Esther McGregor, daughter of Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor, has been cast as Violet Sorrengail in the upcoming television adaptation of Fourth Wing, opposite German actor Emilio Sakraya as her love interest, Xaden Riorson.
The series is based on Rebecca Yarros's bestselling Empyrean novels, which have amassed a huge fan base thanks to their mix of dragons, magic, high-stakes battles and an enemies-to-lovers romance. With Michael B Jordan among the executive producers, the adaptation is one of the most highly anticipated fantasy projects in development.
What is Fourth Wing about?
Fourth Wing is the first novel in Yarros's Empyrean series, published in 2023. The story follows 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail, who expects to train as a scribe but is instead ordered by her mother, a powerful military general, to join Basgiath War College and train to become a dragon rider.
Violet is intelligent and determined but physically more fragile than many of her fellow candidates. As she navigates the academy, Violet encounters Xaden Riorson, a formidable dragon rider whose family history puts him at odds with hers. Their relationship begins with hostility and mistrust before developing into one of the central romances of the series.
Who is playing Violet Sorrengail?
Esther McGregor has been cast as Violet, the bookish heroine forced to leave her original ambitions behind and enter the dangerous world of dragon riders.
The actress is the daughter of Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, best known for playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars franchise and starring in films including Trainspotting and Moulin Rouge!. Esther has already built up acting credits of her own, appearing in the psychological thriller Babygirl alongside Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, as well as Pedro Almodóvar's The Room Next Door. She also played Mirren Sinclair Sheffield in Prime Video's adaptation of We Were Liars.
Who is playing Xaden Riorson?
German actor Emilio Sakraya will star opposite McGregor as Xaden, the brooding and powerful rider who becomes Violet's enemy and eventual love interest.
Sakraya has appeared in a number of television and film projects, including Netflix's Warrior Nun, Tribes of Europa and Those About to Die. Xaden is one of the most popular characters in Yarros's books, and his complicated history with Violet's family plays a major role in their relationship.
Who is behind the Fourth Wing TV adaptation?
The series is being developed for Prime Video, with The Haunting of Hill House and Locke & Key writer Meredith Averill serving as showrunner and executive producer. Michael B Jordan will executive produce through his production company, Outlier Society, alongside Elizabeth Raposo.
Lisa Joy, co-creator of Westworld and an executive producer on Fallout, will direct the pilot episode and executive produce through Kilter Films alongside Jonathan Nolan and Athena Wickham. Yarros is also an executive producer, giving the author a role in bringing her fictional world to the screen.
The series has been ordered by Amazon MGM Studios, with the streamer confirming McGregor and Sakraya as its leads.
When will Fourth Wing be released?
There is no confirmed release date for Fourth Wing yet and further casting details are still to come. The adaptation is expected to be available exclusively on Prime Video, but fans will have to wait for more information about production and when they can expect to see Violet and Xaden's story unfold on screen.
In the meantime, the first three books in the Empyrean series are Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm. Threshing Day, a companion novella featuring a collection of 13 chronological short stories set in the same universe, was released on September 29.
