Prime Video is preparing a new fantasy contender with Fourth Wing, an adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’ bestselling Empyrean novels. Amazon ordered the series at its upfront presentation, and the production announced its two leading actors this month: Esther McGregor will play Violet Sorrengail, while Emilio Sakraya will portray Xaden Riorson.
The casting news arrived less than a month before The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power returns for its third season on November 11. While Rings of Power has been one of Amazon’s most expensive productions, Fourth Wing enters development with a substantial existing fandom and a modern book series that already has several published installments.
Fourth Wing, published in 2023 by Entangled’s Red Tower Book imprint, follows Violet Sorrengail as she enters Basgiath War College, where candidates compete for the chance to become dragon riders. The central challenge is dangerous: candidates must bond with a dragon or risk dying in the attempt. The story also features a slow-burning romance between Violet and Xaden, a morally ambiguous character who has become especially popular among romantasy readers.
The commercial performance of Yarros’ books has helped make the adaptation one of Prime Video’s most anticipated projects. The New York Times reported that the Empyrean series had sold 12 million copies by the beginning of 2025. According to BookScan, the third novel, Onyx Storm, sold 2.7 million copies during its first week, more than any other adult novel in the previous 20 years. Fourth Wing and Onyx Storm have also won Goodreads Choice Awards in the romantasy category.
The franchise received further recognition through the TikTok Book Awards, where Fourth Wing won BookTok Book of the Year. A deluxe edition of the first novel sold out its initial 115,000-copy print run within a week. The planned five-book series, the companion collection Threshing Day and an upcoming graphic novel could provide additional material for the television adaptation.
Fourth Wing is being developed by a team that includes Meredith Averill as showrunner. Averill, who co-created Locke & Key and worked on The Haunting of Hill House, took over the role from Moira Walley-Beckett in September 2025. Lisa Joy, co-creator of Westworld, is set to direct the premiere and executive produce through Kilter Films. Yarros is also attached as an executive producer.
The production’s casting establishes the central pairing for the series. McGregor is known for We Were Liars and Babygirl, while Sakraya has appeared in Warrior Nun and Those About to Die. Their performances will determine how the relationship between Violet and Xaden translates from the novels to the screen.
The project’s prospects contrast with the more complicated reception of Rings of Power. The first season reportedly cost about $465 million for eight episodes, or approximately $58 million per episode. Although the season received an 84% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, its audience score was reported at 38%. Amazon later suspended reviews on its own site following a review-bombing campaign.
The second season initially reduced the gap between critics and viewers, but reports indicated that its total minutes watched during the first 12 weeks fell 60% compared with the first season. Amazon has described the second season as the most-watched returning season in Prime Video history, while third-party estimates continued to place its audience at a high level despite the decline. The series’ overall Rotten Tomatoes audience score is now around 48%.
Fourth Wing also has a different relationship with its source material. Rather than expanding a prequel around existing appendices and lore, the series is based on an active novel franchise whose fourth and fifth books have yet to be released. Amazon has said it wants the adaptation to respect what readers value about Yarros’ story, with the author involved directly as an executive producer.
Industry estimates point to a possible 2028 premiere for Fourth Wing. If that schedule holds, Prime Video will have time to develop the adaptation around its established readership, creative team and planned long-term source material.
Sources: Comic Book Resources.