Having written The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Chris Morgan is no stranger to wheels, and as the screenplay writer for Wanted, he has a fair understanding of time as well, so I'm going to go ahead and declare him the perfect person to pen games based on the beloved fantasy series. Besides, he's a massive fan!

"As a massive fan of The Wheel of Time series, and a lifelong gamer, I jumped at the chance to be part of the Red Eagle Games team," Morgan said. "The world that Robert Jordan created is so rich, the characters and storylines so varied and inventive, that I feel like a kid in a candy store. It's really a dream opportunity for me."

Along with this new gig, Morgan is also working on the big-screen adaptation of Gears of War, which is almost exactly the same thing as The Wheel of Time, only completely different.

Red Eagle first revealed plans for games based on the movie adaptations of Jordan's books back in November, when they also revealed plans to create a massively multiplayer online RPG based on the series' setting. The new press release doesn't mention films, but it does indeed mention the MMORPG, which will be distributed by EA Partners at retail along with the standalone titles.

“The Wheel of Time is a blockbuster global brand and our relationship with EA Partners will ensure that Red Eagle Games’ products are made available to consumers around the world through familiar retail channels,” said Rick Selvage, Chairman and President of Red Eagle Games.

When Red Eagle first announce plans for Wheel of Time games, I was a bit skeptical, but now it looks like they're really happening. I have got a lot of reading to catch up on.

Red Eagle Games Signs Worldwide Distribution Deal With EA Partners
EA Partners Signs on as Distribution Partner for Games Based on Robert Jordan’s Fantasy Series The Wheel of Time

MALIBU, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Red Eagle Games today announced they have signed a strategic distribution agreement with Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) for games based on Robert Jordan’s beloved fantasy series, The Wheel of Time.

Red Eagle Games will develop and publish a line of stand-alone games on all major videogame platforms, including consoles, personal computers, handheld systems and wireless devices. The games will be distributed by EA. In addition, Red Eagle will launch and operate a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that encompasses the themes, characters and world of The Wheel of Time, which will be distributed at retail by EA.

“The Wheel of Time is a blockbuster global brand and our relationship with EA Partners will ensure that Red Eagle Games’ products are made available to consumers around the world through familiar retail channels,” said Rick Selvage, Chairman and President of Red Eagle Games.

“EA Partners is excited to team up with Red Eagle as their global distribution partner for games based on The Wheel of Time series,” said David DeMartini, senior vice president and general manager of EA Partners. “The Wheel of Time series has a massive worldwide following and we’re excited to help give Red Eagle Games’ interactive products a blockbuster launch on the global stage.”

The rich details of Jordan’s meticulously crafted series have captivated readers since 1990, when The Eye of the World, the first book in the series, was published. Eleven additional books, including one prequel, have since been added to the series and have consistently appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List with the last four of his novels in the series debuting at No. 1. Jordan passed away in 2007 at the age of 58, but a final book, A Memory of Light, will be finished by fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson using notes and a partial draft left with Jordan’s wife and editor, Harriet Rigney, and is expected to be published in fall 2009 by Tor Books.

Jordan’s wildly popular books have been translated into 24 languages, and have sold about 44 million copies worldwide. In addition, the series has a vast global on-line community of tens of thousands of dedicated fan Web sites.

“We’ve got a huge running start with this property,” Selvage said. “We expect to have a game based on every movie, and we expect no less than three movies, though that depends on how well each does.”

In addition to the movie tie-ins, Red Eagle is also planning a massively multiplayer online game based in the Wheel of Time universe. At this point it's far too early to tell if fans of the series should be delighted or terrified. As for who is going to be working on the games, Selvage sets his sights high. "We want to hire the rock stars." Personally I'd hire game developers instead, but that's just me.

Red Eagle to make multiple films and games based on Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books [Venture Beat via GI.biz]