Many of the most beloved movies we now consider classic rewatchable films started as book adaptations. Think The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Godfather — the list goes on. We’ve compiled all the upcoming adaptations we’re excited for, and a few recommendations we hope will eventually come to life on the big screen.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
One of the most highly anticipated adaptations coming out soon is based on Bram Stoker’s gothic horror Dracula. It’s perhaps the most infamous epistolary novel, originally published in 1897. Since then, it’s been adapted into several iterations of the text — some considered masterful adaptations (Terrence Fisher’s 1958 Horror of Dracula), and some considerably less so (Patrick Butler’s Dracula 2000 starring Gerard Butler)… Give this classic a read before Robert Eggers’ 2024 Nosferatu releases this Christmas. We can’t wait to see how Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney and Willem Dafoe recreate it.
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Jon M. Chu directs the two-part musical Wicked based on Gregory Maguire’s best-selling 1995 book. Refresh your memories of the Emerald City before seeing the nearly three-hour-long technicolor starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (if you didn’t already see it this past opening weekend).
Dune by Frank Herbert
With a rumored release date of December 18th, 2026, you have a bit of time to catch up on the Frank Herbert sci-fi series. The complete volumes consist of six books that all follow Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet in Denis Villeneuve’s Academy-Award-winning films. Immerse yourself in the barren planet of Arrakis as Paul fights to save humanity in Dune: Part 3, which follows Herbert’s second installment, Dune Messiah.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Set to release in 2025, The Bride directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal provides a new take on the Mary Shelley classic. The Creature travels to Chicago to seek out scientific intervention in his romantic life… resulting in a horrific and disfigured bride-to-be. Give this classic a read to remind yourself that the name of the monster isn’t Frankenstein.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Irish Catholicism, Cillian Murphy and uncovered secrets… what more could you want from a drama film? Claire Keegan’s 2021 novel of the same name was recently released as a movie in November, adapted by Enda Walsh. During a blistery Christmas in 1980s Ireland, Bill Furlong accidentally learns something about the local convent that he wishes he could ignore. The book confronts religion through a feminist lens and challenges readers to reconsider their blind faith.
Ones We Hope Will Also Get Adapted…
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Out of all the book adaptations we’d love to see, Donna Tartt’s The Secret History is definitely on the list. Since its release in 1992, many directors have ordered and canceled the bestselling novel several times, with Alan J. Pakula, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion even receiving the rights before the project was shelved in 1998. In later years, Gwyneth Paltrow struggled to get the film off the ground. This left dark academia fans wondering if anyone will, or should, adapt the novel into a film.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
It’s easy to imagine actors bringing Hanya Yanagihara’s 2015 A Little Life to life on screen. The tragic realism would translate beautifully in a film, with actors’ performances giving themes of abuse, trauma, and violence a humane tangibility that a two-dimensional reading can’t provide.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Jane Austen novels have been adapted time and time again, being remade into cult classics like Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden’s 2005 Pride and Prejudice, and even its zombified spoof film (aptly named Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). We’ve cried to “Emma”, “Sense and Sensibility”, and “Little
Women”, but what about the novelist’s third book, Mansfield Park? Ten-year-old Fanny Price deals with poverty, cruel intentions, affairs and manipulation as she navigates her youthful morality in the English countryside. We’d like to see this book join the ranks of rewatchable Austen films.
Trilogy of the Rat by Haruki Murakami
Infamous Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami once rejected turning his novels into movies. Lucky for us, we know from films like Drive My Car and Burning that he’s since changed his mind. We think Trilogy of the Rat would make a great series onscreen, with its surrealist and whimsical set design brought to life through special effects. The utopian tale of Boku and Rat tells of disillusionment with politics and social conformity, and it preaches the intangible importance of memories.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Author of Normal People, Sally Rooney, is no stranger to her novels gaining such a large fan base that they become adapted into series. The Irish author recently released her fourth novel in September. It follows two brothers, aged twenty-two and thirty-two, who are coping with the loss of their father. The plot deals with grief and love, both romantic and familial.
