The Wheel of Time animated revival sparks fan outrage over potential AI use in production

'Expect crushing disappointment': The Wheel of Time fans express concern and outrage over animated revival that could be created using AI

* The Wheel of Time is coming back as an animated show * Prime Video cancelled its live-action adaptation in mid-2025 * Fans are already concerned about the revival and the studio behind it The Wheel of Time (TWoT) is officially coming back as an animated TV show -- and fans of Robert Jordan's high fantasy book series don't want it to happen for one big reason. 10 months after Prime Video canceled its live-action adaptation of The Wheel of Time, Jordan's works are set to take on a new life in form of a TV anime. Per Variety, TWoT rights holders iwot Studios will develop the show alongside Initiate Entertainment. The latter company is co-owned by Thomas Vu, one of many producers who worked on Arcane, the hit Netflix anime series that's based on Riot Games' League of Legends videogame franchise. iwot Studios is no stranger to the TWoT IP. As well as owning the rights to the brand, iwot CEO Rick Selvage and chief content officer Larry Mondragon were producers on Amazon's live-action reimagining of Jordan's novels. iwot is also believed to be working on animated films and a role-playing game (RPG) that'll continue to expand its universe beyond the confines of the page. "I see tremendous opportunity in expanding The Wheel of Time into fully authentic, integrated, interactive, and animated storytelling experiences," Vu said in a statement. "The depth of the mythology provides a foundation for sustained, multi-platform franchise growth." Why is The Wheel of Time's fanbase angry over this news? It's unclear if The Wheel of Time's animated offering would continue where its live-action interpretation left off following its axing after three seasons. There's also no word on whether showrunner Rafe Judkins would return to help develop it, nor whether any of its primary cast might reprise their roles from the Prime Video show, albeit in voice acting roles only. There's nothing to report on which of the world's best streaming services it'll eventually be released on, too. One thing we do know, however, is that many sections of TWoT's fanbase has reacted negatively to this news. For one, TWoT diehards are still angry that its live-action show was canned in the first place. Indeed, in the weeks following its scrapping, fans campaigned vigorously to "find the show a new home" following The Wheel of Time's cancellation after three seasons. Unfortunately, their pleas fell on deaf ears. That's far from the only reason that TWoT's fanbase don't want to see it turned into an anime, though. In February, iwot struck a deal with visual effects (VFX) studio Framestore to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled platform. Per Variety, it "will offer brands asset management tools to ease collaboration on projects across multiple platforms" and "enable studios to unify their production environments across film, television, video games, animation, advertising, immersive experiences, social platforms, and user-generated content." The first IP that'll utilize this tool? Yep, you guessed it, The Wheel of Time. With AI becoming an increasingly prevalent -- not to mention highly controversial -- presence in the entertainment space, TWoT fans are worried and frustrated over the prospect that iwot's animated program will not only realized using AI, but become the latest project to be deemed 'AI slop'. Indeed, hardcore TWoT fans have taken to social media platforms, including X/Twitter and Reddit, to express their opposition to what they perceive to be the "franchisation and sloppification" of the beloved franchise. Meanwhile, others simply want its cancelled live-action iteration to be renewed. There are some who wouldn't mind a TWoT animated series under the guidance of one of Arcane's producers -- as long as AI isn't involved, anyway. In online circles, though, these fans are firmly in the minority. Time will tell if they were right to be positive about this production or not. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

The Wheel of Time fans are concerned about AI use in the franchise's new projects

Yesterday, Variety revealed that multiple new projects inspired by Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time fantasy novels are heading fans' way. They are currently in development by the IP owner, iwot Studios. The studio will also work with Thomas Vu, producer of Arcane and a veteran of Riot Games' League of Legends, as well as Anthony Borquez's media company, Initiate Entertainment. The news was met with mixed reception by fans on social media, with some pleased that Jordan's The Wheel of Time series would find a new lease of life in these projects, after the Prime Video show was canceled. However, others were more concerned about iwot Studios' collaboration with partners and organizations known for their use of AI. Borquez, for instance, is the founder of Grab Games and co-founder of Grab Labs, an AI development firm specializing in the entertainment and video game industries. Borquez will work with Vu, alongside iwot Studios CEO Rick Selvage and COO Larry Mondragon, both of whom were producers on Amazon's The Wheel of Time. The group will develop and produce a new video game, an animated TV series, and animated feature films. It's not the first time that iwot Studios has partnered with collaborators who champion AI. Only last month, it was revealed that the studio had struck a deal with Framestore, a VFX company, to launch an "AI-enabled platform" that will help with asset management across multiple platforms and projects. Amazon's The Wheel of Time lasted only three seasons before being abruptly canceled due to financial issues and declining viewership. However, as some fans pointed out, it was an enterprise at least built on "beautiful human craftsmanship," not AI. Although there is no solid proof that AI will be used in the production of the animated The Wheel of Time TV series, movies, or video games -- though people are already openly speculating whether Vu's exclusive artwork shared with Variety is AI-generated -- iwot Studios' willingness to partner with companies that use AI has fans worried. Only time will tell whether their fears are justified.