Amazon’sFourth Wingadaptation—based on theEmpyrean Seriesnovels by Rebecca Yarros—if done the right way, could become one of the streaming platforms' best works to date, with over 2 million copies ofFourth Wingsold world-wide. Bringing an expansive fantasy world to life on screen is no easy task, and with the scale a project such asAmazon’sFourth WingTV showentails, every production choice has to be perfect. Fortunately, one previously successful genre hit has provided the ideal blueprint – especially where the actors are concerned.
The fantasy genre’s popularity in both film and television has only risen in recent years, andanticipation for aFourth Wingadaptation has been prevalent since the first book’s release in 2023—with several iconicFourth Wingbook momentsaudiences are eager to see play out on screen. For Amazon to be as successful with itsFourth Wingadaptationas others in the fantasy genre, it should look to emulate previous successes. One approach could be to copy the $9.5bnHarry Potterfranchise – with particular reference to casting.
Fourth Wing Should Copy The Harry Potter Franchise When Casting Its Main Actors
Unknown Actors Can Better Bring The Characters To Life
The first film of theHarry Potterfranchise came out over 20 years ago, but praise for the movies is still flourishing—and its decision to cast unknown actors for the main roles has contributed to this greatly. Casting decisions are typically what can make or break a new show, especially one that already has incredibly popular source material.However, by selecting a group of unknown actors to portray the main trio, the movies were able to bring the books' authentic characters to life—with no outside forces influencing their performance.
Casting decisions are typically what can make or break a new show, especially one that already has incredibly popular source material.
Harry Potter’smain cast has grown up to become synonymous with their titular roles, which wouldn’t have been possible had they been well-known beforehand. When it comes tocasting Amazon’sFourth WingTV show,producers will need to be very strategic in finding the right actors to play the iconic roles of Violet, Xaden, or even Dain—and while it might be exciting to see well-known, popular actors portray a majorFourth Wingcharacter, it would only do the series a disservice.
Why Casting Lesser-Known Actors Is The Right Move For Amazon’s Fourth Wing TV Show
Audiences Won’t Be Distracted By Well-Known Stars
Fourth Wing’sincredible world-building and beloved cast of characters lends itself to easily becoming a worldwide phenomenon, but to do so,Amazon will have to establish the series as its own big thing—rather than associate themselves with other franchisesby selecting well-known actors. This decision will help keep audiences engaged in the story, and won’t offer any distraction should they recognize familiar actors during the series' run.
Casting Violet Sorrengail For The Fourth Wing TV Show: 10 Actors Perfect For The Role
Prime Video is adapting Rebecca Yarros' fantasy novel, Fourth Wing, for TV, and there are 10 perfect actors for the lead role of Violet Sorrengail.
As with any project as large asHarry PotterorFourth Wing, it’s necessary to find actors who are willing to dedicate years of their time to bring a series to life and overall avoid recasting—one a younger, unknown actor can better commit to, as they will have significantly fewer projects on their plates.WhileFourth Wing’s characters' ages might make it a little less likely for it to be the cast’s first time acting, Amazon still has the opportunity to find fresh, budding talent to catapult the series into superstardom.
