Upcoming Book-To-Screen Adaptations: What To Read Before The Movie Or TV Show

Do you love reading the book before the movie or TV show? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Maybe this is the year you make the resolution to read more books attached to theatrical and streaming releases. And, there’s plenty of page-turners getting adaptations soon among upcoming 2026 movies and the 2026 TV schedule!

From the Remarkably Bright Creatures movie to the new Harry Potter series, there are a lot of great adaptations to get to first in your TBR. Browse this bookshelf, and pick up the titles that make you want to say ‘I read that one’ before they become a major movie or TV show.

Margo's Got Money Troubles (Rufi Thorpe)

Along with Elle Fanning starring in Sunrise on the Reaping later this year, she’s also starring in a much different book adaptation. The actress fronts the Apple TV miniseries, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, from Rufi Thorpe. The best-selling book is about a young woman who becomes pregnant via her college English teacher and turns to OnlyFans to support herself. Fanning is joined by Michelle Pfeiffer and Nick Offerman, who play her parents, along with Nicole Kidman, Greg Kinnear, Marcia Gay Harden and Rico Nasty being in the cast.

House Of The Spirits (Isabel Allende)

The House of the Spirits is a famous Spanish-language novel from Isabel Allende tracking four generations of a Chilean family. The story implements magical realism as the Trueba family’s story is told. The eight-episode Amazon Prime miniseries involves the author as an executive producer.

Animal Farm (George Orwell)

For some time, we’ve been waiting for Andy Serkis’s take on Animal Farm and now it’s just about here! The animated movie boasts a big-name cast including Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Laverne Cox, Jim Parsons, Glenn Close and Kieran Culkin.. The 1945 classic is an allegorical dystopian tale starring farm animals who start to rebel against their human master. The latest Animal Farm trailer gives us a sense of how it’s being adapted.

Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns (Lauren Weisberger)

We’ve been excited for the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, but did you know there’s a book that could give away clues for where the movie is going? While we don’t necessarily expect the book and movie to be similar in this case, there are definitely some jumping off points in Lauren Weisberger’s Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns that the film could take note from. The source material picks up with Andy Sachs years after her decision to quit her job at Runway. As she rises to success with her own bridal magazine with Emily, she ends up entangled in the life of Miranda Priestly once again.

Lord Of The Flies (William Golding)

Along with Animal Farm, another popular book on English class reading lists is getting an adaptation as well. The four-episode series from one of Adolescence’s co-creator came out on BBC back in February, but now it’s set to reach more people on Netflix. It follows a group of British boys who get stranded on a deserted island and try to govern themselves.

Remarkably Bright Creatures (Shelby Van Pelt)

Ever since Remarkably Bright Creatures reached bookshelves in 2022, it has been consistently one of the most popular books. The novel from Shelby Van Pelt is about the friendship between a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus and a 70-year-old widow who cleans the aquarium he lives in at night named Tova Sullivan. The movie from Netflix has cast Sally Field as Tova, along with Lewis Pullman and Kathy Baker. We’re happy to see this on the 2026 Netflix release calendar.

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story (Leonie Swann)

Leonie Swann’s Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story was published in 2005. The detective story has a flock of anthropomorphic Irish sheep out to solve the murder of their shepherd became an international bestseller after originally being written in German. Amazon is set to release a movie version starring Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall and Patrick Stewart.

Off Campus 1: The Deal (Elle Kennedy)

After Heated Rivalry, we seem to have entered a based-on-a-book hockey romance era? Elle Kennedy has a book series called Off Campus revolving around love stories about female college students and as they fall for stars of their school’s ice hockey team. Not unlike Bridgerton, each Off Campus book centers on a different couple. Season 1 is an adaptation of the first book, called The Deal, which is a steamy opposites-attract romance between a quiet songwriter and a star ice hockey athlete.

Is God Is (Aleshea Harris)

If you’re looking to get into a play-turned-movie, look no further than Aleshea Harris’s “Is God Is,” which has twin sisters pursuing a revenge plot on their abusive father (who gave each of them burn scars) after their bedridden mother asks them to. The movie, which will be directed by its playwright, has a star-studded cast including Sterling K. Brown, Vivica A. Fox and Janelle Monáe.

Good Girl, Bad Blood (Holly Jackson)

After Holly Jackson’s first A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder book was turned into a Netflix series with Emma Myers, the YA mystery series is returning soon. It’s based on the second book in the series, Good Girl, Bad Blood, has Pip returning to her detective skills after someone close to her goes missing, and the police search isn’t adequate enough.

