BloomsburyAs one of the biggest romance book series of all time, it should be no surprise that Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses was up for a TV adaptation at some point – but is that still the case?
A Court of Thorns and Roses (known as “ACOTAR” among fans) can be credited with playing a huge role in the “romantasy” genre. Since the first novel in the series was published in 2015, there have been four follow-up books, making this series the perfect basis for a fantasy TV show.
And for a while, it looked as though an adaptation of Maas’ world was on the horizon at Hulu. But with development stalling and little to no updates about the project being released, questions are being raised.
Now, reports suggest there’s been a major shift in the future for this series. So, what’s going on?
What’s happening with the A Court of Thorns and Roses TV series?
According to multiple reports, the Hulu adaptation of Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses has been “scrapped,” though this still hasn’t been confirmed by Hulu or Disney.
The adaptation was first greenlit in 2021, when it entered development stage at Hulu (and Disney’s 20th Television) in March of that year. The series was a partnership between the author Maas and Outlander creator Ronald D. Moore.
At the time, Maas shared the announcement in a now-deleted Instagram post, writing, “So, it’s official (and thank you, Josh, for accidentally spilling the beans!): Ron Moore (creator of Outlander and one of my creative idols) and I will co-adapt ACOTAR as a TV show for Hulu!
“I’m currently hard at work writing the pilot with Ron (!!!!!), and while there is SO much more news to share with you guys about bringing this series to life, it just feels so great to finally be able to talk about this! Stay tuned for more details!!”
BloomsburyAfter that, there were no further updates on the developing series, and all work halted during the Writers and Actors strikes of 2023.
In November 2023, Moore said [via TVLine] the series was “still in development.”
“We’ve written some scripts, and we’re just sort of waiting. I think the whole town is kind of waiting to see if we have actors before things really move forward, but it’s still in development.”
Then, in February 2024, TVLine reported that the TV show had been scrapped, and that it wasn’t being shopped around to other platforms or streaming services.
The future of ACOTAR adaptation is uncertain
Variety then released another report, citing sources who claimed the show was still “in the works” but no longer in active development. Those same reports said Disney’s 20th Television had the rights to the book series until Summer 2025.
View this post on Instagram
- A post shared by Bloomsbury Publishing (@bloomsburypublishing)
In July 2024, it was announced that Moore had exited the project, saying [via Entertainment Weekly, “I am no longer working on it because I left Disney and I’ve returned to Sony, and ACOTAR was a project that was at 20th Century Television and Disney.”
Now, it’s been reported that Maas is searching for another studio and platform for the adaptation, preparing for when the rights expire at Disney.
At the time of writing, no official comments have been made by Disney, Hulu, or Maas.
For more, check out our list of the best rom-com movies of all time. For more fantasy, you can also check out what’s happening with House of the Dragon Season 3, or find out what other adaptations are on the horizon with our guide to the upcoming Stephen King movies.
