Though it earned him a Golden Globe, Jim Carrey's performance in the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon has practically become a cautionary tale in the film industry about the inconveniences of method acting to a production. In a recent appearance on the Off Menu podcast (via The Telegraph), Martin Freeman criticized the practice of method acting in general, citing Carrey's behavior working on Man on the Moon as a particularly noteworthy culprit. "[It's] the most self-aggrandizing, selfish, narcissistic f—ing bollocks I have ever seen," Freeman said. "When younger, I think it’s quite common to think that completely losing yourself is the goal [of acting] because it feels grown-up and it feels proper. But the older I’ve got, the more I don’t really look to that. To be honest, it’s quite a pain in the arse when someone ‘loses themselves.’ It is a massive pain in the arse because it’s no longer a craft and a job.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/12/jim-carrey-on-the-evolution-of-dr-robotnik-and-a-sonic-sequel"] The Hobbit and Sherlock star's comments began as an observation that British actors often want to "get on with it and get it done" to help move a production along. To Freeman, method acting is a "highly impractical way of working." Carrey's method approach was explored in the 2017 Netflix documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond. The film delves into how Carrey's intense approach affected both the crew's productivity as well as Carrey's sense of self. “For me, and I’m genuinely sure Jim Carrey is a lovely and smart person, but it was the most self-aggrandizing, selfish, narcissistic fucking bollocks I have ever seen,” Freeman said. “The idea that anything in our culture would celebrate or support it is deranged, literally deranged.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2021-movies-preview&captions=true"] "You need to keep grounded in reality," Freeman continued. "That’s not to say you don’t lose yourself in the time between ‘action’ and ‘cut,' but I think the rest of it is absolute pretentious nonsense and highly amateurish. It is not professional. Get the job done, do your work.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Today, Blizzard hosted a new Overwatch 2 livestream with a bunch of new details on the upcoming sequel.

While the biggest news was arguably changing PvP team compositions, there were plenty of other new details. Below are some of the biggest details we learned from today’s Overwatch 2 stream.

Overwatch 2 PvP Teams Will be 5v5, Not 6v6

As reported earlier, Blizzard has announced that Overwatch 2 will introduce 5-member PvP teams, down from the 6-person teams introduced in the first Overwatch. Along with the smaller team sizes, tanks will be adjusted so that they are more like brawlers in a fight, rather than stationary shields. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/01/overwatch-2-gameplay-overview-trailer"] Furthermore, each class will receive a new passive ability to complement their abilities. Tanks will have knockback reduction and reduce ultimate charge gain when taking damage from enemies; Damage heroes will get a movement speed bonus, and Support will self-heal when they don't take damage for an extended period of time.

Overwatch 2 - New Monte Carlo Map Revealed

Blizzard also revealed a new map during today's stream called Monte Carlo. Based on the luxury vacation destination, the fictional version of Monte Carlo is very much like its real-life counterpart, where beautiful buildings are situated on steep hills. It is still very much a luxury destination but given the slight futuristic makeover of Overwatch.

Assault Will be Removed From Competitive Play

Assault is a mode where an attacking team and defending team vie for contested Capture Points on a map. Attacking teams will have a set time to capture a point while a defending team must stop them, and the two teams will switch off.

While Assault will still be available in Custom, it will be removed from Quick Play, which is being designed to be similar to Competitive.

Blizzard Is Working on More Push Maps Than Just Toronto

Push is an upcoming game mode where both teams will play a game of tug-of-war using a robot that will be pushed in the direction of whichever team is losing. Blizzard has revealed it is working on more Push maps other than the upcoming Toronto map.

During the live stream Blizzard revealed Rome will be a Push map.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/20/overwatch-2-toronto-push-gameplay"]

Overwatch 2 - Blizzard Is Experimenting With New Modes Beyond Push, Too

As part of the discussion about removing the Assault game mode, Blizzard explained that it is constantly experimenting with new game modes, aside from Push. No word yet on what those maps could look like, but Blizzard is looking for ways to fill the void left by Assault while also giving players even more variety.

Keller hinted at least one more new game mode that he is excited to talk about soon.

