If you have been living under a rock, you probably don’t know Fourth Wing is getting adapted for TV. Moreover, Amazon’s picked TV series has reportedly found its two leads.
According to various reports, Esther McGregor will play Violet Sorrengail in the Prime Video adaptation. Meanwhile, Emilio Sakraya will take on the role of Xaden Riorson. In fact, both outlets published the reports on October 15. However, Amazon has declined to comment on the casting so far.
The show adapts Rebecca Yarros’s bestselling Empyrean book series, starting with the first novel, Fourth Wing. Amazon MGM Studios first acquired the adaptation rights back in October 2023. Then, in May 2026, Prime Video officially ordered the series during its Upfront presentation in New York City. As a result, the project has since moved into pre-production. Despite that progress, no official release date exists yet. Still, some industry observers expect the show to arrive in 2027 or 2028.
McGregor previously appeared in We Were Liars and Babygirl. In addition, Sakraya previously starred in Warrior Nun and Those About to Die. Notably, author Yarros stated in a November 2023 Variety interview that Xaden should not be white. Therefore, Sakraya’s casting aligns with the author’s stated vision for the character.
Meredith Averill currently serves as the showrunner for the series. She previously worked on Locke & Key and The Haunting of Hill House for Netflix. Averill replaced Moira Walley-Beckett, who left the project in July 2025. Furthermore, Michael B. Jordan serves as executive producer through his Outlier Society banner. Yarros also holds an executive producer credit alongside the production team. In addition, Lisa Joy will direct the pilot episode.
Before this casting report, fans had widely discussed potential picks for the lead roles. For instance, Josh Heuston emerged as a frontrunner for Xaden earlier this year. He confirmed on KIIS FM in May 2026 that he had landed a “very big” TV series. However, the Deadline report now points to Sakraya instead.
On the book side, Yarros recently released Threshing Day, a companion collection of 13 stories set in the Empyrean universe. She also confirmed a Fourth Wing graphic novel for April 2027.
