According to Deadline, Amazon MGM Studios has officially bought the rights to the fantasy book series The Empyrean by Rebecca Yarros (In the Likely Event, The Things We Leave Unfinished) and will be developing a TV series based on the first novel in the series, Fourth Wing. Amazon MGM Studios will be developing the series with Michael B. Jordan’s (Creed, Black Panther) Outlier Society.
Deadline reports that Amazon MGM Studios acquired the rights to The Empyrean before the WGA strike after an auction. The Fourth Wing series will be executive produced by Outlier Society under an overall series deal with Amazon that was signed in 2021. The series will also be executive produced by Liz Pelletier (New Olde Town, a World Turned Upside Down: A Williamsburg City Symphony) and Yarros.
It is possible that the other novels in the series could be made into separate projects if the series is successful, according to Deadline. Iron Flame by Yarros, the second book in the series, will be released on November 7.
The Fourth Wing novel was the first title for Entangled Publishing’s Red Tower imprint and has been increasingly popular ever since it was released on May 2nd. It has sold millions of copies in more than 40 languages worldwide.
The novel takes place at Basgiath War College, where students must graduate or die. Violet Sorrengail is the 20-year-old main character and is expected to live a quiet life. She gets put on a new path when her general mother orders her to become a dragon rider.
Fourth Wing was named a Barnes & Noble and Indigo Best Book of 2023, was on the New York Times Bestseller list for 25 weeks and was at number one on the list for 13 weeks.
Yarros is represented by The Fury Agency, Grandview, Alliance Rights Agency, Entangled Publishing, and Independent Artist Group.