Lightning strikes as Prime Video has found its leading stars for the upcoming TV series Fourth Wing, the small-screen adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’ bestselling novel of the same name, from showrunner and EP Meredith Averill.
Esther McGregor (We Were Liars, Babygirl) has been cast as Violet Sorrengail, and Emilio Sakraya (Those About To Die, Warrior Nun) will bring to life the character of Xaden Riorson, sources close to production tell Deadline. Violet and Xaden are enemies-turned-lovers in the books.
Amazon declined to comment.
In the fantasy adventure, Violet is forced by her mother to enter the brutal world of Basgiath War College. She joins hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of the country of Navarre: dragon riders.
In the book, 20-year-old Violet feels well on her way to becoming a Scribe (historian), following in the footsteps of her father, Asher, when her mother, General Lilith Sorrengail, makes her switch paths and become a dragon rider.
Far from the safety of the Archives where Scribes record the history of Navarre and keep records, Violet walks the parapet to bond with a dragon and undertake the very dangerous and highly fatal occupation. There, she encounters Xaden Riorson, a descendant of a rebellious sect of the population and a generally mysterious, brooding cadet with shadow-wielding powers. The one rule of Basgiath War College is “graduate or die.” Riders without their dragons are as good as dead, and vice versa, which stresses the bond between human and beast formed on Threshing Day.
Amazon MGM Studios snapped up the rights to the Empyrean book series for TV development in 2023, but it wasn’t picked up until this May when the streamer officially greenlit the series. Averill officially joined the series as showrunner and executive producer in September 2025. The greenlight included Lisa Joy as director of the series premiere and executive producer.
The plan is, if successful, to adapt the rest of the novels over multiple seasons. The Empyrean book series consists of five books, with Fourth Wing (2023), Iron Flame (2023), and Onyx Storm (2025) as the first three titles. Yarros is currently working on a fourth novel, which is as yet untitled, and a fifth will follow. She recently released a companion book of 13 short stories written from the point of view of dragon riders focusing on when they met their dragons, titled Threshing Day. It’s as-yet-unknown whether the new book will be included in the series, but it would make sense to feature some or all of the moments.
The series comes from Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, Jonathan Nolan and Joy’s Kilter Films and Premeditated Productions. Jordan and Elizabeth Raposo executive produce via Outlier Society; Nolan, Joy, and Athena Wickham via Kilter Films; Liz Pelletier and Sherryl Clark via Premeditated Productions.
McGregor is currently shooting Life Is Strange for Prime Video, based on the video game. She also recently starred in the television adaptation of E. Lockhart’s best-selling novel, We Were Liars, for Prime Video. Her film credits include Babygirl and Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door. She previously starred with her father, Ewan McGregor, and sister, Clara McGregor, in the 2023 SXSW world premiere of Bleeding Love. On the TV side, she also appeared in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Sakraya’s schedule is also booked and busy, having recently completed work starring in the hit Netflix series One Piece‘s upcoming third season. In a recurring role, he will portray the character of Koza, leader of the rebel army. Among Fourth Wing fans, Sakraya was a top choice for the role of Xaden Riorson. His prior credits include the Peacock series Those About to Die, the mixed martial arts feature Sixty Minutes, the Netflix series Tribes of Europa, and Warrior Nun, also for the streamer.