‘ACOTAR’ TV Show Alert! New Update About Sarah J. Maas Adaptation Revealed
What To Know
- A Court of Thorns and Roses is a popular romantasy book series by author Sarah J. Maas.
- In 2021, a TV show adaptation was announced, but it’s been stuck in limbo since.
- In May 2026, news outlet Puck shared a new update about the show’s status.
On paper, it would make sense for BookTok-favorite A Court of Thorns and Roses to be moved to the top of the adaptation pile. Since its popularity exploded online, the Sarah J. Maas series about the Fae kingdoms of Prythian has set the standard for romantasy books. So, when is a TV show version coming? About a year after the last update, fans finally have some news in May 2026.
Back in 2021, Hulu announced that it was developing an ACOTAR TV show with Maas and Outlander boss Ronald D. Moore executive producing. Maas also announced on Instagram that she was cowriting the pilot with Moore, a personal hero of hers. In 2024, Moore revealed that he was no longer involved in the ACOTAR adaptation — he explained why to Swooon — and in February 2025, TVLine reported that Hulu had dropped ACOTAR altogether.
All hope might not be lost, though! On May 19, Puck published an article about why streamers haven’t yet cracked the romantasy adaptation code. Naturally, ACOTAR came up, giving book fans their first update on the project in over a year. Find out what the outlet said about the ACOTAR TV show and get more updates below.
Will there be A Court of Thorns and Roses TV show?
According to Puck, ACOTAR’s adaptation rights have reverted to Maas. The outlet says she’s “reportedly shopping the project elsewhere.”
What is A Court of Thorns and Roses about?
A Court of Thorns and Roses is the name of the first book and overall series written by Maas about the Fae kingdoms in the fictional land of Prythian. The first three books in the ACOTAR series focus on Feyre, a human girl and primary provider for her sisters and father, who is taken to Prythian after she accidentally kills a Fae that had shapeshifted into a wolf.
She’s taken by Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court, and his best friend Lucien. Feyre learns that the majority of Prythian high lords are being kept prisoner “under the mountain” by an evil Fae named Amarantha.
As Feyre spends more time in the magical land, she discovers more dark secrets but also a sense of belonging for the very first time. As Amarantha’s power grows, Feyre must decide whether she’s sticking with the humans or ready to risk it all for the kingdom she once feared.
What is the status of the ACOTAR TV Show?
Despite Puck’s report, Maas hasn’t confirmed the TV show’s status herself. The author has since announced that the world will continue in book form with A Court of Thorns and Roses 6 (October 2026) and A Court of Thorns and Roses 7 (January 2027).
With both TVLine and Deadline reporting that the ACOTAR TV series was not moving forward at Hulu and 20th Television, it doesn’t yet have a new home. Maas deleted all mentions of the TV show from her Instagram in the summer of 2023, and Moore confirmed to Entertainment Weekly in July 2024 that he was no longer working on the series.
In March 2024, Maas was seen grabbing coffee with Margot Robbie, which fueled speculation that Robbie or her LuckyChap production company could be involved. The Barbie star is a huge fan of Maas’ books. “I think ACOTAR was my like way in, so that’s always [my favorite], I don’t know — it’s tough. I really couldn’t say — god, it’s like picking a favorite child. They’re all perfect,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.
Who has been cast in the ACOTAR TV show?
Moore and Maas managed to write a few scripts before things started to go south, but no one was officially cast in the series. There were internet rumors that Jacob Elordi was approached for the role of Rhysand, but that was before he became a bona fide movie star in 2023’s Priscilla and Saltburn. That means it’s still anyone’s guess who could play Feyre, Tamlin, and the rest of the Prythian crew if and when the show does get off the ground. We’ve made our picks (along with the rest of the internet) though…
How many books are in the ACOTAR series?
There are three books in the main Feyre-centered trilogy, a novella, and a fourth novel focused on a different character (which we won’t spoil in case you haven’t read Wings and Ruin yet). Maas is set to publish the sixth and seventh novels in the series in the coming months. She also has the Throne of Glass (eight books) and Crescent City (three books) series, which tangentially exist in the same universe.
Do you need to read the entire ACOTAR series before the show comes out?
You technically don’t have to read every ACOTAR novel before the series comes out, but you definitely have the time to do so. It is likely that the first season will only cover the first book, so you don’t have to rush through reading it. However, the second book in the series, A Court of Mist and Fury, is largely considered the best of the bunch, so why deny yourself the fun? Throne of Glass and Crescent City are definitely not required reading for the first season of ACOTAR, though it could come in handy later on.
