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Fourth Wing: Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya cast as Violet and Xaden

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In brief

Amazon's Prime Video has cast Esther McGregor as Violet Sorrengail and Emilio Sakraya as Xaden Riorson in its television adaptation of Rebecca Yarros' bestselling novel "Fourth Wing." The casting was announced on October 15, 2026, about three years after the book-to-screen project was first revealed in October 2023.

Prime Video has found the two actors who will lead its adaptation of "Fourth Wing." Esther McGregor will play Violet Sorrengail, and Emilio Sakraya will play Xaden Riorson, according to reports from TheWrap and E! Online published on October 15, 2026.

The novel, written by Rebecca Yarros and published in May 2023 by Red Tower Books, follows 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail, who is forced by her commanding-general mother to abandon scribe training and join a dragon-rider academy, according to the book's English Wikipedia entry. Violet lives with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which makes her physically fragile compared with other cadets, and she must navigate deadly trials alongside Xaden Riorson, a marked rebel cadet whose father was executed by her mother.

Who are the new leads

McGregor, 24, is best known for Prime Video's 2025 series "We Were Liars" and the 2024 film "Babygirl," according to E! Online. TheWrap reported that she has also appeared in Pedro Almodóvar's "The Room Next Door." She is the daughter of actor Ewan McGregor, and her acting career began with a cameo in his 2022 series "Obi-Wan Kenobi," according to E! Online. TheWrap added that McGregor is currently filming a Prime Video adaptation of the video game "Life Is Strange."

Sakraya, 30, was born in Germany and has appeared in Netflix's "Warrior Nun," the German science-fiction series "Tribes of Europa" and the Peacock drama "Those About to Die," according to both TheWrap and E! Online. TheWrap reported that Sakraya recently finished filming season 3 of Netflix's "One Piece," in which he plays the character Koza; E! Online said that role is expected to air in 2027. TheWrap also noted that fans of the "Fourth Wing" books had previously suggested Sakraya for the Xaden role on social media before the casting was confirmed.

Production team and timeline

E! Online reported that the television adaptation was first announced in October 2023 and received a full series order from Amazon in May 2026, a greenlight date also confirmed by Wikipedia's entry on the book, which additionally names Michael B. Jordan, Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan among the executive producers. Meredith Averill, known for "The Haunting of Hill House," is showrunner; she joined the project in September 2025, per E! Online.

Executive producers include actor Michael B. Jordan through his Outlier Society production company and author Rebecca Yarros herself, according to E! Online. TheWrap additionally listed Elizabeth Raposo of Outlier Society, Jonathan Nolan and Athena Wickham of Kilter Films, and Liz Pelletier and Sherryl Clark of Premeditated Productions as producers, and reported that Lisa Joy is set to direct the first episode.

Neither report named a premiere date. TheWrap described the series as having received a series order with no production timeline yet disclosed; E! Online similarly said the show remains in active development.

Background: a BookTok phenomenon

"Fourth Wing" became a breakout hit on the social platform BookTok, reaching No. 1 on both the Amazon and The New York Times bestseller lists, where it stayed for 18 weeks, according to the book's Wikipedia entry. The novel sold more than two million copies within six months of release, won TikTok's International Book of the Year award in 2024, and ranked among the most-borrowed public library titles in 2023-2024, per the same source.

Yarros has continued the series with two sequels: "Iron Flame," released in November 2023, and "Onyx Storm," released in January 2025, according to Wikipedia. A graphic novel adaptation, announced in March 2025, is also in development, the entry states.

Questions

Who plays Violet in the Fourth Wing TV series?
Esther McGregor, known for Prime Video's "We Were Liars" and the film "Babygirl," has been cast as Violet Sorrengail, according to TheWrap and E! Online.
Who plays Xaden in the Fourth Wing TV series?
Emilio Sakraya, known for "Those About to Die" and "Warrior Nun," will play Xaden Riorson, both outlets reported.
When was the casting announced?
The casting news was reported on October 15, 2026, about three years after the adaptation was first announced in October 2023.
When does the Fourth Wing series premiere?
No premiere date has been set. As of the casting announcement, the show was described as being in active development after receiving a full series order in May 2026.
Who is involved behind the camera?
Meredith Averill is showrunner, Lisa Joy is set to direct the first episode, and executive producers include Michael B. Jordan and author Rebecca Yarros, according to TheWrap, E! Online and Wikipedia.

Sources

  1. TheWrap — Prime Video's 'Fourth Wing' Adaptation Finds Leads in Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya
  2. E! Online — Fourth Wing TV Show Cast Revealed: See Who Will Be Playing Violet and Xaden
  3. Wikipedia — Fourth Wing

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