Why Hulu’s Court Of Thorns And Roses TV Show Is Taking So Long

After getting news in early 2021 that A Court of Thorns and Roses was getting adapted for TV thanks to Hulu, there was a distinct lack of news until recently – and it doesn’t really offer much clarity. On March 26, 2021, author Sarah J. Maas revealed on Instagram that a Court of Thorns and Roses TV show was in development. The ACOTAR series has sold millions of copies around the world and has a fervent base that has spawned fanfic, fan art, and more. With so many streaming platforms fighting for the next big fantasy hit, it was no surprise that Hulu snapped up the rights to A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Since then, however, there hasn’t been much in the way of updates on the Court of Thorns and Roses show. Maas confirmed that she was working on the pilot for a few hours every day, and the project tapped Outlander creator Ron Moore to help her develop it. There were rumors earlier this year that the first four episode scripts had been written by the writers team, but that was unconfirmed. With how huge the show has the potential to be, it’s odd that A Court of Thorns and Roses is taking so long, but a few new conflicting reports shed some light on the troubled production and they don’t bode well for the future of the Hulu ACOTAR show.

Why The Court Of Thorns And Roses Show Has Been So Delayed

It’s not canceled – but it’s not in active development, either.

A few things have led to the long pre-production for A Court of Thorns and Roses. For starters, the series was first confirmed smack in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Even though pre-production, particularly scripting, can be done remotely, it’s certainly a lot easier when the whole writers’ room is together. Working through blocks, tangled plot points, and more challenges that arise can be solved more quickly in person than over email or Zoom.

However, there’s another potential reason that the adaptation of A Court and Thorns and Roses is taking so long to enter production: author Sarah J. Maas. Transitioning from being the solo writer of a book series to being the head of a writers’ room full of talented people with their own ideas can be a hard adjustment. Hollywood is littered with stories of authors clashing with those adapting their works. It’s understandable–when someone has put so much time and work into something, there’s a proprietary feeling over those characters and stories. It wouldn’t be a surprise if A Court of Thorns and Roses is taking so long because Maas’ adjustment to the world of television isn’t going as smoothly as hoped.

That very well could be the reason for recent conflicting reports about the status of A Court of Thorns and Roses’ development. It was first reported by TVLine that the project had been completely scrapped at Hulu. Variety then refuted that report and stated that it’s not been scrapped but “is believed to no longer be in active development” –which, in TV development terms, might as well mean scrapped, at least for now.

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Court Of Thorns And Roses Will Be A Hulu First–And A Risk

Fantasy series are notoriously hard to adapt.

Hulu has had a number of critically acclaimed original series beloved by audiences, particularly in the past few years. They’ve spanned the genre spectrum, from crime drama to animation to goofy slice-of-life comedy, even sci-fi and horror. However, there’s one genre into which Hulu has never dipped its toes, and that’s fantasy. As fantasy TV, A Court of Thorns and Roses will be Hulu’s first foray into the genre, which could also be another reason the streamer is taking time with the adaptation.

Fantasy series can be hard to adapt, particularly if there’s intricate world-building, which A Court of Thorns and Roses has in abundance. They also tend to be more expensive to make than other genres, considering the often elaborate set pieces, costumes, and CGI required. As shown with recent cancelations of even well-received fantasy series, like Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, even great fantasy series with large audiences have a hard time justifying their cost. Others haven’t enjoyed the viewership numbers or critical reviews they’ve sought.

A Court of Thorns and Roses may be something of a gamble for Hulu. The book series is a bestselling series with a rabid fanbase that has only grown thanks to the “BookTok” world of TikTok. Even so, A Court of Thorns and Roses will need to attract an audience beyond that fanbase to succeed. Considering that, it may not be the worst thing that the development of A Court of Thorns and Roses is taking some extra time, if not being put on hold indefinitely until the time is right.