Jesse! It’s time to cook! A good TV show! Moira Walley-Becckett, the showrunner for the acclaimed Breaking Bad, has begun her latest project. It was reported that she would showrun an adaptation of the bestselling fantasy novel The Fourth Wing for Prime Video. This book is just one of many in the “BookTok” series to rise.
While many fans are undoubtedly celebrating, the series has also attracted many critics during its sudden rise in popularity. However, Beckett has also proven herself to be a talented showrunner. Here is a breakdown of who is creating this show and whether it can work as a fantasy adaptation.
Rebecca Yarros will Receive an Adaptation
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According to Variety, Rebecca Yarros’s phenomenally popular fantasy novel The Fourth Wing will be adapted. The fantasy epic of romance and dragon-riders has exploded in popularity since its release last year. Production started in October 2023, a mere six months after its publication date. While many would see this as a sign of the series’ popularity, others would probably see it as a rushed decision to make before the series’ conclusion.
Prime Video is no stranger to big-budget fantasy adaptations, such as The Wheel of Time and The Rings of Power, the latter of which is one of the most expensive shows ever. Regardless of the series’ reception, its producers have at least some experience working in the genre. Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society and its many executives will also produce the series. As shown by House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, dragons can burn through a budget as quickly as an enemy army.
What Was the Fourth Wing?
While many have seen The Fourth Wing’s cover before and heard it mentioned, many also wonder what the book is about. Readers have probably seen the book on Target or Barnes & Noble displays. The fantasy series is set in the militaristic land of Navarre, where timid 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail is suddenly thrust into being a candidate as a dragon rider by her mother, a general. Now, she has to fight for her life in a cutthroat world of brutal trials, love triangles, and secrets.
Yarros confirmed that the book was the first in the “Empyrean” trilogy, which has five planned books. The Iron Flame was released last year, and The Onyx Flame was released next. To many onlookers, the book was an icon of how “BookTok” could be used to promote books, as the series gained a massive following on TikTok. Through this, the series managed to stay on top of the New York Times bestseller list for a year. It’s no surprise that much of the series’ fandom overlapped with that of fellow BookTok fantasy writer Sarah J. Maas.
Despite the series’ immense popularity and swift rise to fame, it was followed by no shortage of critics. Many readers found the series overloaded with cliches, overdone tropes from the fantasy genre, mixed disability representation, and predictable twists and moments. Worse, many readers supposedly rushed to make Christmas sales in the sequel, The Iron Flame. As such, readers noticed frequent typos and misprints in the book. While this probably isn’t the end for The Empyrean’s fanbase, the show will give the story a second chance.
Breaking Bad’s Moira Walley-Beckett
For those unaware, Moira Walley-Beckett was one of the major showrunners for AMC’s groundbreaking Breaking Bad, the story of a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin. She oversaw all five seasons and won three Emmys for her skill. Outside the lab, she has proven herself as a lead showrunner with the Anne of Green Gables adaptation for Netflix, Anne with an E. She also ran the ballet drama Flesh and Bone.
Through all of her major accomplishments, the Breaking Bad alumnus demonstrated her talent in running long and acclaimed series, adapting novels, and telling stories of female protagonists. She showed she could bring The Fourth Wing to live-action through all these. Regardless of the series’ recent reception, her talent as a writer gives her many chances to elevate the source material, though many challenges certainly lie ahead.
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