More book adaptations just keep coming every year, and bookworms around the world couldn’t be more excited! While adaptations can be a hit or miss, it is still exciting to see our favorite pages come to life on the big and small screen.
Here are some books being adapted into movies and TV shows that we cannot wait to see!
Shadow and Bone
The cast of the Shadow and Bone Netflix adaptation (photo from Netflix)
Originally slated for a 2020 release, this Netflix series based on the Grishaverse novels by Leigh Bardugo was one of the ones affected by the pandemic. The Netflix adaptation will combine events from two series in the same universe – the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology – and will follow a soldier named Alina Starkov, who while trying to save her best friend from harm, unlocks a great power within her that could potentially be the key to saving her war-torn country. Additional filming is ongoing and we are crossing our fingers for an early 2021 release.
Daisy Jones and the Six
This bestselling book by Taylor Jenkins Reid about a fictional rock band in the 1970s that decided to split at the height of their career is getting its own series on Amazon Video. The book is told through interviews of the band members, their families, and the people they’ve come across. As the story progresses, bits and pieces of their story finally come together and the mystery behind their sudden disbandment is finally revealed. The story also features the lyrics of several songs by the fictional band that fans of the book will finally get to hear. So far, most of the main characters have been cast, including Sam Clafflin, Riley Keough, and Camila Morrone.
Americanah
This 2013 novel chronicles is about a Nigerian woman who migrates to the United States to study at a university and her love story with her high school classmate, Obinze. The miniseries adaptation is set to debut on HBO Max soon and stars Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther, Us).
Hold Back the Stars
This is another star-crossed lovers movie adaptation to be directed by Justin Baldoni, the director of Five Feet Apart. Described as “Romeo & Juliet meets Gravity”, the YA novel by Katie Khan is about a young man and woman who revisit memories of their love affair in a utopian Earth while trapped in space and having only 90 minutes of oxygen left. Letitia Wright (Black Panther) and John Boyega (Star Wars sequel trilogy) are set to star in the film adaptation by Lionsgate.
They Both Die in the End
This YA novel from Adam Silvera is about two teenage boys, Matteo and Rufus, who receive a call from Death-cast, a company that is able to predict deaths, and find out that they will be dying within the next 24 hours. HBO announced earlier this year that a half-hour television miniseries on the television network is currently in development and is being produced under Warner Bros. Television.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
This middle grade series is getting a new adaptation, this time as a TV show on Disney+. The series follows the titular character, Percy, who finds out he is a demigod – half god, half human – and is whisked away to Camp Half-Blood where demigods like him train. Fans of the book series can take refuge in the fact that the series’ author, Rick Riordan, is working closely with Disney+ for the adaptation, and is even helping in writing the script for the pilot.
The Kane Chronicles
The film rights for another mythology series by Riordan, this time about Egyptian mythology, has recently been bought by Netflix and has entered into production as a feature film series. The Kane Chronicles book trilogy follows siblings Sadie and Carter who discover their connection to ancient Egyptian pharaohs and must hone their newfound magical abilities in order to fight off an awakening evil.
While we wait for more news about these adaptations, there are still plenty of upcoming ones to look forward to this year. Next year, the much-awaited movie adaptation of the epic science fiction book Dune is coming out starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem among others. A movie adaptation of the classic romantic thriller book, Rebecca is coming out on Netflix on October 21 starring Lily James and Armie Hammer. Recently, the trailer for a movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches was released starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Chris Rock, and more.
Which of these adaptations are you looking forward to the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!