ACOTAR Hulu release updates: A Court of Thorns and Roses is “still in development”

* UPDATE: The status of the series is currently unknown, with reports saying it's still in development but not actively being worked on. Details here.

If the fantasy genre is a favorite of yours, I’m sure you got excited when news came out that ACOTAR, aka A Court of Thorns and Roses, was being adapted into a TV show! The popular book series has a loyal fanbase, and I’m sure that will follow when the fantasy drama debuts. Do we have a release date for A Court of Thorns and Roses?

Unfortunately at this time, it’s not known when A Court of Thorns and Roses is coming out on Hulu. The streaming service is adapting the show, but has not announced a release date yet. On March 26, 2021, the author of the book series, Sarah J. Mass, announced the news via Instagram, in a now deleted post, that her story was coming to life from page to screen.

That’s when we first found out about the series. Plus, she and Ronald D. Moore, who is the one behind bringing Outlander to life, are co-adapting it and writing the pilot together. We shared the statement she had previously posted below:

"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!!”"

We’ve known the project is happening since early 2021, but no many updates have come out about the development of the fantasy series. So what’s the hold up? What’s the current status in terms of production on the show? Read on below for the details!

Some A Court of Thorns and Roses scripts have been written

So the good news is that A Court of Thorns and Roses is “still in development,” according to Moore as he shared with TVLine. There’s also been “some scripts” that have already been written, however the co-creator did not share how many episodes the series will have and how many of those scripts have been penned.

The bad news is that because of the actors strike (now over, more on that below), production on the fantasy series has been on pause and now they’re “just sort of waiting.” We shared the statement Moore gave TVLine below:

"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."

So from what I understand from that statement it’s that it seems like Hulu is still interested in the show. But unfortunately, it seems very probable that the project faced delays due to the the writers strike (now resolved), as well as the actors strike, which is now over. While the announcement that the author and Moore are working on the project came in 2021, that doesn’t necessarily mean that work began right away. These things take time.

The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) had been on strike since July 14, 2023. Since then, productions on movies and shows shut down and most actors who are a part of the guild have not been able to film. This has lead to many filming delays, as well as the former writers strike where no scripts were being written.

Finally on Nov. 9, 2023, SAG-AFTRA shared that the actors strike is over after the guild reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Voting still needs to happen to officially bring the new three-year contract into effect. However, it does mean actors are no longer striking and can go back to work! Hopefully this means that production on A Court of Thorns and Roses will pick up again. Though I do think that Hulu might end up prioritizing other projects before this one. We’ll have to see until official confirmation comes from the company.

The wait is very difficult, but we’re in for a great story! We just have to be patient because I know this show is going to be worth the wait. ACOTAR will see a human huntress travel to a magical realm with a faerie lord to protect her family, per Deadline. Though it seems like the two wouldn’t be made for each other, the central character starts to fall for him. And when an ancient curse threatens to destroy both the human and faerie worlds, she’ll have to fight for that love. It’s a blend of of romance, adventure, and political intrigue, and we’re so here for it!

Stay tuned to Hidden Remote as we bring you news and updates about A Court of Thorns and Roses on Hulu!