Overwatch 2 - Not All Maps are Tied to Story Mode

Blizzard has already shown off new maps such as New York, Toronto, Rome, and Monte Carlo. But Blizzard says more maps are in the works aside from these initial four.

Blizzard also says these maps aren’t necessarily locations that will be present in the story mode and that some maps may be designed for their own sake.

Overwatch 2 - Gameplay and Design Changes

• Overwatch 2 will update the HUD and feature an improved UI.
• The healer UI now shows the portrait of the hero you're healing.
• Weapons will feel more visceral with a better sound system, animation, and feedback.
• Overwatch 2 will continue to add new hero 2.0 looks, which are updated designs for every hero in the roster.
• Various character reworks.
• Zarya now has two charges for her bubble.
• Movement acceleration for heroes has been very slightly slowed in Overwatch 2.
• Overhealth and overshield will be combined into a single bar.
• Blizzard is looking at improving crowd control mechanics, but this is still a work-in-progress.
• Associate Art Director Dion Rogers teases some cosmetic customization.

Jeff Kaplan Tribute

As caught by Polygon, the New York map in Overwatch 2 has a fun tribute to former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan. Eagle-eyed viewers will see that New York has a store called Jephs Corner Pizza. "Jeph" is a reference to a 2017 tweet about the new Starbucks that opened on Blizzard's Irvine, California campus where the baristas mistakenly spelled Jeff Kaplan's name as "Jeph."

Starbucks opened on campus today. This made my morning. pic.twitter.com/lDDiVpaGBm

— Jeremy Craig (@Jaerock83) May 12, 2017

For more check out IGN's past Overwatch 2 coverage including 55 details revealed during BlizzConline, and our big interview with former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Embracer Group, the Swedish games holding company and publisher formerly known as THQ Nordic AB, already contains multitudes after a spree of acquisitions in recent years. And now it apparently has 20 more companies directly in its sights. In an investor presentation released alongside its full-year financial results today, Embracer revealed that it has "engaged with" over 150 companies about joining Embracer during the last three months alone. Though it cannot specify what these companies are at this time, the report says that number includes "larger companies that could form additional operating groups." For context, its current operating groups include Koch Media, THQ Nordic, Saber Interactive, and recent acquisition Gearbox Entertainment. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/17/game-scoop-494-its-time-for-timesplitters-to-return"] Furthermore, Embracer says it is in over 20 "late-stage talks" with companies for potential acquisition, though it again does not provide information on what kinds of companies these might be. Aside from the larger operating groups, THQ Nordic also owns several smaller operations, such as QA company Quantic Lab, PR company Sandbox Strategies, and the recent acquisition of Swedish studio Frame Break. Embracer has had acquisition fever in recent years, picking up over 30 different companies in the last two and a half years. In its report, however, Embracer says that its "determination not to become a 'corporate machine' is as strong as ever," emphasizing its desire to focus on encouraging "founder creativity." It recently raised almost $900 million for future acquisitions. The company also reported a number of milestones in its earnings, such as Valheim selling 6.8 million copies from its release in February 2021 to the end of March, with the company expecting it to sell between one and 1.2 million copies more between April and June. Embracer's internal studios have 160 more development projects in the works at this time (up from 150 in February), two-thirds of which were either in new franchises, or ones that haven't had a new release in at least five years such as the new TimeSplitters game the publisher also announced today. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Today Blizzard shared a major update for Overwatch 2 including one major change coming to the PvP experience. In Overwatch 2 PvP will be 5v5 experience instead of the current 6v6 team size. The team comp will now comprise two Damage classes, two Support classes, and one tank instead of two. Overwatch director Aaron Keller says that the change will remove help clean up the combat and create a more fluid gameplay style. Furthermore, without the defense provided by a second tank players are likely to use the environment more and play more strategically and aggressively. And since Overwatch and Overwatch 2 will have parity, this means PvP teams will shrink to five for both versions when Overwatch 2 comes out. Blizzard says that the change to 5v5 will update Overwatch’s classic roles. Starting with the sequel, Tanks will change significantly and become more front-line brawlers than stationary shields. In addition, each role will get a passive role bonus that will complement each heroes’ unique ability. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/19/overwatch-2-55-new-details"] Tanks will have knockback reduction and reduce ultimate charge gain when taking damage from enemies. Damage heroes will get a movement speed bonus, and Support heroes will have automatic self-healing if they don’t take damage for an extended period of time. This is one of the biggest shake-ups to Overwatch PvP and could potentially re-shape the competitive scene. By dropping the team count to 5, the contentious 2-2-2 Meta (2 Tanks, 2 Damage, 2 Healer) will no longer be possible, and it will give Tanks players a potentially bigger hand in the action. It remains to be seen how this new team count will shake out in action but stick around for more news from today’s Overwatch 2 briefing. And also check out IGN’s last big Overwatch 2 coverage, including 55 new details from BlizzCon 2021, and our big interview with former Overwatch 2 director Jeff Kaplan. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Following the death of acclaimed manga author and Berserk creator Kentaro Miura, players in the Square Enix MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 paid tribute in a virtual vigil. Miura is best known as the author and artist of the manga Berserk, a seminal dark fantasy series critically acclaimed for its storytelling, art, and world-building. Works that have been inspired by Berserk are numerous including games like Dark Souls as well as Final Fantasy. One of the hallmarks of Berserk is the absurdly large sword carried by its hero Guts. In Final Fantasy, plenty of characters wield similarly large weapons including Cloud in Final Fantasy 7 and the Dark Knight class in Final Fantasy 14. And it's the latter who showed up to pay respects to Miura virtually.

