Amazon’s potential “Fourth Wing” TV adaptation is back on track. The Prime Video series, based on the best-selling “The Empyrean” book series from author Rebecca Yarros, has tapped “Wednesday” EP Meredith Averill as its new showrunner, according to media reports.
Averill joins the series after Moira Walley-Beckett exited as showrunner in July. The show has not received a series order and does not have any cast attached so far.
“WandaVision” creator Jac Schaeffer was reportedly among the candidates to take over the top job after signing a new overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. A spokesperson for Amazon declined to comment.
Written by Yarros, “Fourth Wing” is the first book in the “Empyrean” series. The novel centers on Violet Sorrengail, who is forced by her mother to become a dragon rider. The series follows her as she endures deadly quests while being pursued by one of the most dangerous riders around, Xaden Riorson.
“Fourth Wing” was published in April of 2023 and quickly amassed a rabid following largely thanks to BookTok, the reading-focused subset of TikTok. The first three novels in the planned five-novel series have sold more than 12 million editions in the United States, according to the New York Times. The third book in the series, “Onyx Storm,” sold 2.7 million copies in its first week alone, making it the fastest-selling adult novel in 20 years. Amazon MGM Studios currently has the rights to both “Fourth Wing” and its sequel “Iron Flame.”
The “Fourth Wing” TV series comes from Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s Kilter Films and Premediated Productions. Yarros is also among the executive producers.
