A long-delayed series adaptation of Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses is no longer coming to fruition. According to TVLine, the series, which was in development at Hulu, will not move forward. The series was first announced in March of 2021.
Ron Moore, creator of Apple TV+’s For All Mankind, was set to helm the series. His previous experience adapting books to screen included Starz’s critically acclaimed historical fiction show, Outlander. TVLine reports as of late 2023, the show remained a priority for Hulu with Moore and Maas working together on the series.
“We’ve written some scripts, and we’re just sort of waiting,” Moore told TVLine. “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.” The industry had just survived the dual SAG-AFTRA and WGA labor strikes.
According to TVLine, A Court of Thorns and Roses is a fantasy book series that follows a huntress named Feyre who discovers a magical land separate from her own. While there, she falls deeply in love with a faerie lord. As their romance blossoms, each fights to save the other’s world against a centuries-old curse. Other books in Maas’ series include A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Silver Flames, and the novella, A Court of Frost and Starlight.
Moore and Maas were attached to write and executive produce the series under 20th Television, both having overall deals with the studio. In addition to A Court, Moore had several projects within the Disney family. He was attached to a Swiss Family Robinson reboot and a series that brought the Magic Kingdom theme parks to life for Disney+. As of today, neither project has materialized.
Fantasy shows have found a niche with audiences on streaming services, with successes like Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time and LOTR: The Rings of Power reaching third seasons, respectively. And HBO has doubled down on their Game of Thrones franchise with spinoffs House of the Dragon and this summer’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.