Summary
AmazonshockedThe Wheel of Timefans by canceling the show after its third season despite receiving positive reviews from fans. The popular intellectual property has a dedicated fan base, which should’ve made the television series a massive hit for the streaming platform. Still, itscancellation proves that the adaptation of Robert Jordan’s novels hasn’t quite worked.
Of course, not every series is going to be a success, and fans will be pleased that they were given three seasons before the plug was pulled. ButThe Wheel of Time’sfailure is the latest example of Amazon struggling to get things right with a significant intellectual property, causing concern about what’s going to happen in the future.
The Wheel Of Time Is The Latest Example Of Amazon Failing With An Intellectual Property
It Is Becoming A Concerning Pattern For Amazon Moving Forward
The Wheel of Timebrought in an excellent 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its third season, but the fact thatAmazon still canceled the showis a telling sign that they’re struggling with long-term planning. The first two seasons of the series didn’t end up being enjoyable, and that meant that the show was fighting a losing battle regardless of what happened moving forward. Having the rights to that story seemed like a guaranteed win for the streaming service due to its popularity, already having a built-in audience that could be tapped into, and the fact that Amazon failed to do that is a cause for concern.
However, this isn’t the only time that Amazon has fumbled with a significant property that is beloved worldwide.Amazon spent vast sums of money onThe Rings Of Powerin a bid to create the nextGame of Thronesfor the television world. Tapping intoThe Lord of the Ringsshould’ve led to unbelievable levels of success, considering how popular that franchise is, both in terms of the original novels and Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy. However, despite the money put into it, people have been left feeling underwhelmed by the content produced throughout the first two seasons. The show has failed to deliver on the expectations fans had, and given thatAmazon canceledThe Wheel of Timedespite being considered a better show, the future ofThe Rings of Powerdoesn’t look bright.The Rings of Powersuffered a significant drop-off in terms of viewership for the second season, proving that just being based on a major franchise isn’t enough if the overall quality isn’t there.
Fallout Is The Only Exception Of Amazon’s Ability With Intellectual Property Successfully
The First Season Gave People Hope Amazon Can Fix This Problem
Even thoughThe Wheel of Timefell short of expectations for many people, the first season ofFalloutmanaged to exceed most of the expectations that existed for it. Fans of the video game franchise were left impressed by howAmazon brought the world to life, focusing on the characters that have helped takeFalloutto the level that it’s at today in the video game world. The hopes are high for what Amazon will be able to achieve withFalloutmoving forward, as this has become one of Amazon’s major shows that people are now looking forward to seeing continue. However, there will be pressure on Amazon to ensure the quality remains moving forward, as there are doubts among people who know about Amazon’s past with intellectual properties.
Fans Will Start To Lose Faith In The Company If Amazon Doesn’t Turn Things Around
Amazon’s failure to get the best out of significant intellectual properties such asThe Lord of The RingsandThe Wheel of Timeis a worry when considering that Amazon has taken creative control of theJames Bondfranchise.They’re in the process of making the next movie for the iconic British spy franchiseand given how popular these movies are; there won’t be any forgiveness from fans if Amazon drops the ball with this. It’s a huge opportunity to prove that they can work with intellectual property and make it a success because there’s a massive fanbase actively waiting for more content from this universe. Amazon could take it to a whole new level with its financial resources, but there is pressure to make that happen.
Amazon has now reached the point where fans will start to lose faith in its ability to handle major intellectual properties moving forward, which is a risk within itself. Getting the rights tocreate television shows or moviesfrom significant, well-known brands sets them up to attract a lot of interest initially, but as the quality continues to drop, so does the intrigue. Consistently failing to get the best out of popular franchises is a sign of internal problems, and after failure withThe Wheel of Time, Amazon must be careful with how it proceeds.
