It may not necessarily be a surprise to many, but the TV show adaptation ofA Court of Thorns and Rosesis now officially dead at Hulu, as revealed to the public byVarietyduring 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 Rosesis arguably the most popular if not thebest of Sarah J. Maas' book series, making it strange that Hulu stalled such a potentially profitable project for so long. In the post-Game of Thronesworld,young adult and new adult fantasy is still a comparatively untapped market for the streaming serviceslooking for their next swords and sorcery hit. While Maas works on thenextA Court of Thorns and Rosesbook, 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 axingA Court of Thorns and Rosesis disappointing, even if it long seemed to be headed in this directionand 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 alongsideOutlandercreator Ronald D. Moore. Some of the most recent news about the show came more than a year ago when Hulu insisted thatreports ofACOTARbeing canceled were false, but was still non-committal in saying that it was “no longer in active development.”
10 Romantasy Books That Deserve TV Shows After ACOTAR & Fourth Wing
With A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing both getting TV adaptations, it’s worth wondering which romantasy series could be next up.
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 seriesThrone 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 onA 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 forA Court of Thorns and Roses’most powerful characterswhen the platform is not known for high-budget fantasy series or more mature content — not in the way that its major competitors have showcased these things. There was the potential for Hulu to try something new, and prove its hand in the industry of high fantasy TV, agenre which has blown up in the last decade. However, again,the state ofThrone of Glassdidn’t suggest they were that committed toA Court of Thorns and Roses.
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
2021
A Court of Thorns and Rosesbook #6
TBC
And this is certainly the type of show that demands commitment. There are many beloved characters and famousmoments theACOTARshow 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 thatA Court of Thorns and Rosesisn’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 ofShadow and Bonewas canceled before its time. Prime is also doing admirably well withThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerandThe Wheel of Time, as well as developing theFourth WingTV 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 wantA Court of Thorns and Roses: It isn’t as new asFourth Wing, more fanciful thanGame of Thrones, or they already have their hands full with other shows. However,Varietyreports 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.