Cape Fear (John MacDonald)

John D. MacDonald’s famed 1957 thriller has been the subject of two movies in the past – in 1962 with Gregory Peck and in 1991 with Robert De Niro. Now, the story is being adapted into a limited series with Javier Bardem, Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson. In it, a convicted rapist freshly out of prison seeks revenge on the public defenders who hid evidence that could have potentially helped his case. Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese are producers on the new adaptation. You can check out the terrifying Cape Fear trailer as we wait for the show to drop.

The Vampire Lestat (Anne Rice)

AMC’s Interview With The Vampire continues this summer by adapting Anne Rice’s second book, The Vampire Lestat. Just like the novel, it will cover Lestat de Lioncourt during the 1980s, in which he has become a rockstar. While it famously focuses on Lestat over Louis, the showrunner has shared that Louis will still be very much involved in the new season, and they’ve “dipped into other things” regarding his character from other books..

Every Summer After (Carley Fortune)

Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After has been a popular summer read for romance fans since it came out in 2022. It takes place across the six summers spent between Percy and Sam, who are friends who fall in love over the years. The book showcases their love story across those summers as they reconnect after years apart for Sam’s mother’s funeral. The Every Summer After TV series stars Matt Cornett and Sadie Sovernall, and comes from Sex and the City’s Amy B. Harris as the showrunner.

Girls Like Girls (Hayley Kiyoko)

Hayley Kiyoko is a pop singer known by her fans as “Lesbian Jesus.” In 2023, she published her debut book, Girls Like Girls, inspired by her breakout hit of the same name. The book is a coming-of-age romance among upcoming LGBTQ+ movies concerning a 17-year-old girl named Coley, who’s just moved to rural Oregon shortly after losing her mom. When she meets Sonya, both of them learn a lot about themselves and self acceptance as their mutual attraction heats up. Kiyoko co-wrote the screenplay and helmed the movie as well.

Little House On The Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Laura Ingalls Wilder used her own experiences living in the American Midwest as the inspiration to pen the Little House book series, which are not only classics themselves, but previously was turned into a beloved NBC series from 1974 to 1983. Netflix is now reviving the title, and we can’t wait. The Little House On The Prairie book follows a family as they travel on a covered wagon from their home in Wisconsin to Kansas.

Lucky (Marissa Stapley)

Lucky is about a con artist named Lucky Armstrong who finds herself in trouble after pulling off a heist. When she finds out she owns a lottery ticket that is worth millions, she has to decide what to do while on the run at the same time. The series stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant and Drew Starkey.

The Five-Star Weekend (Elin Hilderbrand)

InThe Five-Star Weekend, a food blogger named Hollis Shaw sees her picture-perfect life take a dark turn when her husband is killed in a car accident. While dealing with her grief, she stumbles upon something called a “Five-Star Weekend”, where a woman organizes a trip with her best friend from each phase of her life, which she decides to host herself in Nantucket. The TV adaptation is coming to Peacock with Jennifer Garner starring alongside D’Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Harlow Jane and Timothy Olyphant.

The Odyssey (Homer)

After Christopher Nolan’s last film, Oppenheimer, became a box office success and the 2024 Best Picture winner, his next movie is reportedly adapting Homer’s The Odyssey next with Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron. The source material is one of two Ancient Greek epic poems from Homer (the other is The Iliad) that follows the king of Ithaca and Greek hero Odysseus and his journey home after the Trojan war.

The Dog Stars (Peter Heller)

Ridley Scott’s next movie (and book adaptation) is for Peter Heller’s 2012 dystopian book, The Dog Stars. In the book, a man named Hig has survived a deadly pandemic that has killed off everyone he knows, and resides in a small abandoned airport with his dog and a man named Bangley. The movie will star Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce and Benedict Wong.

The Book of Magic (Alice Hoffman)

Following Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman starring in Practical Magic in 1998 to adapt Alice Hoffman’s beloved series about witches, the pair of movie stars have reunited for the sequel that is said to be based on the 2021 sequel, The Book Of Magic. Three generations of Owens women come together to break their family’s curse that has plagued their ability to love for generations. The movie’s cast also features Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Joey King, Xoli Maridueña, Maisie Williams and Lee Pace, and wrapped filming in September.

