Sanaa Hamri, director of the second season of The Wheel of Time and The Rings of Power, describes the two series as “two different worlds” with different writers and fantasy settings. Hamri enjoys working on shows with completely different worlds and characters and sees it as a natural progression from his previous music career. Hamri has already proven his skills in high-concept fantasy directing in the second season of The Wheel of Time.
Director Sanaa Hamri, who directed four episodes of the current season of The Wheel of Time and will direct the first episode of the second season of Rings of Power, reveals details about her experience working on both series. The director’s other television credits include work on the series Elementary, Glee and Empire.
Speaking to Inverse, Hamri explains what it was like working on the second season of The Wheel of Time and Rings of Power. Hamry noted that “they are two different worlds”, both for the writers of each show and for the actual fantasy worlds in which they take place in the Wheel of Time and the Rings of Power. He accepts this challenge, liking the fact that he can handle “worlds like this.” Here is Hamri’s full quote:
“Well, The Wheel of Time and The Rings of Power are two different worlds, written by different authors. Jordan is eclectic. It is inspired by many Eastern philosophies from around the world. What I mean then is that Tolkien is a scholar of linguistics and Anglo-Saxon literature, and much of his mythology is rooted in European myths. These are two different stories, both in the fantasy genre.
What I love about it is that this space, like dramas on television, gives us the opportunity to create two different shows with completely different worlds where the characters are struggling with different things. I just love doing these kinds of worlds. For me, it was a natural progression from my previous career, working with musical artists and all that hustle and bustle of the time, and the opportunity to take earthy, down-to-earth drama into a very visual and elevated world, which is so much fun.”
As Hamri notes, he has directed music videos for various prominent artists, including Prince, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. His biggest television role before The Wheel of Time and The Ring of Power was in the film Empire, which also focused on the music industry, portraying a hip-hop mogul. Empire saw Hamri make a “natural progression” from musical content to high drama. Now Hamri is delving even deeper into TV drama with The Wheel of Time and Rings of Power.
Both shows are dominant forces in the television industry, with audiences already established from their early seasons. The Wheel of Time was renewed for a third season and is currently airing a second season, Rings of Power achieved similar success in its first season, and its second project is currently in development.
The success of both series is good news for Hamri as he ventures even deeper into his television career. Hamri has already proven her prowess at directing this high-concept fantasy in Wheel of Time Season 2, Episodes 3 and 4. This should only make viewers even more excited to see what the director has in store for Rings of Power Season 2.
Source: Inverse