Book to Screen
Our Dream ‘ACOTAR’ Cast: The Actors Who Should Play Feyre, Rhysand, Tamlin & More
It was announced literally years ago that 20th Century Studios bought the rights to an adaptation of A Court of Thorns and Roses that would land on Hulu. Both Sarah J. Maas and Outlander boss Ronald D. Moore were attached to the project, but there have been multiple ups and downs since then. The latest reports say that the series is still in development, but Maas has deleted all of her Instagram posts related to the series.
Fans are obviously anxious about the fate of this series and whether it will actually see the light of day, but we at Swooon are remaining optimistic. Like hundreds of thousands of BookTokers, we are absolutely obsessed with the Prythian universe and cannot wait to see Feyre, Tamlin, Rhys, and the rest play out their story onscreen.
In hopes that we get better news about the series sooner rather than later, we’re manifesting with our dream cast for the first season of A Court of Thorns and Roses. Unfortunately, that means a few bat boys are missing, but they will come when we start talking about A Court of Mist and Fury and beyond. What we’re saying is: Those who haven’t finished all of the ACOTAR books can feel safe reading this list without major spoilers.
Without further adieu, here’s who we’d like to see in the first season of A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Who do you think should be cast in the ACOTAR series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Freya Allan as Feyre Archeron
Feyre Archeron is the heroine of the first three ACOTAR novels (and the novella A Court of Frost and Starlight). She’s a human girl and the sole provider for her family when fate intervenes, and she’s whisked off to world of fae high lords and an impending threat that could mean the end of the world as she knows it. Freya Allan is no stranger to the fantasy world after starring in three seasons of The Witcher. While Allan started as a child actress, she’s now in young adulthood and could handle the burden of bringing Feyre to life, balancing our main girl’s softer and weaker moments, while also bringing the fire necessary in the latter half of the first book and beyond.
Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tamlin
Tamlin is one of the more complex characters in the ACOTAR universe, and Feyre’s love interest when she gets to Prythian. He’s reserved because the burden of saving the kingdom has seemingly fallen to him, but he’s unsure what to do about it. The actor who plays him is going to have to make it understandable why Feyre falls for him, but also be able to pull off Tamlin’s less desirable characteristics, especially later on. Patrick Schwarzenegger has plenty of experience playing a villain, but he’s also been a charming romantic lead. He can do both extremes which makes him a great candidate for Tamlin. Also, he looks surprisingly great as a blonde.
Aaron Pierre as Lucien Vanserra
This might be a controversial pick for Lucien based on his description in the first ACOTAR book, but we are thinking about the long game (still no spoilers!) for this series. Ginger wigs are a thing and what’s most important is that Aaron Pierre has the gravitas needed for Lucien, who has been brought up to represent one of the most respected fae families in Prythian. He holds his cards close to his vest because of his past trauma. Pierre gave one of the most haunting performances as Cesar in Barry Jenkins‘ The Underground Railroad, and he could bring so much depth to Lucien’s story. He’s also recently proved his stock as an action star in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge, which will come in handy for those fae battle scenes.
Sophie Turner as Amarantha
We’re looking for a Bad Bitch when it comes to Amarantha. Sophie Turner made her start in one of the best fantasy series of all time, Game of Thrones. She hasn’t done much fantasy since, but we think she’d do such a great job sinking her teeth into the delicious villainy Amarantha provides. Turner is already showcasing that she’s not afraid of the morally gray in the CW drama Joan, but we think it’d be a really fun departure to see her go fully villain and show these fae lords who is in charge. We know that Turner has the energy, but we’d like to see her fully commit to this dark of a character.
Toni Mahfud as Rhysand
Shout out to Tumblr for this suggestion. Toni Mahfud is a model, so we’re not 100 percent sure of his acting creds, but it is impossible to deny that he has a perfect Rhysand look. We can absolutely see him giving Feyre a wink that makes her weak in the knees and having the swagger that makes the High Lord of the Night Court one of the most cherished characters in the ACOTAR universe.
Katie McGrath as Nesta Archeron
We’ve been obsessed with Katie McGrath since her days on Merlin. Whoever plays Nesta is going to have to be comfortable with a lot of fan hate in the early days, but be ready to win over hearts and minds later on in the story. That’s so much harder than you think it is, but if anyone is up to the task, it’s Katie. She can definitely show off the hard edges that send Feyre off into the woods at the start of the story, but she’ll eat up Nesta’s more intense storylines later on in the ACOTAR saga.
Mackenzie Foy as Elain Archeron
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we need someone soft and endearing to the point of almost being pathetic for Elain. Mackenzie Foy has grown up a lot since her days in the Twilight films and could easily play the flower-loving sister of Feyre and Nesta. Elain’s part is quite simple, but it will get more complicated as the show gets deeper into the saga and in ways that even book readers are not 100 percent sure of yet.
Ricky Whittle as Helion
The Day Court needs a sexy and flirtatious High Lord, but also someone that can play sneaky when we need him to be. He has multiple important connections that will become obvious in the later seasons, but Helion’s buoyant spirit and positive influence on the other High Lords needs to be felt. Ricky Whittle can bring the sex appeal and Helion’s stately gravitas to the proceedings in Season 1.
Charlie Barnett as Tarquin
Charlie Barnett has been on our radar since co-starring in Russian Doll with Natasha Lyonne (and we know some have been on the bandwagon since his days on Chicago Fire) but his potential as Summer Court High Lord was cemented during his time as the Jedi knight Yord on The Acolyte. The key word when it comes to Tarquin is charm, and while he won’t have much to do in Season 1, he is an integral part of the the second book in the series. We’d love to see Charlie light it up and get his flirt on with Feyre when the moment arises.
Damian Lewis as Beron Vanserra
The role of Beron Vanserra, the High Lord of the Autumn Court, requires someone intimidating and sinister. He also needs flaming red hair, and while wigs are always available, Damian Lewis already comes with all three of the aforementioned boxes checked. Beron is also one of the eldest fae still living in Prythian, so he needs to have that superiority over the rest of the High Lords, which we think Lewis could deliver in his sleep.
Doug Jones as the Suriel
The Suriel is one of the most important yet underrated characters within the Prythian universe. He delivers the most key information at the most important times, and he’s also kind of terrifying. If you need a terrifying yet beloved character, then why not get the best? Doug Jones has played every type of creature you can imagine from The Gentlemen in the “Hush” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water. This man can morph into any being we need, and he would make the indelible imprint he needs to make in a short period of time as the Suriel.
