Wheel of Time Bought By Universal

Before Wheel of Time author Robert Jordan died last year, he had long avoided all questions about his series being turned into films. He simply could not imagine how anyone could capture the scope of his world in a two or even three hour film.

Now his books have been purchased by Universal, so we will see if he was right. As great a novelist as Robert Jordan was, his strength was in his vision, not his prose. Like Tom Clancy, Jordan would delve into minutia for ten or twelve pages at a time. And like Tom Clancy's work, with a good scriptwriter (and I nominate myself) the vision can translate to the big screen.

As sad as Jordan's death is, I am excited that this work will move into a new phase, and if all goes well, a long running movie franchise would be most excellent.

If they screw it up, then I'll be left where I am with the work of another great author--Douglas Adams--wishing they never bothered. The latest film version of Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy wasn't horrible, but I doubt it inspired many viewers to look into the writings of the late great genius who created it. The Wheel of Time could easily end up the same way. Or, it could be as big as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. My mind is racing with the casting possibilities already.