If you’ve been wondering what in the world is going on with the long-discussed upcoming book-to-screen adaptation of A Court of Thorns and Roses, and when it would hit the streaming schedule, you’re not alone. The project was quietly shelved by Hulu last year, leaving fans of Sarah J. Maas’ wildly popular romantasy series wondering if Prythian would ever make it to television. But during a recent appearance, Maas offered a surprising update, one that came with both good news and a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
During a highly anticipated appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the bestselling author finally addressed the status of the long-rumored ACOTAR television adaptation. Speaking candidly on the podcast, Maas explained that regaining control of her intellectual property has been a major focus in recent years. But for the moment, she’s putting her energy somewhere else entirely:
I have the rights back to everything now. Getting the rights back to all my things has been a big part of my journey in recent years, that maybe at some point soon I will talk more about, but right now my focus is on books, and it's been a little while since you guys have had something. So I'm focusing on that.
For fans who have been tracking the development of the ACOTAR TV series for years, this is both disappointing and oddly encouraging news. On the one hand, the Hulu project, which had been quietly developing with Outlander creator Ronald D. Moore, appears to be effectively dead on arrival. On the other hand, the romantasy writer having the rights back gives her far more control over where the series could land next.
And judging by the author's comments, that level of creative control is exactly what she wants. The number one best-selling author went on to explain that if the series does eventually make it to the screen, she intends to be closely involved in how it’s brought to life, with a clear focus on staying true to the source material rather than watering it down. As she put it:
I’m a little bit of a Type A control freak, but it’s really because I want to know everything about how an adaptation gets made. Not out of control, but because I love movies and I love TV. I want to be part of that process, and I want to see everything adapted the way I envision it — and the way I know fans want it. I never want to hear someone say, ‘Oh, we need to change this to appeal to XYZ demographic.’ That’s not how you make art.
Maas is refreshingly candid throughout the conversation, diving into everything from the future of ACOTAR to how she approaches adaptations of her work. If you want the full context and a few more insights straight from the author herself, you can (and should) watch the entire interview below.
For longtime readers, the fact that the creator has her rights back and plans to be fully invested in any adaptation is probably the most reassuring part of this whole update. Whenever A Court of Thorns and Roses eventually lands on the big or small screen — and let’s be honest, it feels more like a matter of when than if — it sounds like Maas intends to make sure the incredible moments from the book that fans care about most actually make it into the adaptation. And what more can you ask for? With that level of author input, it’ll hopefully become part of our list of the best fantasy shows sometime in the near future.
In the meantime, she’s keeping readers fed the best way she knows how: with new books. During the same interview, Maas confirmed two upcoming ACOTAR books. Book six will arrive on October 27, 2026, followed by book seven on January 12, 2027, kicking off the next massive chapter of the Prythian saga.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
