The next big Amazon fantasy series, Fourth Wing, has found a new showrunner. Based on The Empyrean books by Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing is set to join an lineup that includes The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys, and Fallout.
Meredith Averill was announced as the new showrunner earlier this week, replacing Moira Walley-Beckett. Deadline reports that Averill "is in final negotiations" to join the show. Yarros posted on her social media pages confirming Averill's role with the series.
Fourth Wing follows Violet Sorrengail, a 20-year-old headed to Basgiath War College. While she's trained her entire life to be a Scribe, her mother tells her she must enroll in the Riders college like her older siblings. In doing so, she would either die or bond with a dragon she would ride into battles on. However, due to a connective tissue disorder based on Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, she initially struggles to match the physicality of her peers, putting her at a disadvantage.
Averill was a co-showrunner on Netflix's Locke & Key. She also worked as an executive producer on the second season of Wednesday and The Haunting of Hill House. That said, she's experienced with bringing strong female characters to life on screen.
Amazon MGM Studios began development on the series in October 2023, originally naming Moira Walley-Beckett, creator and showrunner of Anne with an E, as showrunner in July 2024. She left the project a year later, and it was previously reported that Jac Schaeffer, the mind behind WandaVision, might be taking over.
While Averill is the third name attached as showrunner, which might make fans concerned the adaptation could have the same fate as Sarah J. Maas's ACOTAR series with Hulu, Prime Video's Head of TV Vernon Sanders confirmed to Deadline in July of this year that they are working hard to bring Fourth Wing to screens.
"We don’t have news to report yet, so I won’t be breaking anything here, but we’re hard at work. We love our relationship with Rebecca Yarros, who has been incredible, and we’re going to get this one right. So that would be my promise to the fans."
That said, no casting news has been revealed, though fans have several ideas in mind for who could play their favorite characters. Names like Emilio Sakraya and Josh Heuston have been attached to Xaden Riorson, the male main character and Violet's love interest. Actress Mackenzie Foy remains a popular fan cast for Violet.
With a new showrunner joining the team, it's unlikely fans will see the Fourth Wing adaptation anytime soon. However, they will still have things to look forward to. A graphic novelization of Fourth Wing is in the works, and there are still two more books of The Empyrean series planned by Yarros. Stay tuned as we keep you updated on all things Fourth Wing.