Is the ACOTAR TV series happening or not? (The show's fate explained)

In 2021, it was announced that a television adaptation of ACOTAR, aka A Court of Thorns and Roses, would be happening. The book series written by author Sarah J. Maas has a huge following, and us fans got very excited the story was going to come to life from page to screen. But now the latest reports that have come out are confusing and disappointing.

Initially, TVLine reported that the show is no longer happening at Hulu and that it isn't being shopped to any other networks or streamers either. However a little bit later, Variety shared that despite those reports, ACOTAR is technically still in development but not actively being worked on. This means it's not really clear what the fate of the show is. Neither Maas, co-creator Ronald D. Moore, or Hulu have provided a statement in response to this news.

Over the time since it was revealed A Court of Thorns and Roses series was happening at Hulu, we haven't really gotten many updates. Below, we break down the timeline of all the updates that have been provided about the production since 2021.

A timeline of ACTOAR updates

March 2021

It's announced ACOTAR is happening. The author is co-adapting the project and co-writing the pilot episode with Outlander creator Ronald D. Moore. In a now deleted Instagram post, Maas said the following:

“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!!”

May 2023 - September 2023, July 2023 - November 2023

From May 2023 to September 2023, the writers strike was in effect. That means no television or film writers were at work during this time, which caused pauses in production for a majority of shows and movies all across Hollywood. This was followed by the actors strike, which happened between July 2023 and November 2023. These two major events caused major delays in the industry and no writing or filming being done for months.

This very likely also caused delays for the fantasy series. On Nov. 2, 2023, TVLine caught up with Moore and he was asked about the latest updates for ACOTAR. At that time, he revealed that the show is "still in development" and that "some scripts" have been written. Here's what he told the outlet at the time:

"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."

February 2024

Before this current news about the show still in development but not actively being worked on, Hulu chief Craig Erwich was asked about the status of A Court of Thorns and Roses at the Television Critics Association press tour. According to Variety, he said the following:

“That show has been in development, but I don’t have any news to share today.”

So really news has been iffy for a very long time, and it's frustrating because no one is giving us fans a straight answer as to whether the show is still happening or not. I, and I'm sure many of you, would prefer to just have a confirmed response of the fate of the fantasy love story instead of being in limbo like this.

It's surprising things aren't working out smoothly for ACOTAR. Moore is very known in the industry with many successful shows like Battlestar Galactica, Outlander, and most recently For All Mankind. And Maas is a star author in her own right. She's sold almost 40 million books, her novels have a huge following, and the A Court of Thorns and Roses series has gained even more attention thanks to BookTok.

In my opinion if the series doesn't happen at Hulu, I really think it should be shopped at Starz. It would be a great fit there. First of all, that's the home of Outlander so Moore has obviously worked with the team at the network there before. Plus, even though ACOTAR is more mythological and fantastical, it has similar elements to Outlander with the love story, challenges the characters face, and the captivating action in the plot. Especially with Outlander season 8 being the last season, us fans could use a similar story on Starz and the Maas television adaptation would work great there.

Hang in there fellow fans! Stay tuned to Hidden Remote as we bring you the latest updates about A Court of Thorns and Roses.