Aaron Waltke Takes the Helm for Wings of Fire Adaptation

Aaron Waltke, a Daytime Emmy-winning writer-director-producer celebrated for his contributions to Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimed Tales of Arcadia series, including Trollhunters and Wizards, as well as Star Trek: Prodigy, has been appointed as the showrunner for the animated series adaptation of Tui T. Sutherland’s bestselling fantasy novel series, Wings of Fire.

Project Background

This project was originally developed at Netflix as a 10-episode series in 2020, backed by Warner Bros. Television and executive produced by Ava DuVernay. However, it was removed from Netflix’s lineup in 2022. In a strategic move, Amazon MGM Studios acquired Wings of Fire for its animation development slate in 2024, introducing a fresh creative team led by executive producer Marc Resteghini (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Jack Ryan), who previously served as head of series for Amazon Studios, through Jack Tar Productions under its overall deal with Amazon MGM.

Series Overview

The logline for the upcoming Prime Video series captures the essence of the story: Five young dragons raised in secrecy are prophesied to end a devastating war. When one of their own is endangered, they embark on a journey to escape and forge their own destinies—ultimately striving to save themselves and their world.

Franchise Success

Launched in 2012 by Scholastic, the Wings of Fire franchise boasts 15 novels, along with supplementary books and a graphic novel adaptation. With over 27 million copies sold globally, the series has consistently topped best-seller lists for USA Today and New York Times.

Aaron Waltke’s Credentials

Waltke most recently held the position of staff writer and co-executive producer on Star Trek: Prodigy, the franchise’s inaugural animated series aimed at children. His accolades include a Daytime Emmy Award for writing on Trollhunters in 2018, along with a second nomination the following year. He also contributed to the story of the follow-up mini-series Wizards, and his animation portfolio includes roles as story editor and writer on Unikitty!.