"No Chance": Amazon's Fourth Wing TV Show Is All But Guaranteed To Avoid The Biggest Problem That Hurt Game Of Thrones
Rebecca Yarros has already confirmed that Amazon's highly-anticipated Fourth Wing adaptation will not fall prey to an ending reminiscent of HBO's Game of Thrones — in which the show surpassed the novels — and it's a huge relief. As George R.R. Martin's final novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series wasn't published ahead of HBO's final season, the fan-favorite fantasy series ultimately suffered. Because of this, several fans of the series were disappointed with the ending, and HBO was unsuccessful in closing out the show without Martin's narrative to guide them.
Thankfully, Yarros seems confident this will not be a problem with her Empyrean Series novels and Amazon's Fourth Wing adaptation — regardless of how quickly the studio is ramping up production. Since the series' announcement back in November 2023, both Amazon and Michael B. Jordan's production company have made great progress — appointing Moira Walley-Beckett as showrunner this past August, and confirming that the first versions of the script already exist. And while there are still a lot of unknowns regarding the show — such as casting or filming dates — it's comforting to know the TV series will never surpass the books.
Rebecca Yarros Confirmed The Fourth Wing Show Won't Overtake Her Books
She's Years Ahead Compared To Amazon's Adaptation
Ever since Amazon's Fourth Wing adaptation was announced in tandem with Iron Flame's publication in late 2023, concern over the show's potential to surpass Yarros' publishing schedule has been constant. And while there are valid reasons for worrying about such an event — especially after what happened with HBO's Game of Thrones — Rebecca Yarros herself has confirmed the show won't overtake the books. In an interview with Variety after the release of Onyx Storm, Yarros confidently stated, "the show has no chance of getting to Season 4 before I get to Book 4."
While Amazon Studios and Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society have made significant progress in the last several months, it will be years before the Fourth Wing show actually hits screens.
Given there's only two books left for Yarros to write out of her five-book series, she is years ahead of schedule compared to the Amazon TV show. Production is still very much in its beginning stages, and while Amazon Studios and Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society have made significant progress in the last several months, it will be years before the Fourth Wing show actually hits screens. Considering that fact, I'm not too concerned about the show's progress surpassing Yarros — even if the first season airs before the next Fourth Wing novel releases.
Why It's So Important The Fourth Wing TV Show Doesn't Overtake The Books
Amazon May Have An Idea Of The Series End, But Yarros' Books Will Provide The Best Roadmap
For one, no one wants another ending like HBO's Game of Thrones — as its series ending was met with much controversy and conflicting emotions among fans, given the series ending doesn't follow any narrative provided by George R.R. Martin. But in terms of the Empyrean Series novels, there's still so much unknown about the world Yarros has built into her books — and if the show decided to pull ahead, they likely wouldn't be able to incorporate all the subtle foreshadowing and plot reveals lined up for the latter novels.
"But they have the five-book arc and the general big points of what happens in between each book, but they don’t have the specifics between Book 4 and Book 5..."
Rebecca Yarros' Variety Interview
Yarros is notorious for her wild and rather shocking plot twists at the end of each Fourth Wing novel, so having the full scope of the narrative ahead of production would be much easier when it comes to Amazon's adaptation. The team at Amazon have been privy to Yarros' full five-book arc, and are knowledgeable of how the series is likely to end — as Yarros explained during her interview with Variety. But despite that fact, it's in Amazon's best interest to wait for Yarros' books to release, as it's in the small details that Yarros weaves the whole narrative together.
What's The Latest Update On The Fourth Wing TV Show?
Production Is Still Moving Along Smoothly
Rebecca Yarros and the team at Amazon have been quiet in recent weeks in regard to the Fourth Wing TV series adaptation, but that doesn't mean things aren't still moving along smoothly. That last confirmed update was around the release of Onyx Storm, in which Yarros shared that she'd already seen several versions of the script and "kicked [her] feet the entire time." This is one of the most promising updates yet — ensuring fan-favorite scenes and dialogue will be included — and confirms Amazon's adaptation is making great progress.
The Fourth Wing TV Show Needs To Feature This Viral Song BookTok Is Obsessed With
After the release of Onyx Storm, BookTok has become hyperfixed on one song that captures Violet and Xaden's romance—and Amazon needs to include it.
While there are tons of speculation as to who may be cast in Amazon's Fourth Wing adaptation — more specifically Violet and Xaden — the studio has yet to verify the rumors or provide any updates concerning casting. However, Yarros' cryptic Instagram post, which details her trip to Los Angeles and confirms her meeting with the Amazon team, suggests there's more news the author will have to share about the Fourth Wing show in the coming weeks. Rest assured that while the team hasn't shared any new details, they are likely hard at work making Rebecca Yarros' Empyrean Series a reality.
Source: Instagram, Variety
Based on the novel series by Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing is an action-adventure fantasy series in development for Prime Video. Announced in 2024, Fourth Wing will follow the adventures of a young woman named Violet Sorrengail, who has been taken from her peaceful book-reading life and thrust into a world of danger when she is forced by her mother to join an elite group of dragon-riding warriors.
- Creator(s)
- Rebecca Yarros
- Seasons
- 1
