in 1990 and ended with A Memory of Light in 2013. The final book was finished by Brandon Sanderson, as Jordan passed away in 2007. The eighth through fourteenth books in The Wheel of Time series each reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. The story follows a group of characters lead by Rand al’Thor on the search for the Dragon Reborn. There are 14 novels in the series, which was nominated for a Hugo Award after its completion. Combined, the books have sold more than 90 million copies, second only to fantasy novel champion The Lord of the Rings — which is also being developed into a series for Amazon.
