Who wants Wheel of Time casting news? We’ve learned who will be playing the pivotal role of Alanna Mosvani and her two Warders!
(Note: The comments section for this piece will most likely contain spoilers for the Wheel of Time series.)
Deadline reports that three actors have been added to the Wheel of Time adaptation! Alanna Mosvani will be played by Indian actor Priyanka Bose, probably best known to U.S. audiences for her role in Lion. Like Moiraine, Alanna is part of the Aes Sedai, an all-female group of powerful magic users. Alanna is in a complicated relationship with her two Warders, Ihvon and Maksim, which is marked by a delicate balance of sex and respect that helps them unite as a trio in battle. All About April’s Taylor Napier will play Maksim, while Ihvon will be played by actor/producer Emmanuel Imani, most recently seen in Black Earth Rising.
‘The Wheel Of Time’: Amazon Adds Three To Cast Of Series Based On Fantasy Books https://t.co/5XD45AzIvR pic.twitter.com/IHdxvnIVJr
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) December 23, 2019
For more thoughts on casting you can check out Leigh Butler’s response to the initial announcements, and be sure to keep up with Sylas Barrett’s read of the epic while we wait for the premiere!
our least favorite magical rapist has been cast. here’s hoping they do more with this chekovs gun
Why is Alanna cast now? And why did they change owein to maksim?
@2, Just what I was wondering. No problem with the casting but am beginning to worry about the script.
Several comments.
1) I wonder why they changed her second warder’s name from Owein to Maksim (markmarverick @2 asked this same question)
2) the summary said Alanna had a complex (even sexual relationship with her warders. I do not remember Alanna having such a relationship with her warders. It almost sounds if they will combine Myrelle’s character with Alanna. Interesting if they do.
3) Alanna was not in EotW. Perhaps she will have an expanded role in the TV series.
Thanks for reading my musings.
AndrewHB
@2 I’d bet Alanna is going to be involved with the early Logain stuff.
I would guess that they changed Owein’s name because of its similarity to Owyn (Thom’s nephew). I don’t know why she’s being cast this early, as there’s no obvious reason for her to show up with her warders before the arrival of the Amyrlin’s embassy in book 2. She appeared in New Spring, but not, if I recall, with these warders.
My cynical side suspects the character is being added so they can get some sex onscreen a lot earlier than in the books
Boy that makes me worry a bit – pulling in stuff from other books this early? I just dunno if that’s necessary, but will reserve judgement.
Rafe confirmed on Twitter that the name change is because of similarity to Owyn. They’ll try to keep as many names as possible, but when they’re going to sound near enough to identical aloud, they may have to. (There’s precedent for this in the Asha/Yara situation in Game of Thrones.)
I think this means they’re probably introducing the Amyrlin’s entourage at the end of season 1. Otherwise you’re introducing dozens of new faces you’ll have to remember in season 2 episode 1, which is A LOT all at once. Giving them an episode in Fal Dara at the end to establish the Aes Sedai faces we’ll get to know, love, and hate means they can introduce more characters at the beginning of season 2 like Hurin and Masema and so on who come into play during the titular Hunt.
On that note, consider the very ending of book 1 and the first Rand chapter of book 2. The party arrives in Fal Dara, and everyone around them celebrates while they kick dirt. For a month. Rand makes big talk about leaving but he doesn’t. Wouldn’t it make much more sense to end the season on the cliffhanger of a certain item going missing and kicking off the next quest?
(Mind you, my thoughts may not count for much, as I half expected them to cut the entire Ogier existence for time, but we’ve for sure got a Loial cast, so what do I know?)
It’s been confirmed that Logain is going to have an expanded role, so my guess is that we’ll see him defeated and captured and Alanna will be present.
The other alternative option is that, since Valda has been cast, they’re doing the story of Team Elayne going to Tar Valon and we’ll see Alanna there.
@7, Zodda; I share your cynicism.
Granted the first book is like watching paint dry, IMO, no wonder they want to live it up a bit.
@11 – Watching paint dry? Really? It’s the most narratively condensed book in the entire series. By far. Watching paint dry would be the later books, when the series gets bogged down in pointless side characters and descriptions of dresses.
Huh. This isn’t one I was eager for and I’m guessing they’re going to condense a few storylines here.
Lisamarie @13. I agree about consolidating a few storylines. My pet theory. I think Alanna and her two warders will meet Egwene and Perrin when everybody gets separated at Shadar Logath rather than Egwene and Perrin meeting Elyas. Alanna’s second warder (Maksim) will be a wolfbrother who takes the role of Elyas. Maksim will die when the group encounters the Whitecloaks (saving Alanna and Ihvon; but the Whitecloaks capture Perrin and Egwene but kill Hopper). Emaon will lead the Whitecloaks troops rather than Geofram Bornhald.
Thanks for reading my musings.
AndrewHB
Listen to me people. It’s not going to be just like the books. It’s going to be different from the books. It may be VERY different from the books. You. Should. Expect. This.
Please for the love of the Creator, stop posting negativity and cynicism every single time there’s an announcement of any freakin kind. FFS.
Eric @15. I think most of the comments on this particular thread are not taking the position that how dear the TV series change anything. I do not see as much negativity and cynicism as you do. People are just wondering how the announcement of these three actors for the roles they will play will impact the plot (at least that is what I am wondering).
As for me, I understand that changes will need to be made. The books have way too much material for them to take every scene and put it on the TV show. If they tried that, we would have an entire episode somewhere in the middle of the series where Elayne ans Aviendha are just talking to each other while they both are taking a bath.
It would not surprise me that some of the changes I will like whereas other changes I will not.
Thanks for reading my musings.
AndrewHB
Condensing story lines might also mean consolidating characters. If we get a cast announcement for Alanna and her Warders, I wouldnt be surprised if Alanna takes on more of Myrelle’s role, as a previous poster mentioned, which puts her not only in Rand’s story but Nynaeve and Lan’s as well. Cutting down on the Loads and Loads of Characters and some of the Midseason Plot Rot wouldn’t hurt the series, but it is going to require moving pieces around. I’m cautiously optimistic for this series, and this hasn’t changed it.
My money is on the same reason we got Valda–we’re going to get scenes with Logain, his captors (Green and Red Ajah, so, Alanna) and the Whitecloaks who follow them from Caemlyn to Tar Valon.
“pivotal role?” I can think of a lot more pivotal roles than Alanna that they haven’t announced yet. It is likely that she will be combined with at least a couple of Aes Sedai characters and that the name of her warder was changed to not be confused with Thom’s nephew. The whole “delicate balance of sex and respect that helps them unite as a trio in battle” is kind of worrying though, even though I know they are probably using it explore the Aes Sedai/Warder bond/relationship and as set up for Rand’s eventual bonding. I hope they don’t change “bond” to bondage for a ratings grab.
I thought it was a Thing that a lot of Greens slept with their Warders. Not all of them, sure, but I was always under the impression that Myrelle and her relationships weren’t all that strange.
I am just wondering where on Earth they are going to find all the “ample bosom” -ed women to play the characters in these books.