DC & Marvel Regular Jay Oliva To Direct ‘The White Tower’ Animated Movie Based On ‘The Wheel Of Time’ Novels

Andreas Wiseman
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: DC and Marvel regular Jay Oliva has been set to direct iwot’s upcoming 3D animated feature, The White Tower, based on Robert Jordan’s epic novel series The Wheel Of Time.

The YA project will be set in a time before the events chronicled in the 14 novels by Jordan and Amazon and Sony’s Wheel of Time TV series.

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The action-adventure movie will chart the story of a young girl with a special gift. Her life is forever changed when evil visits her remote mountain village. Finding herself alone in a dangerous world, she must go to The White Tower to learn how to use her magical powers to save her family and friends. Rebellious and mistrusting, she learns that there is something in this world that is as powerful a weapon in the fight against evil as any form of magic.

As previously announced, the long-gestating project will be based on an original screenplay from writer Zack Stentz (Thor). The team is eyeing an early 2024 start.

Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of iwot are producing alongside writer/producer Stentz of Electric Brain Entertainment. Quebec’s Squeeze Animation Studios will provide production services.

Oliva has helmed multiple TV projects for Warner Brothers Animation, Marvel/Lionsgate, Sony and Disney. His WB directing credits include The Dark Knight Returns (Part 1 and Part 2), Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Justice League: War, Batman: Assault on Arkham, Batman vs. Robin, and Batman Bad Blood. He has provided storyboard work for blockbusters including Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel and 300: Rise of an Empire, and movies such as Batman v. Superman, Ant-Man, Deadpool, Wonder Woman, and Justice League.

“I am so excited to be joining this amazing creative team”, said Oliva, “Reading Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time inspired me to become a filmmaker, and having an opportunity to explore the world he created has been a lifelong dream of mine.”

He added: “The rich history of The White Tower has intrigued me, and the expansive backstory of the books gives the creative team the freedom to tell a fresh and imaginative story within the familiar world that was so meticulously crafted by Jordan in The Wheel of Time.”

Selvage commented: “With the addition of Jay, his vision and his experience in world building, the White Tower team is complete and positioned to deliver our collective vision of an animated feature film that is unique, powerful and entertaining.”

Separately, Selvage and Mondragon are executive producers on The Wheel of Time TV series, having had an early option on the source material.

Jay Oliva is represented by David Neumann’s Newmation for management. Zack Stentz is represented by Susan Solomon at Circle of Confusion and Bryan Swatt and Ken Richman at Hanson-Jacobson. The Wheel of Time novels are owned by The Bandersnatch Group, which is represented by Joel Gotler of Intellectual Property Group for film and television.

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