Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya are set to star in the small-screen adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’ bestselling novel “Fourth Wing” when it lands on Prime Video, industry media reported Thursday.
According to Deadline, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, McGregor, who is the daughter of Scottish actor Ewan McGregor and appears in Prime Video’s mystery drama “We Were Liars,” will play protagonist Violet Sorrengail — an unassuming scholar who hopes to graduate as a historian but is forced to become a dragon rider by her ruthless mother, an army general.
German actor Sakraya, who starred alongside Anthony Hopkins in Peacock’s Roman gladiator saga “Those About to Die,” is reportedly taking on the role of Xaden Riorson. As fearsome as he is ambitious, Xaden is determined to join the ranks of elite dragon riders.
In Yarros’s novel, the two men are polar opposites of each other, creating a classic enemies-to-lovers arc as they fight their way through the tyrannical Basgiath War College where there are only two ways to leave: graduate or die.
CNN has contacted Amazon MGM Studios, which has yet to confirm the casting rumor.
Published in 2023, “Fourth Wing” is the first in Yarros’ Empyrean series, which is expected to consist of five books. So far, three volumes have been published and have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Book lovers took to the internet Friday to have their say on the casting rumors.
“I squint and I can kind of see the vision,” Kaila Anttila, a widely followed book reviewer on social media who publishes under the name Kaila Books, said in an Instagram video. “Bonus…they never let us down,” she added.
Actor and creator Joel Wood also chimed in: “Violet is not blonde,” Wood said, pointing to an image of McGregor sporting a short blonde haircut.
“But I know we can solve this problem,” he added, before explaining: “I don’t like him, but I don’t hate him.”
Others expressed more excitement about McGregor and Sakraya taking on these roles.
“I know I speak for a lot of people when I say: my biggest congratulations to these two,” Nicole Holleman, one of the hosts of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast, said in a video – before shouting excitedly.
She followed up with another short video encouraging fans to be “open-minded” about the casting.
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