A Court of Thorns and Roses still happening, but could be a while: Everything we know so far

* 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.

Dedicated Outlander fans will definitely know the name Ronald D. Moore. It’s thanks to him and his partner Maril Davis that the amazing book series by author Diana Gabaldon is now on our screens and airing its seventh season! Now the talented showrunner and television producer is adapting another book, A Court of Thorns and Roses. With Moore at the helm, it’s sure to be a success!

The best-selling book is written by author Sarah J. Maas. The titular novel, published in 2015, is part of a book series. Along with the first novel, there’s also four other books as part of the novel series. These are the following stories:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses
• A Court of Mist and Fury
• A Court of Wings and Ruin
• A Court of Frost and Starlight
• A Court of Silver Flames

So I think if the first season of the show is a success, there’s plenty of material to pull from and it has the potential to run for many seasons! I can tell you that I haven’t read the books, but just the description of the fantasy definitely has me excited. I know I’ll definitely be invested! There aren’t many details out there yet, but here’s everything we know so far!

A Court of Thorns and Roses is “still in development”

There is no release date set yet for the new Hulu series. On March 26, 2021, Maas made the announcement on Instagram in a now-deleted post that she and Moore would be co-adapting the story for the streaming service. The two also wrote the pilot together. Here’s the post she shared before deleting it:

"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!!”"

On Nov. 2, 2023, Moore shared that the show is “still in development.” In speaking with TVLine, he said that “some scripts” have been written. However the majority of production on the show is on pause right now due to the actors strike (which is now over, more details below). Here’s what he told the news outlet:

"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."

The writers strike has been resolved. Now as of Nov. 9, 2023 the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have been able to come to a tentative agreement. Even though the three-year agreement still needs to be officially voted on by the guild, it means the actors strike is over and actors can get back to work!

Previously, even though no cast list for A Court of Thorns and Roses had been announced yet, the production’s hands were tied while the strike was in effect. Now, hopefully we can get things moving along once again! Though I do expect that studios will prioritize other projects first before this one. But hey. At least we know that the search for cast members can now start back up again.

Is Brec Bassinger in A Court of Thorns and Roses?

No, but the former CW star is invested in being a part of the series. TVLine reports that Bassinger, whose known for playing Stargirl in the eponymous DC TV show, told the outlet the following about her love of the books and who she thinks she could play:

"Literally, after I finished the first one, I emailed my team and I was like, ‘Listen, I don’t care if I have one line. I have to be a part of this. I’m not fiery enough for Nesta. I don’t present old enough for Feyre. I feel like I’d make a good Elain, but I’ll be whoever…I want to be sexy, fiery, cool Mor."

We’ll have to wait and see if Bassinger does land a role in the highly anticipated Hulu adaptation of the popular book but the actress’ cue to her team to get her in the door could be a signal that the series is far enough in development that casting could get underway soon.

What is A Court of Thorns and Roses about?

According to Deadline, the show will blend epic romance, adventure, and political intrigue to tell the story of a human huntress who agrees to travel to a magical realm with a faerie lord in return for her family’s safety. She falls for him, and ultimately has to fight for that love when an ancient curse threatens to destroy the faerie and human realms.

We don’t know how closely the series will follow the novel, but it does give us a good idea of what we may see. According to Goodreads, the book follows 19-year-old human huntress Feyre. When she kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature demands retribution. She’s taken to a “treacherous magical land” where she learns her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion. Feyre discovers she’s been told lies about the beautiful and dangerous world of the Fae. When an ancient and wicked shadow is growing, she must find a way to stop it to save the Fae world from being doomed forever.

Be sure to stay tuned to Hidden Remote as we bring you all the updates about A Court of Thorns and Roses on Hulu!