It may not necessarily be a surprise to many, but the TV show adaptation of A Court of Thorns and Roses is now officially dead at Hulu, as revealed to the public by Variety during Valentine's Day weekend 2025. However, this could translate to new hope for the franchise if the series gets picked up by another service. Sarah J. Maas' novel series follows human huntress Feyre, who delves into a perilous adventure with electric romances in the Fae country of Pyrthian, eventually becoming a powerful player in her world's future.
A Court of Thorns and Roses is arguably the most popular if not the next A Court of Thorns and Roses book, she and fans would doubtlessly love to see a TV show in some form someday, posing hopeful questions about its development.
A Court Of Thorns & Roses' TV Show Update Is Disappointing After Years Of Silence
Hulu Never Did Any Real Work With Maas' Books
Needless to say, Hulu finally and officially axing A Court of Thorns and Roses is disappointing, even if it long seemed to be headed in this direction and this is mostly just the nail in the coffin. Once, this seemed like an extremely promising project, with Maas on board to write the series alongside Outlander creator Ronald D. Moore. Some of the most recent news about the show came more than a year ago when Hulu insisted that reports of ACOTAR being canceled were false, but was still non-committal in saying that it was "no longer in active development."
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Moore then departed as the show's creator in July 2024, and it is now officially canceled. Hulu also at one point held the rights to Maas' debut series Throne of Glass, acquired in the 2010s, and never produced that series either. It has endlessly frustrated fans that the streamer that ended up with these rights hasn't taken the projects seriously when there is a substantial fanbase waiting at the ready to make it a hit. However, now it is possible that a different distributor will take on A Court of Thorns and Roses, and it will be better for it.
There's One Positive To Hulu Losing The Rights To The ACOTAR Adaptation
Hulu Maybe Wasn't Ready To Produce Something Like ACOTAR
There is reason to think that Hulu was not the right place for genre which has blown up in the last decade. However, again, the state of Throne of Glass didn't suggest they were that committed to A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Book |
Release Date |
|---|---|
A Court of Thorns and Roses |
2015 |
A Court of Mist and Fury |
2016 |
A Court of Wings and Ruin |
2017 |
A Court of Frost and Starlight (novella) |
2018 |
A Court of Silver Flames |
2021 |
A Court of Thorns and Roses book #6 |
TBC |
And this is certainly the type of show that demands commitment. There are many beloved characters and famous moments the ACOTAR show would have to adapt, as well as some potentially controversial storylines that require a careful hand. That is not to mention the sheer scale of it, with major production designs, costuming, and effects at work. Moreover, we would want to see a show that is in it for the long haul, when there is much source material to work with and the saga hasn't stopped growing — something Hulu might not have been able to sustain.
There Are Better Networks To Adapt A Court Of Thorns & Roses As A TV Show
Now Netflix Or HBO Could Make ACOTAR
Now that A Court of Thorns and Roses isn't going forward at Hulu, it has the opportunity to be shopped by Netflix, HBO, Showtime, or Prime Video. HBO has mastered high fantasy series which don't shy away from the mature parts of the source material, while Netflix has put out its fair share of noteworthy projects, even though its YA adaptation of Fourth Wing TV show.
With the creator determined to see her stories in a new medium and, frankly, the astounding profitable potential of this, the series should still get its due with the TV industry in years to come.
There are reasons that these streamers might not want A Court of Thorns and Roses: It isn't as new as Fourth Wing, more fanciful than Game of Thrones, or they already have their hands full with other shows. However, Variety reports that Maas is looking to bring the rights to another company when they expire at Disney in the summer of 2025. With the creator committed to seeing her stories in a new medium and, frankly, the astounding profitable potential of this, the series should still get its due with the TV industry in years to come.
Source: Variety
