Amazon’sFourth Wingadaptation, based on theEmpyrean Seriesnovels by Rebecca Yarros, is probably one of the most-anticipated series currently in development — especially afterHulu canceled its four-year-longA Court of Thorns and Rosesproject. WhileFourth Wing’s former competitor in the romantasy space has been scrapped, it seems Amazon and Outlier Society’s production is still moving along seamlessly. Amazon’sFourth Wingseries was first announced in November 2024, and has made consistent progress updates since — even announcing Moira Walley-Beckett as showrunner this past July.
Yarros herself has made several promising comments on the show’s future, and her latestFourth WingTV series updateconfirms the show is in the script writing process. This is a major development for the series, and after so many romantasy adaptations have either found themselves stuck in production or canceled, regardless of viewer popularity, likeNetflix’sShadow & Boneseries, it comes as a huge relief. However, this leaves Amazon’sFourth Wingto pave the way for future romantasy adaptations, and puts a significant amount of pressure on its success.
With ACOTAR Being Scrapped, Amazon’s Fourth Wing Show Lost Its Biggest Competition
Fourth Wing Will Pave The Way For Romantasy Adaptations
Now that Hulu’s years-longA Court of Thorns and Rosesadaptation has officially been scrapped, theupcomingFourth WingTV serieshas lost its biggest source of competition. With both shows being developed from a popular romantasy book series,each adaptation would likely have drawn in a very similar target audience, as readers have often expressed their love for both. WithACOTARnow off the table, Amazon’sFourth Wingwill be able to enter the market without a competitor — making it easier for the show to develop its own style without any concern over comparing the two.
Without a strong competitor, Amazon’sFourth Wingwill be left to pave the way by itself, and have no sounding board by which to gauge viewers' reception ahead of release.
However,the loss ofACOTARas a competitor has its downsides as well, as there’s now a lot of pressure on Amazon’sFourth Wingseries to be near perfect upon its release. Not only will theFourth Wingseries need to make a memorable entrance into the fantasy TV market, but its success could determine the fate of future romantasy adaptations. Without a strong competitor, Amazon’sFourth Wingwill be left to pave the way by itself, and have no sounding board by which to gauge viewers' reception ahead of release—which would have been healthy for the series' run.
Quicksilver Could Emerge As Fourth Wing’s Biggest Competitor In The Romantasy Race
Netflix’s Enthusiasm May Indicate The Steamer Plans To Move Quickly
However, Amazon’sFourth Wingseries may not be the only romantasy adaptation in the works. Netflix recently made headlines when the studio won a seven-figure bidding war for therights to Callie Hart’sQuicksilver—the first novel in theFae & Alchemyseries, which went viral on TikTok after its release in June 2024. Similarly toFourth Wing,Quicksilveremploys several popular romantasy tropes, and includes a fiery female protagonist, a shadow-wielding male main character, and plenty of spice and tension. While it’s likely a ways off,Netflix’s obvious enthusiasm forQuicksilvermay indicate the studio plans to work quickly through production.
Netflix’s Recommitment To The Fantasy Genre With Quicksilver Is A Shocking Turn Of Events After A Series Of Big Cancellations
Despite big cancellations, it looks like Netflix is recommitting to the fantasy genre with its huge acquisition of Callie Hart’s Quicksilver.
If Netflix fast-tracks itsQuicksilveradaptation, it could provide a healthy source of competition for Amazon’sFourth Wingand allow the streamer to enter into the romantasy race. Amazon’sFourth Wingis over a year ahead ofQuicksilverin terms of development, butNetflix still has the opportunity to become a major competitorif it releasesQuicksilver’s adaptation duringFourth Wing’s multi-season run. And while the two shows will have different narratives, their equal focus on both fantasy and romance elements throughout will likely prove to attract similar audiences.
ACOTAR’s Fate Proves That Both Fourth Wing & Quicksilver Need To Succeed
The Future Of Romantasy Adaptations Rely On Their Popularity
Hulu’s cancelation of itsA Court of Thorns and Rosesshowwas incredibly disappointing, and further proves how badly the industry needsFourth WingandQuicksilver’s adaptations to succeed.The romantasy genre has long been ignored and undervalued, and Hulu’sACOTARshow was previously believed to be the series that would fill the gap in the fantasy TV market. However, Amazon and Netflix’s adaptations will now have to step intoA Court of Thorns and Roses’former role and hopefully avoid falling to the same fate.
The Fourth Wing TV Show Needs To Feature This Viral Song BookTok Is Obsessed With
After the release of Onyx Storm, BookTok has become hyperfixed on one song that captures Violet and Xaden’s romance—and Amazon needs to include it.
Instead, Amazon and Netflix’s romantasy acquisitions, should they prove successful, could open the door for other popular series to receive film or television adaptations. BookTok has long advocated for these types of productions, and afterFourth WingandQuicksilvereach gained popularity among readers, it seems a few studios and streamers are beginning to take notice of the romantasy genre’s overall value. However, the decision to adapt romantasy novels will likely only continue ifFourth WingandQuicksilverare met with great success upon release.
