‘Fourth Wing’ Finds Its Violet and Xaden as Prime Video Locks in Its Dragon Rider Leads
Few book adaptations have been watched as obsessively as Prime Video’s ‘Fourth Wing’. Rebecca Yarros’ romantasy saga became a BookTok phenomenon, and ever since Amazon MGM Studios acquired the TV rights to her Empyrean series in 2023, readers have argued online about who should bring Basgiath War College to life.
The project has taken real steps forward over the past few months. The adaptation got its official green light in May 2026, with Meredith Averill, known for ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘Wednesday’, attached as showrunner and executive producer. ‘Westworld’ co-creator Lisa Joy is set to direct the premiere episode.
The biggest piece of the puzzle has now reportedly fallen into place. Esther McGregor has been cast as Violet Sorrengail, and Emilio Sakraya will play Xaden Riorson, sources close to the production told Deadline. Amazon declined to comment when asked by TheWrap.
McGregor steps into the role of the story’s heroine after a string of high-profile projects. Many viewers will recognize her from Prime Video’s ‘We Were Liars’, and she has also appeared in ‘Babygirl’ and Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘The Room Next Door’.
She’s staying in the Prime Video family for her next project as well. McGregor is currently filming the streamer’s ‘Life Is Strange’ adaptation, which means she’ll be juggling 2 major video game and book adaptations for the same platform.
In the books, Violet is pushed by her mother, a commanding general in the kingdom of Navarre, into elite dragon-rider training at Basgiath. Her physical limitations put her at greater risk than most cadets in a school where the only real rule is to graduate or die.
For many readers, Sakraya’s casting will feel like a wish granted. He was an early favorite in the TikTok fan community for the role, and many fans had fan-cast him as Xaden long before any announcement was made.
His résumé includes ‘Those About to Die’, ‘Warrior Nun’, ‘Sixty Minutes’ and ‘Tribes of Europa’. He also recently wrapped Season 3 of Netflix’s ‘One Piece’, where he plays Koza, the leader of a rebel army.
Xaden is the mysterious, shadow-wielding cadet at the center of Violet’s enemies-to-lovers story. That makes the role arguably the most scrutinized in the series, since fans have built an intense attachment to the character over the course of the novels.
The search for both leads sparked months of passionate debate. Australian actor Josh Heuston was among the most-discussed names for Xaden, while many fans pushed for ‘Obsession’ star Inde Navarrette as Violet.
With the leads now reportedly locked in, the conversation shifts to who will round out the rest of Basgiath’s cadets, instructors, and dragon riders. No other casting has been reported yet.
The series boasts a heavyweight lineup of producers. Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s Kilter Films, and Liz Pelletier and Sherryl Clark’s Premeditated Productions are all involved, along with Elizabeth Raposo and Athena Wickham.
There’s also plenty of source material to draw from. Yarros has published ‘Fourth Wing’, ‘Iron Flame’ and ‘Onyx Storm’ as part of a planned 5-novel series, along with the recent anthology ‘Threshing Day’, and a fourth main novel is in the works.
No premiere date or production start has been announced yet. Still, with the showrunner, premiere director, and now its 2 leads in place, the dragon riders of Navarre feel closer to the screen than ever.
What do you think of Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya being cast as Violet and Xaden in Fourth Wing?
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