If you’ve spent any time on BookTok, you’ve seen the fan casts. You’ve seen the edits of Henry Cavill as Rhysand—though honestly, he's probably too old for it now—and the endless debates over whether a live-action budget can actually handle the wingspan of an Illyrian warrior. We’ve been waiting. And waiting. The Court of Thorns and Roses show has become a sort of mythical beast in the world of television development, whispered about in trades but rarely seen in the wild.
It’s been years.
Ronald D. Moore, the guy who basically saved Battlestar Galactica and turned Outlander into a global phenomenon, was attached to adapt Sarah J. Maas’s massive series for Hulu. That was back in 2021. Since then? Mostly radio silence, save for a few "it's still in development" comments that feel more like life support than a progress report. Fans are getting restless, and for good reason. The fantasy genre is in a weird spot right now where everything is either a billion-dollar Rings of Power swing or a cancelled-after-one-season Netflix casualty.
The Hulu Situation and the Ronald D. Moore Exit
Let's get the big elephant out of the room first. Ronald D. Moore is no longer the primary engine behind this thing. In mid-2024, news broke that Moore had actually left Disney (which owns Hulu) to head back to Sony. That’s a massive blow. Moore was the bridge between the "romantasy" core of the books and the high-production prestige TV world. Without him, the Court of Thorns and Roses show lost its most credible creative lead.
Does that mean it’s dead? Not necessarily.
Development hell is a real place, but projects move in and out of it like seasons in Prythian. Disney still owns the rights. They know the numbers. Sarah J. Maas sells books at a rate that most authors would sell their souls for. We’re talking millions of copies, a cult-like following, and a demographic—young women and adults who love crossover fantasy—that streamers are desperate to capture.
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The problem is the "vibe." ACOTAR isn't just a fantasy story about a girl hunting a wolf. It’s a high-heat romance with complex political undertones and a lot of very expensive magical effects. If you do it on a budget, it looks like a CW show from 2012. If you do it too "prestige," you lose the spicy, emotional core that made the books a viral sensation. Finding that middle ground is clearly proving to be a nightmare for the suits at Disney.
Why the ACOTAR Adaptation is So Hard to Get Right
Hulu has a specific challenge here. A Court of Thorns and Roses starts as a relatively contained Beauty and the Beast retelling, but by book two, A Court of Mist and Fury, the scale explodes. You have the Night Court. You have the city of Velaris. You have massive aerial battles.
Basically, the Court of Thorns and Roses show needs a Game of Thrones budget to look even remotely decent.
- The Casting Nightmare: Whoever they cast as Feyre has to carry the emotional weight of a traumatized survivor. But let's be real—the internet will go into a full-scale meltdown over the casting of Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel. If the "Bat Boys" don't look exactly right, the show is cooked before the first trailer even drops.
- The Tone: It's "Romantasy." You can't lean too hard into the war and ignore the romance, or you alienate the fans. You can't lean too hard into the romance and ignore the world-building, or you lose the "epic" feel.
- The Rating: This can't be a PG-13 show. It just can't. The fans won't have it, and the source material doesn't support it. Hulu is a better home for it than Disney+ for this reason, as it allows for the more "adult" themes Sarah J. Maas is known for.
Honestly, some people think it should be animated. Look at Arcane or The Legend of Vox Machina. Animation allows for the ethereal beauty of the High Fae and the sheer scale of the magic without the uncanny valley of bad CGI wings. But the demand for live-action remains the loudest voice in the room.
What Sarah J. Maas Has Said (And What She Hasn't)
Sarah is famously protective of her work. She’s been involved in the development process, which is usually a good sign for accuracy. However, she’s also been incredibly busy building her "Maasverse." With the Crescent City series and the ongoing ACOTAR books, her plate is overflowing.
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In past interviews, she mentioned working on the pilot script with Moore. But since the 2023 strikes and the subsequent shifts in streaming strategies, she hasn’t given much of a concrete update. This lack of news often leads to "cancellation" rumors. In early 2024, a report circulated that the show was scrapped entirely. Variety and other trade outlets eventually clarified that while it wasn't in active production, it wasn't officially dead either. It’s in "limbo."
Limbo is a frustrating place for a fandom to live. We’re essentially waiting for a greenlight or a funeral.
The Budget Reality of 2026
We have to talk about the money. The streaming wars have cooled off. Companies aren't just throwing $200 million at every fantasy book series anymore. They’re being picky. The Court of Thorns and Roses show is a gamble. It’s a high-reward gamble, but a gamble nonetheless.
If Hulu decides to move forward, they’ll likely wait for the right showrunner to replace Moore—someone who can handle the "female gaze" of the books while managing a massive production. There have been rumors about various writers being approached, but nothing has stuck yet.
Making Sense of the Rumors
You'll see a lot of TikToks claiming "leaked" casting news. Ignore them. Every single one. Unless it comes from The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, or Deadline, it’s fan fiction. There have been no official auditions held for the lead roles in the last year.
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What we do know is that the project is still listed in internal development documents. It’s a "wait and see" situation.
The most realistic outcome? We might see a complete creative overhaul. Maybe it moves from Hulu to a different arm of the Disney empire, or maybe they decide to turn it into a film series. But given the episodic nature of the character growth—Feyre’s journey from the spring court to the night court takes a lot of breathing room—a series remains the best format.
How to Track the Show’s Progress
If you want to know if the Court of Thorns and Roses show is actually moving, watch the trade papers for "Showrunner" announcements. That's the first domino. You can't have a cast without a director, and you can't have a director without a showrunner who has a vision for the season.
While you wait, the best thing to do is dive back into the books or explore the "Maasverse" connections. There are enough Easter eggs in Crescent City: Flame and Shadow to keep a theorist busy for decades.
Next Steps for Fans:
Keep an eye on official Disney Upfronts—these are the events where they announce their upcoming slate to advertisers. If ACOTAR isn't mentioned there, it's likely at least two years away. Also, follow Sarah J. Maas’s official newsletter; she usually breaks big news there first to ensure her readers hear it from her. Finally, check the production listings on sites like Production Weekly—once "ACOTAR" shows up there with a filming date, you'll know the Cauldron has finally blessed us with a real adaptation.