A Court of Thorns and Roses TV Show Hit With Yet Another Setback
A Court of Thorns and Roses fans, brace yourselves: Sarah J. Maas says the long-promised TV adaptation is stuck in limbo, and she’s shifted her focus elsewhere—dimming hopes for progress anytime soon.
ACOTAR on TV? Still stuck in the waiting room. Sarah J. Maas just laid out where things stand with the long-teased adaptation, and the short version is: she pulled the rights back and is putting her energy into the books again.
Where things stand now
On March 4, during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Maas said she has bought back the television rights to A Court of Thorns and Roses. Translation: the show is paused until she feels ready to make it the way she wants.
'Maybe at some point soon I will talk more about it, but right now, my focus is on books, and it has been a little while since you guys have had something, so I am focusing on that.'
She made it clear she loves film and TV and wants to be deeply involved when ACOTAR happens on screen. Deeply as in, she wants to drive.
'I am a type A, like, control freak a little bit... I want to see everything adapted the way I envision it and the way I know fans want it.'
And she is not interested in sanding off edges to chase trends or demographics.
'I do not ever want to hear, "Oh, we need to change this to appeal to XYZ's demographic." That is not how you make art... When I do it, it is gonna be me, and I will dedicate everything that I have to making it right.'
Why the slowdown actually tracks
She framed the on-screen version as part of her legacy. The books already exist; the physical, filmed counterpart should align with that, not feel like someone else's spin. Fair stance. It also explains why she is choosing the slower path instead of handing it off for a quicker yes.
The road so far
- 2021: A TV adaptation of A Court of Thorns and Roses was announced at Hulu, with Ron Moore attached as showrunner.
- Nothing substantial moved forward after that, and Moore eventually exited.
- March 4, 2026: Maas confirmed she has reclaimed the ACOTAR TV rights and is prioritizing the next books.
So, if you have been refreshing for casting news, stand down for now. The show is in limbo by design, and when it comes back around, it sounds like it will be on Maas's terms.