Balmung/Crystal in #FFXIV showing their respects for this man by lining up their Dark Knight jobs. https://t.co/xbcpLmKmRY pic.twitter.com/aTvYQMfP6i

— Pimpy Shortstocking (@PimpyLala) May 20, 2021

Videos began to emerge online of players lining up in main cities around Final Fantasy 14 dressed in Dark Knight gear as an homage to Miura's Berserk inspirations. The Dark Knight class uses the large sword as its primary weapon and many of its story-related armor sets are dark fantasy-inspired. In the main city of Ul'dah, the line of players dressed in Dark Knight gear was so long that the MMO struggled to load properly. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/04/13/final-fantasy-14-heavensward-opening-cinematic"] Miura died at the age of 54 of acute aortic dissection. Young Animal Comics, which publishes Berserk, issued a statement writing, "We would like to express our utmost respect and gratitude to Dr. Miura's painting work and pray for his soul." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will reprise their original roles for Hocus Pocus 2, which will come to Disney Plus in 2022. In a new press release, Disney confirmed that the original trio of Midler, Parker, and Najimy will once again play the spooky witch Sanderson Sisters. In a brief plot synopsis, Hocus Pocus 2 will be about three young women who accidentally revived the Sanderson Sisters to modern-day Salem, where the original Witch Trials took place. The sisters are still hungry for children and must be stopped before they bring havoc to Salem. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] Anne Fletcher, known for romantic comedies like The Proposal and 27 Dresses, will direct Hocus Pocus 2 which is set for production this fall. Fletcher will take over directing duties from Adam Shankman who has signed on to direct Disney's Disenchanted sequel. "Now more than ever, people need to laugh," says Fletcher in a statement. "I am so grateful to be able to play a part in bringing these witches back to life, and to be working with my friends at Disney again makes it all the more special." The first Hocus Pocus was released in 1993 and follows a similar story. Centuries after the Sanderson Sisters were hanged for witchcraft, they are revived in the 20th century and begin their search for children to eat. The sequel will revive the Sisters in the 21st century, which has changed considerably since the last time the Sandersons were revived. For more, check out everything that's coming to Disney in the next couple of years, including new MCU films and Disney Plus originals. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.  

This week in GTA Online, scout the Panther Statue in Cayo Perico, claim tons of rewards in various game modes, get login freebies, and much more.

