If you’re looking for your next sweeping epic fantasy series, you shouldn’t miss Amazon’s ‘The Wheel of Time’. Based on Robert Jordan’s epic 15-book series of the same name, The Wheel of Time is Amazon’s first attempt to inspire the international fanbase that flocked to Game of Thrones. Following this series, they’ll be rolling out their other big budget high fantasy series set in the world of The Lord of the Rings.
The description for the series reads, “Set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, the story follows Moiraine (Gone Girl‘s Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.”
The first season of the series scored an 82 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many critics praising the show’s costumes, production design, and cinematography. The series also features stunning vistas and gorgeous landscapes that really propel viewers into the fantasy world.
This is largely thanks to the series filming locations, which took place all over the world. Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia and Spain all appear in the series as different lands and destinations. The majority of filming took place at Jordan Studios, a massive lot that Amazon built for the show in the Czech Republic city of Prague (and named for Robert Jordan himself). The studio features football-field sized sound stages, where the show could build (and burn down) the village of Emond’s Field. Most of the scenes involving the cities Tar Valon and Shadar Logoth were shot at the studios as well. The Czech Republic is also home to the magnificent natural Pravčická Archway, located in the Bohemian Switzerland region.
The Czech Republic also stood in for the Two Rivers, and Fal Dara, while more mountainous regions like the city of Baerlon were filming in Croatia. Slovenia, specifically the Julian Alps, was also the site for many outdoor horseback riding scenes and rocky vistas. Segovia, Spain stood in for the city of Ghealdan, where the false Dragon Logain Ablar (Álvaro Morte) was captured in Episode 4. More city shots were done in Dubrovnik, Croatia, which was also the filming location for King’s Landing in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
The final episode of the first season took viewers to the beaches of the north coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands in Spain. The series had planned to film more in the Canary Islands, but COVID limited their access. You can expect much more filming in the Canaries and in the neighboring Morocco in season two.
(via Winter Is Coming, featured image: Amazon Prime Studios)
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