It's a tragic week to be an ACOTAR fan.
We've received news that the TV series adaptation has been cancelled – again.
After holding the rights to the screen adaptation since 2021, Hulu has scraped the project. It's leading some of us in the fandom (me) to believe that series is cursed.
There was a glimmer of hope in 2024 when a snap of Margot Robbie meeting up for coffee with author Sarah J. Maas went viral, whipping BookTok up into a state. Was their date proof that A Court of Thorns and Roses, the bestselling fantasy series from Maas, is being adapted for television? We thought it was clear that Robbie might come on as a producer the book series? Alas, it all seems to have collapses.
The silver lining of this situation is that the rights have been returned to Maas and she's now able to take it back out to market – and hopefully find a production company that will do the series justice.
Some fans keep asking for an animated version of the show but honestly, I think we can do better. After all, George R. L. Martin manage to get HBO for his raunch-heavy, fantasy series A Game of Thrones. I think that surely Maas' rich universe deserves that same prestige and careful treatment.
Dive into the rest of the lore surrounding the series below.
The history of the failed (so far) A Court of Thorns and Roses TV series
Poor fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) have been put through the ringer. Considering the first novel in the five-part series came out in 2015, there's been a lot of interest in adapting ACOTAR for both the small and big screens. Unfortunately, these have amounted to little, plagued by false starts and dashed projects.
Back in 2015, the production company Tempo was vying to oversee an adaptation. Then Rachel Hirons was hired to pen the screenplay for the ACOTAR film, the first pages of which Sarah J. Maas posted to her Instagram in March 2018.
Following these tidbits, there was radio silence around the project up until 2021, when we learned that Outlander showrunner Ron Moore was co-writing the pilot episode for a series with Hulu. The last we heard, the project was still happening, however due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes the creators are only just hunting for the perfect cast now.
However, it's now emerged that showrunner Ron Moore has left the project. He attributed the change to the fact that he's left Disney as a company. "I can tell you I am no longer working on it because I left Disney and I've returned to Sony," he told EW.
While it doesn't appear the departure was due to any nefarious reason, it does mean that ACOTAR fans were once again left waiting and wondering. Then, of course, came news of the complete cancellation in February 2025.
So what are we ACOTAR fans left to do? Speculate over the cast of course
Who are your suggestions? I love the idea of Jacob Elordi cast as Rhysand. Josh Heuston would also be a great choice but it looks like he might have been snapped up by the Fourth Wing producers to play Xaden. DeuxMoi blind items suggest that Theo James or Thomas Doherty may be on the cards.
For Feyre, Katherine Langford's name has been tossed into the ring. Although, we'd even suggest her sister Josephine, who played Tessa in the After adaptations.
Also, following the release of the newest season Bridgerton, some having been throwing Hannah Dodd's name in the ring for Feyre - she played Francesca Bridgerton in season 3. But, in the humble opinion of the RUSSH team, Hannah Dodd is obviously a much Elain than Feyre.
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Is Margot Robbie producing the ACOTAR adaptation?
Maybe they were just bonding over a love of fantasy and coffee. Maybe it was a strategic business meeting. The truth is, no one – at least no one beyond the ACOTAR team – knows, and as has been proven, details around the series are being kept under wraps. Although, fans are pointing out that given the age of 19 year-old Feyre, it's more likely that the 33-year-old actor was looking to produce the project through her production company LuckyChap, which is behind Barbie, Saltburn, Promising Young Woman, and I, Tonya.
Maybe she'll still come on board once Maas finds a new home for the series? Only time will tell.
How many seasons will there be?
If Ron Moore is to use the same format he did with Outlander, it means that there is potential for the ACOTAR series to consist of five seasons, one for each book.
This would potentially look like:
- Season 1: A Court Of Thorns And Roses
- Season 2: A Court Of Mist And Fury
- Season 3: A Court Of Wings And Ruin
- Season 4: A Court Of Frost And Starlight
- Season 5: A Court Of Silver Flames
- Season 6: TBC for the sixth book
Although, Maas has not yet released a sixth book, she has promised that there is one on the way. It will apparently give us more details on Elaine and also Azriel who Maas has described as "a freak" in bed. Since, a sixth book is inevitable, we have to assume a season 6 is on the cards too.
What is A Court of Thorns and Roses about?
Comprising five books in total, the saga begins with 19-year-old Feyre Archeron, who kills a wolf to feed her family. But the wolf turns out to be a faerie in disguise, and Feyre is must choose to either offer her own life as payment for the one she took - or live as a human prisoner in faerie realm of Prythian to pay for her crime. She's then kidnapped by the High Lord of the Spring Court named Tamlin, and slowly the two form a bond. However, there are dark forces at play across the land north of the wall separating human and faerie life.
Is there a release date?
No, there's not. Sigh.
It's not likely that the series will arrive anytime soon. Watch this space.
As avid fans ourselves, we'll be sure to keep you updated.
Images: @andrewmukamal, Pinterest
