Upcoming book-to-screen adaptations that you need to know about
There’s nothing that brings us more joy than seeing characters we’ve loved on a page, being brought to life on a screen – big or small!
For many of us, one of the most enjoyable parts of getting stuck into a new novel is visualising everything in our heads – the characters’ physical appearances, the locations they frequently visit, and the key moments that happen in their lives.
Thankfully, film and TV producers have been paying attention to some of the most beloved books of recent years, as many of them are currently being turned into screen adaptations. However, with so many in production at the moment, it can be difficult to keep track of them!
So, with this in mind, we have compiled a list of the biggest upcoming book titles that will be arriving on either the big or small screen in the near future. Some of these are just around the corner, while others have been recently announced as productions. Either way, we couldn’t be more thrilled about these developments below:
Wicked
Wicked might technically be an adaptation of the hit Broadway and West End musical, but before it took to the stage in the early 2000s, it first originated as a book by Gregory Maguire! As an alternative prequel to The Wizard of Oz, the story follows green-skinned Elphaba as she enrolls as a student at Shiz University. There, she forms an unlikely friendship with prim and proper Glinda, and the pair set off on a hopeful adventure to the Emerald City to meet the mysterious Wizard. However, all is not as it seems in Oz! Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, Wicked will be released as two films, with Part 1 arriving in cinemas on November 22, followed by Part 2 on November 28 of next year.
Project Hail Mary
Who doesn’t love a space-based movie? Based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary will star Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a school science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Ryland must figure out how to complete his space mission to save Earth from catastrophe, and is destined to do it alone. However, things soon get crazier when he meets a mysterious alien who has travelled from the future to save his own species from the same disaster. Sadly, we still have quite a while to wait before Project Hail Mary is due to hit cinemas! Its premiere date is currently scheduled for March 20, 2026.
We Were Liars
We Were Liars skyrocketed to popularity amongst YA readers around a decade ago, and now E. Lockhart’s novel is being adapted for the screen! The thrilling story takes place across one summer, as 17-year-old Cady attempts to get her memories back after suffering a traumatic accident at her family’s summer home. When she returns to the private island two summers later, Cady begins to uncover the shocking truth about what happened that night. In March 2023, Amazon Prime Video revealed that it would be producing the novel as a miniseries. Then, in May of this year, fans got a long-awaited update when Prime Video confirmed that Emily Alyn Lind, Shubham Maheshwari, Esther McGregor, and Joseph Zada will be playing the four respective Liars – Cadence, Gat, Mirren and Johnny.
The Twits
We’ve had Matilda, we’ve had Charlie and the Chocolate Factory… and now it’s time for another Roald Dahl adaptation! This time around, fans of the beloved children’s author will be able to see The Twits brought to life on screen. The novel, which was originally published in 1980, follows a spiteful couple as they play horrible pranks on each other to entertain themselves. Eventually, they form a plan to carry out an elaborate heist, alongside their highly-trained pet monkeys. The Twits will be brought to Netflix as an animated film next year, with Johnny Vegas and Margo Martindale playing the unlikeable Twits.
China Rich Girlfriend
Following on from his successful 2018 hit Crazy Rich Asians, director Jon M. Chu is back for its highly-anticipated sequel! Based on the book of the same name by Kevin Kwan, China Rich Girlfriend picks up two years after we last saw the happily engaged couple – Rachel (Constance Wu) and Nick (Henry Golding). The night before her wedding to Nick, Rachel should be feeling on top of the world, but there’s just one thing missing on her big day – her father, whom she has never met. After a shocking revelation, the bride-to-be embarks on a wild journey through Asia’s most elite societies, in a bid to have her birth father walk her down the aisle. China Rich Girlfriend has yet to go into production, meaning that it’s still unclear when it will finally arrive on our screens.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling book has quickly risen to fame amongst book readers online, and so it was only a matter of time before it would be adapted for the screen! Back in June 2022, Netflix announced that they had signed on to turn The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo into a movie. The tale follows legendary Hollywood actress Evelyn Hugo, as she makes the unexpected decision to tell her life story to reporter Monique Grant. As she recalls stories from the Golden Age of Hollywood, her rivalry with Celia St. James and her sensationalised seven marriages, Evelyn also unloads a few of her most hidden secrets, leading Monique to wonder why she was chosen to hear her story. Frustratingly, updates on the adaptation have been non-existent since 2022, and fans are still waiting to hear who will be playing Celia, Evelyn and her famous seven husbands.
People We Meet on Vacation
Earlier this year, fans of author Emily Henry were thrilled when it was announced that her bestselling five books are all being turned into screen adaptations. Then, Netflix went on to confirm that they are now in production with Emily to produce People We Meet on Vacation – and we have our two leads! Coined as the modern day version of When Harry Met Sally, Tom Blyth and Emily Bader will star in the movie as Alex and Poppy, two opposites who quickly become best friends after sharing a car ride home from college. Living in separate cities, the pair vow to make the effort to meet up once a year, for a week-long trip. However, after a mysterious incident on their last adventure, a few years go by before Poppy persuades Alex to go on one last trip together… But will their timing ever be right?
Missing You
After the success of Fool Me Once earlier this year, Netflix promptly commissioned two more adaptations of Harlan Coben’s thrilling novels – the first one being Missing You. The story launches with Detective Kat Donovan, who is still reeling from her fiancé Josh disappearing 11 years previously. So, when she suddenly sees his face again on a dating app, Kat is forced to dive back into the mystery surrounding her father’s murder and uncover long-buried secrets from her past. The series will launch on January 1 and will star the likes of Rosalind Eleazar, Jessica Plummer and Ashley Walters, as well as Harlan Coben favourite, Richard Armitage!
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
In June, fans of The Hunger Games franchise were sent into a frenzy when author Suzanne Collins announced that her next prequel – Sunrise on the Reaping – is to be released on March 18 of next year. Then, just a few hours later, Lionsgate confirmed that a film adaptation of the upcoming book is also in the works, and that it will be hitting cinemas on November 20, 2026. Sunrise on the Reaping will be set during the 50th Hunger Games, which turned a young Haymitch Abernathy into the Victor of District 12. It was also the Second Quarter Quell, and involved double the usual amount of tributes (48, instead of 24). No additional details have been revealed just yet, but we can’t wait to see who will be playing a younger Woody Harrelson!
