The ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ TV Show Has Been Scrapped By Hulu: Why It Could Be a Good Thing
Since the book series isn’t complete yet, this could be a blessing in disguise for readers
After several years, we finally have an update on the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) TV show, and romantasy fans, it’s a villainous one that not even Sarah J. Maas or The Suriel could have predicted. Hulu has officially scrapped the project, meaning that the company will not put the page-to-screen adaptation on their streaming service, according to a recently published Variety article. Here, we look into what happened, why this could be a good thing for ACOTAR fans and whether or not the show will be optioned again.
What we know about the ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ TV show
The show was first announced in a now-deleted Instagram post by Maas, who revealed that she, along with Outlander showrunner Ron Moore, would be working on an adaptation of the book for Hulu.
“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,” Maas reportedly wrote in the announcement.
“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!”
Following that, there were several delays in production, including Moore announcing that they were leaving the project in July 2024.
“I can tell you I am no longer working on it because I left Disney and I’ve returned to Sony,” Moore said. “And ACOTAR was a project that was at 20th Century Television and Disney.”
“I had worked on it for a while, but it was still in development, as they say, when I left. So I don’t know what the status is anymore.”
Following that, Craig Erwich, SVP of Content at Hulu, said the “show has been in development,” but didn’t offer insights into what that meant or where the project stood regarding pre-production.
After years of speculation, though, fans finally have their answer: it has officially been scrapped, according to Variety.
The news outlet didn’t offer any insights into why Hulu made this decision; it simply reported that they had decided not to proceed with the adaptation.
As of publication, Maas and Hulu have not commented on the news. But a small silver lining for fans remains: Variety is reporting that Maas is looking to take the adaptation rights to another studio and platform once the option has expired at Disney.
Why the ‘ACOTAR’ TV show cancellation could be a good thing
While the cancellation news might be sad for some, others quickly noticed that it might be the perfect way for them to get the adaptation they deserve.
Since Disney owns Hulu, fans of the ACOTAR series were initially worried that the production company would tone down some of the spicy scenes they had come to know and love. Now that Hulu isn’t producing the project anymore, though, it allows streamers like Max, Netflix and others—that are more open to showing steamy on-screen scenes—to potentially swoop in and adapt it.
Another thing fans were worried about was the fact that the series isn’t even officially complete yet. Currently, there are four installments and a novella out, and Maas herself has confirmed that more books are coming. Fans were concerned because the author is known for switching up character names, appearances and plot lines—we are looking at you Throne of Glass. So waiting until the book series is complete could be the key to making sure they cast the right people, ensuring ACOTAR fans get the adaptation they want and deserve!
What is ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ about?
Released in 2015, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a Beauty and the Beast retelling that follows 19-year-old huntress Feyre. After she kills a wolf to feed her family, she is kidnapped and dragged to a magical, treacherous land she’s only heard about in legends. Her captor? Tamlin, who is one of the most powerful faeries. Tamlin is a beast-like immortal, yet throughout her captivity, Feyre begins to see Tamlin as more than a monster. But still, something doesn’t feel right in this enchanting place.
The novel serves as the first a series that continues to follow Feyre—and then her sister Nesta—on their journeys in the magical world.
Maas also wrote the Throne of Glass and Crescent City series, both of which were released while she was also working on the ACOTAR series.
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