Verity (Colleen Hoover)

Another one of Colleen Hoover’s top sellers on the way to becoming a movie is Verity. The movie will star Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett, Dakota Johnson and Ismael Cruz Córdova. The title is the name of the character, Verity Crawford, who is a bestselling author herself who has been having trouble finishing her book series. Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer with financial issues who strikes gold when she’s hired by Verity’s husband to help complete the remaining books. While attempting to work on it, Lowen finds a manuscript for Verity’s autobiography that brings to attention a terrifying secret she’s hiding.

Incidents Around The House (Josh Malerman)

Josh Malerman’s horror novel, Incidents Around The House has only been around since summer 2024, but the author of Bird Box has already caught the eye of Hollywood for a Universal/Atomic Monster movie called Other Mommy. In the story, an eight-year-old girl becomes haunted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy.” The cast is set to include Jessica Chastain, Dichen Lachman, Jay Duplass and Karen Allen, and director Rob Savage, who has done recent movies like Host and The Boogeyman. Sounds like a perfect movie for Halloween!

Sense & Sensibility (Jane Austen)

Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen’s first published book, is getting another movie adaptation this fall with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Caitriona Balfe, George MacKay and Fiona Shaw. The classic is about the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (who signifies sense) and Marianne (who signifies sensibility) as they deal with being young women in Regency-era England. Emma Thompson was previously in a 1995 movie version.

Whalefall (Daniel Kraus)

After Daniel Kraus’s Whalefall was named one of the best books of 2023 by many critics, it’s becoming a movie with Austin Abrams, Josh Brolin and Elisabeth Shue. A man named Gardiner travels to the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California to find his father’s remains… in the ocean, and is exposed to all sorts of dangers underwater in the thrilling process.

Wildwood (Colin Meloy)

Stop-motion studio Laika, which has previously adapted Coraline, is putting their own take on the fantasy middle grade novel, Wildwood. The book has friends Prue and Curtis uncovering a hidden magical forest and becoming intertwined with its world. The movie features the voice talents of Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, and Jake Johnson and is helmed by ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings filmmaker Travis Knight.

The Cat In The Hat (Dr. Seuss)

Who can forget Dr. Seuss’ beloved 1957 children’s book, The Cat In The Hat, where the titular cat in the hat pays a girl and her brother a visit on a rainy day when her mother is away to entertain them as his friends Thing One and Thing Two wreck the house. It was previously adapted for live action in 2003, but the latest version will be an animated movie starring Bill Hader as the cat along with Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang and Xochitl Gomez also among the voice cast. Ahead of the The Cat in the Hat release date, the first trailer may have just won us over on the reboot.

A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a very famous holiday story that has had many iterations over the years, with movies like 1992’s The Muppets Christmas Carol, and the Jim Carrey-led motion-capture version from 2009. This tradition is continuing this holiday season with A Christmas Carol movie from horror director Ti West. It will star Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge, with Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, and Sam Claflin also in the cast.

Way of the Warrior Kid (Jocko Willink)

In 2017, United States Navy SEAL Jocko Willink wrote a children’s novel called Way of the Warrior Kid. In it, a fifth-grader named Marc’s life turns around when his Uncle Jake, a Navy SEAL, comes to stay for the summer and makes a plan to turn his nephew into a “warrior.” The movie stars Chris Pratt as Uncle Jake and is helmed by McG, best known for the 2000s Charlie’s Angels movies.

Sunrise On The Reaping (Suzanne Collins)

After the success of the first Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, both as a novel in 2020 and movie in 2023, Suzanne Collins and Lionsgate are diving back into Panem to tell another story from the dystopia. As announced over the summer, a followup called Sunrise on the Reaping telling the backstory of Haymitch Abernathy’s Hunger Games. The book was just released on March 18, 2025, less than two years before the movie’s planned release date. The cast that has been announced for the production is already making fans’ dreams come true.

The Magician’s Nephew (C.S. Lewis)

After Greta Gerwig brought back Barbie in a big way with 2023’s smash hit, her next passion project is adapting the Narnia books for Netflix. She’s reportedly starting with one of the installments from C.S. Lewis’s series that has never become a movie before, The Magician’s Nephew. While it’s technically the sixth Narnia book that was published, it’s often thought of as the first in the series due to the timeline it's set in, and how it explains the origins of many of the world’s characters and elements. Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan and Emma Mackey lead the movie’s cast.

Dune Messiah (Frank Herbert)

After Denis Villeneuve adapted the first Dune book across two films, the filmmaker is getting ready to continue the saga with book 2, Dune Messiah. The sci-fi sequel continues the story of Paul Atreides 12 years after his rise to power. He’s emperor, but the weight of the war he has caused begins to weigh on him. Dune is coming out the same day as Avengers: Doomsday, making for a big weekend at the movies.

