One of BookTok’s romantasy favorites “Fourth Wing” has found its Violet and Xaden in Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya.
McGregor, who gained popularity in “We Were Liars,” will star as Violet Sorrengail. Sakraya (“Those About To Die,” “Warrior Nun”) will star opposite her as Xaden Riorson.
Amazon confirmed the casting announcements Wednesday, less than a week after the leads were initially reported to be joining.
The TV adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’ romantasy book series landed a series order at Prime Video from executive producer Michael B. Jordan. Meredith Averill (“The Haunting of Hill House”) is set to showrun and executive produce. Additionally, “Westworld” showrunner Lisa Joy will direct the first episode of the series.
“I’m so grateful to our producing and casting team for conducting a thorough, worldwide search to find Violet and Xaden,” Yarros said. “It will be incredibly exciting to see these talented actors, Esther and Emilio, bring our beloved characters to life on screen.”
“Fourth Wing” follows twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail, who was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, but was forced to abandon that dream thanks to her mom. Specifically, her mother, the commanding general, ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become elite dragon riders.
In the book, Violet meets Xaden Riorson, a descendant of a rebellious sect of the population and a generally mysterious, brooding cadet with shadow-wielding powers. Together, they must “graduate or die,” forming a bond along the way.
“Few stories have inspired the kind of passionate, worldwide fandom that Rebecca Yarros has built with ‘Fourth Wing,’ and we know just how much Violet and Xaden mean to readers,” said Peter Friedlander, head of global television of Amazon MGM Studios. “Esther and Emilio are rare and exceptional talents who bring something truly special to these iconic roles.”
Elizabeth Raposo will also executive produce for Outlier Society, Joy, Jonathan Nolan and Athena Wickham for Kilter Films and Liz Pelletier and Sherryl Clark for Premeditated Productions.
“Fourth Wing” is the first of a five-novel series from Yarros. Fourth Wing (2023), Iron Flame (2023), and Onyx Storm (2025) are the first three titles, and the fourth novel is in the works.
As we mentioned, McGregor is best known for her appearance in Prime Video’s television adaptation of E. Lockhart’s best-selling novel, “We Were Liars.” She is currently in production for “Life Is Strange” for Prime Video, based on the video game. Her film credits include “Babygirl” and Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door.”
Sakraya just completed filming for Season 3 of Netflix’s “One Piece,” where he plays Koza, leader of the rebel army. Many “Fourth Wing” book lovers fan cast him in the role. His other credits include “Warrior Nun,” “Sixty Minutes” and “Tribes of Europa,” among others.
This story has been updated after Amazon confirmed the casting announcements Oct. 21.
