Wings of Fire: Ava DuVernay’s animated series takes flight at Netflix

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Dragon enthusiasts, you had best steel yourselves because Ava DuVernay's Wings of Fire animated series is set to take to the skies at Netflix.

Wings of Fire, written by Tui T. Sutherland, will be adapted into ten 40-minute episodes. That's 400 minutes of dragon-oriented action and intrigue.

Per Deadline, the series centers around a bitter war that has raged for generations between the dragon tribes who inhabit the epic world of Pyrrhia. According to prophecy, five young dragons will rise to end the bloodshed and bring peace back to the land.  Raised and trained in secret from the time they were hatched, the Dragonets of destiny – Clay, Tsunami, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny – embark on an evolving quest that will bring them face to face with their true selves and the overwhelming scope of this savage war they are destined to bring to an end.

Dan Milano (Glitch Techs), Christa Starr (Mystery Science Theater 3000), Justin Ridge (Star Wars Resistance) will act as showrunners and executive producers with Milano and Starr adapting. The series hails from DuVernay's ARRAY Filmworks and Warner Bros. Animation.

“Within this epic book series from the mind of Tui Sutherland is an elegant saga filled with wisdom and wonder, exploring ideas of belonging and bias, camaraderie and community. On behalf of my colleagues Sarah Bremner and Paul Garnes of ARRAY Filmworks, we’re thrilled to partner with Netflix and Warner Bros. Animation for this dynamic adaptation where five young dragonets fulfill their destiny and show viewers how to fulfill their own,” DuVernay said.

“We couldn’t be more proud that Ava has chosen Netflix as the home for her first animated series. An epic fantasy saga full of sweep and spectacle, Wings of Fire promises to be a must-see event for the whole family,” Melissa Cobb Vice President, Original Animation, Netflix, said.

“When I started writing my own dragon series, Wings of Fire, I knew a few important things.  I knew I wanted it to be a big epic fantasy with a sense of humor and kindhearted heroes. I wanted to explore questions of fate vs. free will, different ways of handling power, nature and nurture, family and empathy, and friendship. And perhaps most of all, I wanted it to be a story told entirely from the dragons’ point of view,” Tui T. Sutherland gushed. “I am so immensely thrilled and grateful that Ava DuVernay is our Queen of Dragons, I’m pretty sure that’s the official title.  Ava is someone who saves the world every day without waiting for any prophecy to tell her what to do.  I hope some of my dragons grow up to be just like her.”

While I've not read the Wings of Fire series, I am a big fan of DuVernay and her grasp on fantasy fiction. For my money, her Disney film A Wrinkle in Time is one of the studio's trippiest movies to date, and I am all in on her taking the reins for a story filled with dragons and danger. Let's ride!