Sarah J. Maas has regained full rights to her A Court of Thorns and Roses series after a stalled Hulu adaptation. In a candid interview, she declares she will only oversee any future screen version herself, rejecting Hollywood’s tendency to alter stories for demographics. With two new books announced, Maas is firmly back in control of her literary empire.
For years, fans of Sarah J. Maas’s groundbreaking A Court of Thorns and Roses series have awaited a screen adaptation that would honor the books’ intricate world-building and romantic intensity. That wait may ultimately be worth it, as Maas has now reclaimed total creative authority over her intellectual property.
The development history has been tumultuous. Hulu first announced a series adaptation in 2021, teaming with Outlander showrunner Ronald D. Moore to helm the project. As late as February 2024, Hulu confirmed it was still in development. But by July 2024, Moore revealed he was no longer involved, leaving the adaptation in limbo.
Now, speaking on Call Her Daddy, Maas confirmed she has regained the rights to all her works. This includes not only A Court of Thorns and Roses but also her Throne of Glass and Crescent City series. Her message was unequivocal: any future adaptation will be guided by her vision, not studio mandates.
Credit: Call Her Daddy/Youtube
“I look at any TV movie adaptation as kind of another facet of the worlds that I’ve created,” Maas told host Alex Cooper. “And it’s something that I want to be in charge of, I want to be figuring out, I want to be learning everything that I can.” She openly identified as a “type A control freak,” but stressed her motivation stems from love—for film, for television, and for the fans who’ve embraced her characters.
Her conditions are non-negotiable. “I don’t ever want to hear like, ‘Oh, we need to change this to appeal to XYZ’s demographic,'” she said. “I’m like, ‘No, that’s not how you make art. That’s not how I create my stories.'” This stance resonates deeply with a fanbase that has long feared dilution of the series’ passionate, female-driven narrative for broader commercial appeal.
Maas framed the adaptation as part of her legacy. “I put my books out into the world. That’s one way that the fans are interacting and seeing these characters, but the physical version of that needs to be aligned,” she noted. “It can’t just be someone’s take on that.” Her vision extends to every detail, from production design to the musical score, which she indicated would be a “huge project.”
While the TV future unfolds, Maas is not slowing down on the literary front. She announced that the sixth A Court of Thorns and Roses novel will release on October 27, 2026, followed by the seventh on January 12, 2027. These dates underscore her primary commitment remains the books, even as she prepares to potentially expand into visual media on her own terms.
This development marks a turning point for author-driven adaptations. After years of studios controlling IP, Maas’s reversion of rights places her in the rare position of dictating how her world reaches the screen. For a franchise that has sold millions of copies and cultivated a fiercely loyal following, that control may be the only path to an adaptation that truly satisfies.
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