Harry Potter & The Sorceror’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)

Somehow, it’s been fifteen years since the Harry Potter movies ended, and it’s been decided it’s time to pass the wand to a new generation! HBO has made a Harry Potter TV show, which will start the story from the beginning with a brand new cast of actors in the roles. Season 1 covers the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and is named as such. You can check out the first teaser ahead of the series premiering this Christmas!

The Children of Blood and Bone (Tomi Adeyemi)

In January 2025, it was announced that Paramount is adapting Tomi Adeyemi’s beloved YA novel, The Children of Blood and Bone, and the cast is stacked. Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Chiwetel Ejifor and Amandla Stenberg are among the stars in the fantasy film that blends West African mythology and the Yoruba culture with fantastical elements inspired by the likes of Harry Potter. The director of The Old Guard and The Woman King, Gina Prince-Bythewood is set to write and direct the adaptation.

Remain (Nicholas Sparks & M. Night Shymalan)

In an unlikely pairing, thriller filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and romance author Nicholas Sparks, have collaborated on Remain. The book sees a New York architect, Tate, venturing to Cape Cod to get a fresh start in life after being in a psychiatric facility for acute depression following the loss of his sister. She had a revelation to Tate on her deathbed: the ability to see spirits still tethered to the living world runs in their family. When Tate strikes up a connection with a woman named Wren in his new dwelling, he’s challenged to face his family secret.

The Nightingale (Kristen Hannah)

We’ve been hearing for years about the Fanning sisters wanting to collaborate on the adaptation for Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, with THR originally announcing the project in 2019. It was finally made official with a release per a Deadline report in July 2025, with filming starting in late March. Two sisters are separated in France during World War II and have their own epic journeys to survive.

The Exorcist (William Peter Blatty)

The horror phenomenon is coming back to haunt us (again), thanks to writer/director Mike Flanagan. The Exorcist started as a 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, allegedly based on true events of a child’s demonic possession in the 1940s. Blatty wrote the screenplay for the iconic 1973 movie based on his book, which follows a mother grappling with her 12-year-old daughter Regan’s possession. The upcoming take on The Exorcist will star Scarlett Johansson, Diane Lane, Jacobi Jupe, Chiwetel Ejifor, Laurence Fishburne, Sasha Calle and many more.

The Housemaid’s Secret

After Freida McFadden’s bestselling mystery The Housemaid became a commercial success, Lionsgate is already getting going on the sequel called The Housemaid’s Secret. The movie will once again star Sydney Sweeney as Millie, the housemaid and convicted felon, but this time Kristen Dunst will star as her new client. The source material follows Millie as she works for another wealthy couple, the Garricks, which once again have an abusive relationship that Millie uncovers behind the scenes.

The Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer)

Marissa Meyer’s bestselling YA fantasy series The Lunar Chronicles is getting an exciting animated adaptation from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Locksmith Animation, per Deadline. Each one of The Lunar Chronicles are science fiction twists of classic fairytales for Cinderella in Cinder, Little Red Riding Hood for Scarlet, Rapunzel for Cress and Snow White for Fairest. There are not enough adaptations that get the animation treatment, so we’re especially hyped for this one.

Upcoming Book Adaptations Without A Release Date

• Beach Read movie (by Emily Henry)
• The Bell Jar movie (by Sylvia Plath)
• Book Lovers movie (by Emily Henry)
• Bridgerton Season 5 based on When He Was Wicked (by Julia Quinn)
• The Chain TV show (by Adrian McKinty)
• A Court Of Thorns And Roses TV show (by Sarah J. Mass)
• Dark Matter Season 2 (by Blake Crouch)
• The Dark Tower TV show (by Stephen King)
• Dungeon Crawler Carl TV show (by Matt Dinniman)
• Fairy Tale TV show (by Stephen King)
• Fourth Wing TV show (by Rebecca Yarros)
• Funny Story movie (by Emily Henry)
• Heated Rivalry Season 2 (by Rachel Reid)
• The Mist movie (by Stephen King)
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow movie (by Gabrielle Zevin)
• The Love Hypothesis movie (by Ali Hazelwood)
• The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo movie (by Taylor Jenkins Reid)
• Recursion movie and TV series (by Blake Crouch)

Anyone else ready to head to the library and the bookstore to get caught up on these? There are so many upcoming book-to-screen adaptations on the way, and following along with what's next via your reading list is a great way to enjoy these movies and TV shows even more!