ACOTAR series on Hulu: Is A Court of Thorns and Roses based on a book?

* 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.

Since March 2021, we’ve known that a new Hulu series called A Court of Thorns and Roses was in the works at the streamer. But unfortunately, we still don’t have much information about the show, including a release date, cast, and more. We’ll go into more detail on the status of the ACOTAR series below.

Now, many great onscreen tales are actually based on written work. Is that the case with ACOTAR? The answer is, yes! A Court of Thorns and Roses, aka ACOTAR, is based on a book. And actually, there’s a total of five in the series! The stories are written by author Sarah J. Maas. The first in the novel collection, A Court of Thorns and Roses, was published in 2015. The writer will be co-adapting her story to screen with Outlander creator Ronald D. Moore, as well as co-penning the pilot script.

According to Goodreads, the two main characters in the adult fantasy story are 19-year-old human huntress Feyre and faerie Tamlin. One day when the huntress kills a wolf in the woods, Tamlin appears and demands retribution for the act. She gets taken to his “magical land,” that’s thought to have only been a legend. But over time, she discovers he may not be such a beast-like creature the way Feyre’s always been told about Tamlin’s kind.

As the days go by, her feelings toward the faerie change from “icy hostility” to “a fiery passion,” as she adapts to her new home, discovering she’s been told lies about the “beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae.” When an ancient and wicked shadow begins to grow, she’ll have to find a way to stop it to save the Fae world, and Tamlin, that are now in danger.

There are four other books in the series: A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames. So while so far it’s believed that the first novel will be adapted, Hulu has plenty of content to work with if the streamer decides to give the show more seasons. But before we think that far ahead, we need the first season!

What we know about the production status of ACOTAR so far

Alright, here’s what we do know so far. As mentioned above, Outlander creator Ronald D. Moore is the one bringing this new story to life, which makes us very excited! The production is definitely in good hands. The Starz drama is based on a book series by author Diana Gabaldon, which he adapted so well. I’m so happy that Moore is the one adapting the ACOTAR series as well!

Unfortunately, no release date has been set yet for the fantasy series. We’ve known the show was happening since March 2021, but no updates or news were announce since then. That is until Nov. 2, 2023. When speaking with TVLine, Moore said the series is “still in development” and that “some scripts” have been written. Though during the Hollywood strikes, everything was on pause and that’s what has caused delays in production.

Thankfully, both the writers strike (resolved) and actors strike (tentative agreement reached) are over. So hopefully this means that movement on ACOTAR can start back up again, and the series will start to have some updates. This genre and story is literally right up my alley, and I absolutely can’t wait to see it!

This story is also going to be a real treat for fantasy-genre fans by the sounds of it! According to Deadline, the project centers around a human huntress who goes to a magical realm with a faerie lord to protect her family. The story of romance, adventure, and political intrigue will see the huntress falling for the lord, and having to fight for her love when an ancient curse threatens to destroy both realms, per the news outlet.

Be sure to stay tuned to Hidden Remote as we bring you all the updates about the ACOTAR series on Hulu!