The Wheel of Time season two news just keeps coming. Not only do we have some updates on the Essaouira filming location, we have another casting update, this time courtesy of Reddit user MolochDhalgren. According to her recently updated CV, Katie Leung will be playing the role of Yasicca in The Wheel of Time season two.
Katie Leung
Leung is a Scottish actress with a diverse background in theater, film, television, and voice acting. She studied painting and design at the University of the Arts London and holds degrees in photography from Edinburgh College of Art and theatre from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She launched her acting career in 2005 when she played Cho Chang in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, continuing in that role through the end of the film series. Most recently, she voiced Caitlyn in the widely acclaimed animated series Arcane.
In The Wheel of Time book series, Yasicca Cellaech was an ancient scholar of the Brown Ajah, who is only briefly mentioned in Towers of Midnight. We previously uncovered information indicating there was a Yasicca on set filming at the end of January 2022 on the same day as Verin Mathwin, although it wasn’t clear whether Yasicca and Verin shared a scene. The extent of Yasicca’s role is unknown. It’s possible that she appears in a flashback, or her character may have been repurposed for the present age.
Essaouira Updates
Filming seems to have wrapped up in Ouarzazate. The Wheel of Time is now prepping and shooting in Essaouira, Morocco until April 30, 2022. Locals recently spotted the stunt crew rehearsing a fight scene on the wall. The scene appears to involve soldiers scaling the wall and fighting with other soldiers on the ramparts.
The area below the ramparts has been transformed into a market closely resembling a traditional Moroccan souk. According to a local who shared photos, many of the props used are real products that can be purchased at local markets or antique shops.
Cast members Josha Stradowski (Rand), Marcus Rutherford (Perrin), and Hammed Animashaun (Loial) have also been spotted in the area.
The architecture style is very similar to the Jerusalem set in Ouarzazate where the production has already filmed, so it seems these may both serve as the same in-world location. With no Seanchan banners in sight, and soldiers scaling the walls from the ocean side, this may be the original Seanchan invasion of Falme. Everyone appears to be fighting with swords, likely ruling out Aiel involvement.
If the original reports of two months in Morocco are correct, they should be wrapping up within a couple weeks. We have yet to see evidence of them filming in Dakhla, so we’re keeping our eyes peeled for any signs.
JordanCon
Finally, a reminder: in just a few days, over one thousand Wheel of Time and fantasy fans will descend on Atlanta, Georgia for the annual JordanCon. Omar and myself (Sara) will be in attendance again this year, so make sure to come say hello! You might even be rewarded with a ribbon or two. You can also catch us on panels: The Music of The Wheel of Time (Saturday, 11:30AM Eastern), and Season Two Speculation & Discussion (Sunday, 2:30PM Eastern). We look forward to meeting any of our readers that may be in attendance!
I'm a longtime SFF fan but Wheel of Time will always be my first love. I want to call myself Green Ajah, but--let's be real--I'm probably a Brown. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, writing, and getting lost in the wilderness.
I would have liked to have Katie Leung as Min.
That would’ve been incredible.