It’s common knowledge that movie and TV adaptations don’t always do right by the source material–just ask Stephen King! That being said, sometimes an adaptation comes along and blows it out of the water. The Bridgerton TV show gave a massive boost of popularity to an oft-forgotten book series, and House of the Dragon took George R.R. Martin’s in-world history textbook and made it shine.
Plus, few things can match the thrill of seeing the characters you love come to life on screen. So we choose to remain hopeful, getting our popcorn and candy and remembering that every movie adaptation is innocent until proven otherwise. Here are ten book-to-screen adaptations we’re excited to see.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Emily Henry’s slow-burn romance about two friends trying to reconnect after a disastrous vacation is being directed by Brett Haley (Hearts Beat Loud) with romance author Yulin Kim writing the screenplay. We’re particularly excited by the casting for Poppy and Alex, who will be played by Emily Bader (who also appears on this list in My Lady Jane), and Tom Blyth who had overnight success with A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Every Summer After has been greenlit for a TV adaptation on Amazon Prime, under the name Every Year After. Every Summer After, published in 2022, follows Persephone “Percy” Fraser, who spent her childhood summers in a lakeside town where she became friends with, and eventually fell in love with Sam Florek before something broke them apart. Percy must return years later and confront her past.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Arguably one of the best of the dystopian YA novels of the early 2000s, if this series didn’t have your teenage self in an absolute chokehold, we cannot relate. Starring Joey King, Chase Stokes of Outer Banks, and Laverne Fox, Uglies follows 16-year-old Tally as she navigates a world in which cosmetic surgery wipes out physical differences, making everyone “pretty”. Uglies airs on Netflix on September 13th.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
As somewhat of a Frankenstein aficionado ourselves, we couldn’t be more thrilled that master of the scary and strange, Guillermo del Toro will be bringing his own take on the novel to the big screen. With a star-studded cast, Oscar Isaacs, Mia Goth, Jacob Elordi, and Christoph Waltz included, the film will be set 40 years after the events of the novel.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Despite recent reports that Hulu’s TV adaptation of Sarah J. Maas’ widely popular romantasy novel was dead, the show seems to be moving forward in development! Hooray! The adaptation has had a bumpy ride, first being announced in 2021, but hopefully, it will be coming to our screens sooner rather than later.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
It wouldn’t be Colleen Hoover if it wasn’t riddled with controversy. It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldani has had a weird and wild press tour, with star and director Baldani splitting from the rest of the cast. While we don’t know what to make of all the drama, it is certainly not hurting box office sales, and you can count on us to see how it all plays out!
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Riding high from Saltburn acclaim, director Emerald Fennell is taking on Wuthering Heights, whose dark gothic tone seems a natural fit for the director. No word on who will star yet but you know we can’t resist a good classic adaptation!
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Available now on Netflix, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder adapts Holly Jackson’s novel by the same name. Starring Emma Myers it follows a sleepy English town that is trying its hardest to forget the murder of a 17-year-old girl that happened five years ago.
My Lady Jane by Jodi Meadows; Brodi Ashton; Cynthia Hand
Streaming now on Prime, My Lady Jane stars Emily Bader as a reimagined Jane Gray, who is determined to take life by the hilt rather than die an infamous death. Inspired by the novel of the same name. My Lady Jane is a raunchy, riotous take on 16th-century England.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
We are headed back to the childhood nostalgia of Narnia, this time with Greta Gerwig at the helm. Gerwig has been slated to make at least two movies in the Narnia franchise, with hopefully many more on the way.
Whether reading or watching, we love these stories and cannot wait to see them come to life!