In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2021 (GAAD), Insomniac Games has shared the extensive list of accessibility features that will be part of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Insomniac detailed these features on Twitter and on its support page, where it also said it is "dedicated to creating games that have a positive and lasting influence on people's lives. This includes developing games that are playable and inclusive for people from a wide range of backgrounds." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/12/ratchet-and-clank-rift-apart-ps5-preview-massive-heart-epic-scale"] The full list of accessibility features is quite extensive - and we've included the entirety of it below - but some of the highlights include adjusting Fire Modes, Aim Modes, and Auto Aim, various contrast options, adjusting motion blur and Screen Shake, changing the size of Icons and Prompts, changing text color, remapping controls, moving all traversal to one button, and so much more. What's even more commendable than the clear effort put into this initiative is Insomniac's commitment to using this as a foundation for future games. This will allow it to grow its accessibility features and allow its games to reach even more players. If there is a feature you would love to see in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart that doesn't appear on the list, Insomniac encourages you to reach out to send feedback. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ratchet-clank-rift-apart-every-weapon-and-armor-set-revealed-so-far&captions=true"] Here is the full list of accessibilty features that will be included in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart when it is released on PS5 on June 11, 2021.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Accessibility Features

Gameplay

• Difficulty
  • Rookie Recruit – Perfect for beginners.
  • Rebel Agent – A balanced choice for more experienced players.
  • Resistance Leader – For those who seek a greater challenge.
  • Renegade Legend – For those who wish to battle the most brutal foes.
• Disable Tutorials – Disable all tutorials

Combat Toggles & Assists

• Fire Mode
  • Default - Weapons fire depending on weapon type. May require button taps, holds, and/or releases.
  • Hold – Weapons fire repeatedly on button Hold. Slow firing, low ammo weapons such as grenades will remain Single Fire.
  • Toggle - Weapons fire repeatedly when toggled on and will continue firing until toggled off. Slow firing, low ammo weapons such as grenades will remain Single Fire.
• Aim Mode - Sets the Aim action as either toggled on/off or a button hold.
• Aim Assist
  • Default - Automatically adjusts the camera speed and reticle to help keep the target in the center of the screen.
  • Strong - Increased aim assist.
• Auto Aim – Turns the camera towards the nearest enemy when firing.
• Lock On - Automatically targets and locks onto an enemy when aiming.
• Melee Mode - Sets Melee action as either toggled on/off or a button tap.
• Weapon Wheel Mode - Sets Weapon Wheel action as either toggled on/off or a button hold.

Traversal Toggles and Assists

• Off-Screen Ledge Guard - Prevents inadvertently falling off on-screen ledges.
• *Auto Glide - Automatically glide whenever you're in the air.
• Hoverboot Auto-Pump - Automatically pumps to max speed when using the Hoverboots.
• *Sprint/Hoverboot Mode - Sets Hoverboot action as either toggled on/off or a button hold. Functions as Sprint before Hoverboots are acquired.
• Swing Mode - Sets SWING action as either toggled on/off or a button hold.
• *Speetle Boost Mode - Sets Speetle Boost action as either toggled on/off or a button hold.
• Flight Assist - Automatically levels out during flight sequences.

Visuals (Display)

• HDR - Enable High Dynamic Range (HDR). Provides an enhanced experience with boosted contrast and color range. Only available on compatible TVs.
• Brightness - Adjust the brightness. The 0 setting is the darkest and 100 is the brightest.
• Contrast - Adjust the contrast intensity of the image. The 0 setting is the lowest and 10 setting is the highest.
• Contrast Options – Enable various shader and high contrast options to help with visibility. Use presets or customize each setting individually.
• High Contrast Background - Enable a high contrast background for assistance with visual clarity of some elements.
• Hero Shader - Apply a solid single-color shader on the Hero to improve visibility.
• Enemy Shader
• Interactable Shader - Apply a solid single-color shader on interactable elements to improve visibility. This includes weapon vendor, traversal objects, Speetles, health and ammo crates, and computer consoles.
• Hazard Shader - Apply a solid single-color shader on hazards to improve visibility. This includes explosive crates and other things that may cause damage.
• Collectible Shader - Apply a solid single-color shader on collectible items to improve visibility. This includes items like Raritanium, Spy Bots, and Gold Bolts.

