Just a few days ago, it was announced that Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society would be producing a live-action TV series based on Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing and the author's ongoing The Empyrean fantasy saga but it turns out, Yarros knew about the project for quite some time already.
While speaking to Variety, Yarros shared, "...we knew in December it was going to be Amazon and (Michael B Jordan’s production company) Outlier and I could not be any happier about where it ended up. Outlier is such a great production company and they have a wonderful diversity and inclusion rider, one of the first companies to have them, which is why I was so joyful, because I knew they would respect the diversity of cast."
Yarros is referencing the fact that The Empyrean saga features a diverse cast of characters within the fantastical kingdoms of Navarre and Poromiel. The series is set in a world where a kingdom of dragonriders rages war against a neighboring empire that uses griffins in warfare.
She continued that thought, adding that she hopes the show casts individuals who genuinely resemble the characters she describes in her novel, even though she is aware that most fanart portrays her characters as white.
"I’m going to trust that [the producers] bring in the right people when they start casting. And then I’m gonna hope that they fit who’s described in the book, and I think we’ll know when we know. But I honestly don’t have a preference, just whoever can fit the character."
With regards to casting the book's male lead, Xaden in reference to how he's depicted in fanart, Yarros stated, "We’re just going to say he’s POC, we’re just going to leave it at that. I didn’t rise to the bait of a lot of those posts, which I think probably got me some flack, but I knew we were already in development for TV, and I want to make sure that role is open to as much diversity as possible."
As an executive producer, Yarros disclosed that Amazon had contacted her to see if she would be interested in taking on the role of showrunner or penning a few episodes, but she ultimately declined—at least for the time being.
"All I can say is that when I met with them in L.A., they did ask if I wanted to come sit in the writer's room. And I would never get in somebody’s way, but I just want to be like, hey, that plot point might mess with a point in Book Four, just a heads-up, just in case you want to do that!"
After its April 2023 release, Fourth Wing gained popularity fast and is presently ranked second on Amazon's best-seller list. The only book ranked higher is Iron Flame, the second book in the series, which was just released on November 7.