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At a recent press London press event, Amazon Studios gave the the official green light for the epic fantasy “Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan.  For several weeks, showrunner Rafe Judkins (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Chuck) has interacted with fans on twitter using the hashtag #WOTWednesdays.  So far what I’ve peeped is good.

With Judkins reassuring tweets and Harriet McDougal, Jordan’s widow, serving as consulting producer, the series is in good hands.  *Fingers crossed*.  The show will premiere in “on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories,” according to the press release.

Here’s a brief breakdown:

Small town dude (age around 18) discovers he’s destined to save and/or destroy the world.  Said male and friends go on an epic journey filled with magic, dice, braid tugging, and mad sword fighting. Trust me, you will need a cheat sheet.  Basically your usual fantasy world with characters to love and those you will love to hate.

If you want to check out the 13 book series before hand reading and/or listening to the audio books will be fine.  Heck you may even do a re-read before we get the premiere episode.  One thing I am looking forward to are several female characters getting their chance to shine and some AWESOME battles.

From the press release:

“The Wheel of Time is endlessly fascinating and resonates hugely with fans as one of the best-selling global properties, and we were drawn to its timely narrative featuring powerful women at the core,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “We’re thrilled to extend our relationship with devotees who’ve found the book series transformative and welcome new ones by bringing it to life on Prime Video for viewers worldwide.”

“Developing and producing Robert Jordan’s beloved fourteen-books-series for TV is a big undertaking, and we don’t take it lightly,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Event Series, Amazon Originals. “We believe that Rafe’s personal connection to the material and soulful writing will resonate with the book’s passionate fans.”

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to produce The Wheel of Time with our friends at Amazon,” said Co-President of SPT Chris Parnell. “In Rafe Judkins, we’ve found a brilliant visionary that is a true fan of the books and ready to bring Robert Jordan’s world to life.”

Judkins commented: “For so many people, including me, this book series has served as a world to escape to, to lose yourself in, to devour and inhabit completely. And I couldn’t be more honored to be the one finally bringing that world to life on screen, for old fans to lose themselves in all over again and new fans to discover for the very first time.”

I feel like once I start seeing set photos and cast announcements that is when I will be really like:

via GIPHY

For my WOT peeps what are you most looking forward to in the series?  Which book is your fave? Sound off below in the comments!

The post “The Wheel of Time” is a Go, Thanks Amazon Studios! appeared first on The Nerd Element.

At 48-years-old, actor and producer Taraji P. Henson is living her best life. The D.C. native recently got engaged to former NFL star Kelvin Hayden back in May, and she’s starring in one of the biggest shows on television, Empire. As the series moves into its fifth season, Henson has added even more to her […]

The post Taraji P. Henson Wants To Encourage More Black People To Take Care Of Their Mental Health appeared first on Essence.

After two years of hosting Switch, Pivot or Quit, a widely popular podcast, Ahyiana Angel gained two valuable insights that inspired her to launch Mayzie Media, a podcast network for women.

I realized male-led shows dominated the podcast charts and the news headlines,” said Angel. “I also noticed a trend on social media with women asking their communities for podcast recommendations with a female lead or host. They were very vocal about being tired of the same dude style talk and content dominating the space and as a result controlling our narratives. Oftentimes, new podcasts have a hard time breaking through to the masses because the discovery of new programs is challenging. My logic was to create a hub where those who want podcasts produced with their interests in mind can have a sole location for discovery and entertainment.”

With a focus on providing podcasts in the categories of inspiration and self-care; society and culture; and business, Mayzie Maydie has a refreshing line-up of programming.

A Milli, the first podcast to launch under the network, takes listeners behind the scenes with women who have amassed a minimum of 1 million in funding, sales, subscribers, net worth, etc. in business. These are dynamic women who collectively have more than $60 million in annual revenue, 5 million in social followers, and have amassed more than $116 million in funding. Special guests include Janice Bryant Howroyd, founder and CEO of The ACT-1 Group with a reported net worth of $420 million; Lindsey Andrews, co-founder of Minibar Delivery, the direct-to-consumer wine, beer, and liquor delivery service with $5 million in funding; Myleik Teele, founder and chief experience officer of beauty subscription brand curlBOX; and Sabena Suri, co-founder and CSO of BOXFOX a premier gift-giving company.

Book’d is the next show set to launch. This podcast features authors of new releases in self-help, personal development, and more. The authors are not only talking about their book projects but also sharing their writing process and personal stories as well.

Beyond spotlighting the entrepreneurial process, sales. and success metrics, Mayzie Media is looking to make an impact from having uncomfortable conversations. “I want to make it easy for women to explore programming which speaks to the issues they are discussing on ladies night like: “how the hell did I get ghosted” or “how do I navigate being a new mom after maternity leave,” says Angel. “I also want to highlight the stories that need to be told like the accounts of women who have suffered due to the disturbing practice of sex trafficking, and addressing common themes that come up as professionals: managing money, getting the promotion you deserve, or navigating a micro-manager. I like to say Mayzie Media is a digital brunch date with your girls: fun, fulfilling, and empowering.”

Even major networks such as Spotify are embracing the power of women as podcast listeners and consumers. Recently, the music streaming service announced an initiative to amplify female voices of color through the power of podcast.

“With 18,000 women applying to the Spotify Sound Up Bootcamp I think it was a clear message that we can show up in large numbers, we want to be heard, we have ideas, and we are ready to make our presence felt in podcasting. The response to the boot camp also showed that if you speak to us we will show up,  shine, and glow up. It also proves my gut feeling that the interest is there but the mainstream opportunities are not plentiful. Spotify also launched a very similar program in the UK and I would like to think that it was in response to the overwhelming interest that women showed in the States. I’m excited at the idea of all 18,000 aspiring creators having a network to rally behind them like Mayzie Media,” said Angel.

Advertising spending in podcasting is forecast to grow from $326 million in 2018 to $534 million in 2020. With 61% of podcast listeners reportedly buying something they heard about on a podcast ad, it’s no mystery that major players in the podcast industry are cutting larger checks for female talent and signing breakout talent to other media related deals as a result of podcasting. Ultimately, there is significant revenue potential in pairing the influence of women with podcasting.

The post A Podcast Network Putting the Spotlight on Women Who Amassed Millions appeared first on Black Enterprise.