Visuals (Screen Effects)

• Motion Blur - Adjust the blurring effect created by camera motion and fast moving objects. Lower settings have less blur, while higher settings have more apparent blur.
• Depth of Field - Turn ON or OFF the blurring effect for objects that are out of focus with the camera. When enabled, the farther away an object is from the camera's focusing point, the less sharpness in detail it will have.
• Chromatic Aberration - Enable Chromatic Aberration. Provides a filmic effect where colors appear slightly shifted and out of focus at the image's corners.
• Film Grain - Adjust the intensity of the film grain visual effect. The 0 setting is the lowest and 10 setting is the highest.
• Fullscreen Effects - Turn ON or OFF fullscreen visual effects during gameplay such as lens flare, heat shimmer, on camera rain droplets, and gas effects.
• Screen Shake - Turns camera shake ON or OFF during gameplay.

Heads-Up Display (HUD)

• Waypoint Display – Display Waypoints on screen with a button press or always on.
• Rift Tether Prompts - Display icon button prompts on Rift Tethers.
• Icon and Prompt Size - Set the size of in-world waypoints, icons, and prompts.
• UI Parallaxing - When turned OFF, Heads-Up Display (HUD) and Pause Menu elements will stay in place on-screen.
• Center Dot - Enable a persistent center dot on the center of the screen. This is replaced by weapon reticles and is hidden during cinematics.

Heads-Up Display (HUD Colors)

• Emphasis Text Color - Set the color for emphasized text.
• Aim Arc Color - Sets the color of the arc indicator for throwables and weapons.
• Target Arc Color - Sets the color of the arc indicator for throwables/weapons when highlighting a target.

Controls & Shortcuts

• Controller Remapping - Fully Customize your control scheme or choose between presets.
• Simplified Traversal - Moves all traversal actions to a single button input. This includes Rift Tether, Swingshot, Phantom Dash, and Hoverboots.
• Shortcuts 1 - 4 - Choose an action to map the corresponding shortcut slot.
• Shortcut Options 
  • Photo Mode - Press to launch directly into Photo Mode.
  • Toggle Contrast Options - Toggle 'Contrast Options' in the Accessibility section of the Options Menu.
  • *Show Objective - Press to show your objective and waypoint icons.
  • Game Speed Options – Press to play the game at 70%, 50% or 30%. Game speed will automatically return to 100% when the button is pressed again or entering a cutscene.
  • Weapon Quick Select - Equip the weapon assigned to this shortcut. Weapons can be assigned to the shortcut buttons via the Weapons Menu.
  • Melee Combo - Press to perform a 3-hit melee combo.
  • Melee Slam – Press to jump and then slam down with your melee weapon.
  • Melee Throw – Press to throw your melee weapon.
  • Auto Glide - Press to toggle ON the ability to automatically Glide whenever you're in the air. Press again to toggle OFF.

Camera

• Invert up/down - Inverts Up and Down on the camera controls.
• Invert left/right - Inverts Left and Right on the camera controls.
• Invert Flight up/down - Inverts Up and Down on the flight camera controls.
• Invert Flight left/right - Inverts Left and Right on the flight camera controls.
• Flight Stick - Choose whether to use the Left or Right Stick for flight controls.
• Camera Sensitivity - Adjust the camera control sensitivity. Lower settings move the camera more slowly, while higher settings move the camera more quickly.

Controller

• Vibration Setting
  • Experiential - All vibrations are enabled; feel everything from the wind blowing through your hair to the gravel underneath your feet.
  • Functional - Only vibrations that provide useful cues for gameplay are enabled: taking damage, collecting health or ammo, etc.
  • Off - Controller vibration is disabled.
• Vibration Intensity - Adjust the overall intensity of controller vibrations.
• Adaptive Triggers
  • Experiential - Feel vibration and resistance on the L2 and R2 buttons to match the action of the game.
  • Functional - Lowers L2 and R2 button resistance and disables L2 and R2 button vibration.
  • Off - L2 and R2 button vibration and resistance are disabled.

Audio (Volume)

• Master Volume - Adjust the overall volume of the game.
• Music Volume - Adjust the volume of the game's music.
• Speech Volume - Adjust the volume of the game's dialogue.
• SFX Volume - Adjust the volume of the sound effects (SFX) while in-game.
• UI Volume - Adjust the volume of the sound effects (SFX) while in the game's menus.

