EXCLUSIVE: Amazon MGM Studios has snapped up rights to Rebecca Yarros‘ fantasy book series The Empyrean, and is moving to develop its first title, Fourth Wing, for TV alongside Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society.
Sources tell Deadline that the acquisition took place pre-WGA strike, following a heated auction. Outlier will exec produce the Fourth Wing series under its overall series deal with Amazon, inked in 2021. Also set as EPs are Yarros and Liz Pelletier for Entangled Publishing. Should the adaptation prove a success, we hear, there’s the potential for each book in Yarros’ series to be developed into its own separate TV project. The second novel, Iron Flame, is out November 7th.
The launch title for Entangled Publishing’s Red Tower imprint, Fourth Wing has proven explosively popular since its May 2nd release, selling millions of copies worldwide in over 40 languages. The book introduces readers to the brutal world of Basgiath War College, where there is only one rule: Graduate or Die. Our 20-year-old protagonist, Violet Sorrengail, expected to live a quiet life among books and history. But she’s put on an entirely different path when her tough-as-talons general of a mother orders her to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. If the fire-breathing beasts don’t kill her, one of her fellow riders just might.
Named a Barnes & Noble and Indigo Best Book of 2023, Fourth Wing has spent 25 weeks on the New York Times’ Bestseller list, 13 of those being at #1. The novel has also ranked high on Amazon’s bestsellers chart for 25 weeks and generated over a billion views on TikTok across all related hashtags. Ahead of its November release, second novel Iron Flame has seen over 400 bookstores sign up to host midnight release parties, with events posted for the book tour selling out within minutes. Three additional books in the fantasy adventure series are forthcoming.
While Yarros has thus far published more than 20 books, The Empyrean marks her first foray into fantasy. Other notable titles from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author include Great and Precious Things, In the Likely Event, A Little Too Close, The Things We Leave Unfinished, The Last Letter, and Reason to Believe, to name just a few.
Outlier Society earlier this year notched a record-breaking TKO with Creed III, directed and produced by Jordan, which grossed over $275M worldwide. The Amazon MGM threequel, where Jordan reprised his role as boxer Adonis “Donnie” Creed, transcended all expectations in its March launch as it secured the biggest-ever opening weekend for Amazon, as well as the biggest for a sports film and for any in the Creed and Rocky franchises. Prior to the WGA strike, the company also signed on to produce another pair of projects for Amazon: thriller The Dwelling, based on Aaron Jayh’s short story, and action thriller Iron Curtain, on which the Mission: Impossible franchise’s Christopher McQuarrie will also be a producer. McQuarrie and Emmy winner Erik Jendresen will handle rewrites on the latter, from McQuarrie’s original screenplay.
First founded in 2011, Entangled Publishing is one of the largest 100% women-owned independent publishers in the adult, young adult, and children’s book markets. With 13 imprints and numerous appearances on the New York Times bestseller list, Entangled is distributed by the Big Five publisher Macmillan.
Yarros is repped by Grandview and The Fury Agency; Entangled Publishing by Independent Artist Group and Alliance Rights Agency.