Audio Balance & Modes (Volume)

• Audio Balance - Balances audio output between the right and left channels.
• Midnight Mode - Reduce the range between the quietest and loudest sounds. Not available when Audio Output Device is set to Headphones.
• Controller Speaker- Allow certain sounds to play through the controller speaker.
• Controller Speaker Volume - Adjust the volume of the audio that plays through the controller speaker.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Amazon has ordered a second season of The Wheel of Time before the first season has premiered. The early season renewal from Amazon Studios coincides with the end of production on Season 1 of the fantasy series, which has just finished filming in the Czech Republic. Both seasons, co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television, will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. "The belief Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television have shown in The Wheel of Time has been incredible to see throughout the entire process of making this show," said showrunner and executive producer Rafe Judkins. "Getting a second season order before the first season has even premiered is such a vote of confidence in the work we are doing and the property itself. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/04/20/wheel-of-time-in-60-seconds-what-you-need-to-know"] "We couldn't be happier to be able to continue to live and work in the world Robert Jordan created," he added. "This property is one I've loved since I was a teenager, and seeing it brought to life with the resources to make it truly worthy of what's on the page is something I can't wait for the other fans of the books to see. And Season 2 just keeps expanding the world we built in Season 1." Judkins served as executive producer and showrunner on the series, which is based on Robert Jordan's bestselling fantasy novels. Other executive producers include Larry Mondragon and Rick Selvage of Red Eagle Entertainment, Ted Field and Mike Weber of Radar Pictures, as well as Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, and Uta Briesewitz. Briesewitz is also said to have directed the first two episodes. "The approach Rafe and his team have taken with this project is a testament to Amazon Studios commitment to deliver something special for the devoted fans around the world," said Amazon Studios TV co-head Vernon Sanders. "We wanted our Prime Video customers to be delighted that a second season is already in the works so that they would know that the journey would continue." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-wheel-of-time-cast&captions=true"] The series is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television, with both companies continuing their partnership for the second season. Amazon's decision to move forward with the show before the first season has even debuted "exemplifies their dedication to and belief in this series," said Sony Pictures Television President Jeff Frost. According to the official synopsis, the story will follow "Moiraine, a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity." For more, check out our guide to everything you need to know about The Wheel of Time. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Amazon has ordered a second season of The Wheel of Time before the first season has premiered. The early season renewal from Amazon Studios coincides with the end of production on Season 1 of the fantasy series, which has just finished filming in the Czech Republic. Both seasons, co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television, will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. "The belief Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television have shown in The Wheel of Time has been incredible to see throughout the entire process of making this show," said showrunner and executive producer Rafe Judkins. "Getting a second season order before the first season has even premiered is such a vote of confidence in the work we are doing and the property itself. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/04/20/wheel-of-time-in-60-seconds-what-you-need-to-know"] "We couldn't be happier to be able to continue to live and work in the world Robert Jordan created," he added. "This property is one I've loved since I was a teenager, and seeing it brought to life with the resources to make it truly worthy of what's on the page is something I can't wait for the other fans of the books to see. And Season 2 just keeps expanding the world we built in Season 1." Judkins served as executive producer and showrunner on the series, which is based on Robert Jordan's bestselling fantasy novels. Other executive producers include Larry Mondragon and Rick Selvage of Red Eagle Entertainment, Ted Field and Mike Weber of Radar Pictures, as well as Darren Lemke, Marigo Kehoe, and Uta Briesewitz. Briesewitz is also said to have directed the first two episodes. "The approach Rafe and his team have taken with this project is a testament to Amazon Studios commitment to deliver something special for the devoted fans around the world," said Amazon Studios TV co-head Vernon Sanders. "We wanted our Prime Video customers to be delighted that a second season is already in the works so that they would know that the journey would continue." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-wheel-of-time-cast&captions=true"] The series is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television, with both companies continuing their partnership for the second season. Amazon's decision to move forward with the show before the first season has even debuted "exemplifies their dedication to and belief in this series," said Sony Pictures Television President Jeff Frost. According to the official synopsis, the story will follow "Moiraine, a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity." For more, check out our guide to everything you need to know about The Wheel of Time. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.