Some of the best movies and TV shows trace back to a stellar book or novel series, and that continues to be the norm in Hollywood. There has been a slew of popular movies in recent years that have their source material in books, and 2023 is no exception. And with the year just starting, there are so many books that are getting the on-screen treatment in the months and the following year to follow which means there’s time to read the stories before seeing them on screen.
From classic adventure novels to contemporary romantic comedies, all sorts of stories are on their way to the screen in the form of Netflix, Peacock, and even traditional movie theaters. Some old and some new, these are the latest adaptations that bookworms and cinephiles should look out for.
The Last Thing He Told Me By Laura Dave – 2023
Published in 2021, fans of thrillers devoured The Last Thing He Told Me over the year following its release. The popularity of the novel caught the interest of Reese Witherspoon, who ended up snapping up the screen rights with her production company Hello Sunshine. The novel is being adapted for a limited series on Apple TV+ with Jennifer Garner in the lead role, which is sure to bring a lot of eyeballs to the series.
The story itself follows a woman and her daughter who reevaluate what they know about their family life when her husband suddenly disappears. She finds herself wondering if she ever really knew him at all.
Wolf Pack By Edo van Belkom – January 26, 2023
When Wolf Pack was first announced for Paramount Plus, the announcement coincided with the news of a Teen Wolf movie sequel to MTV’s television series. As a result, the assumption was made by a lot of fans and the media that Wolf Pack was a spinoff of the popular series. That, however, is not the case. Instead, it’s inspired by a 2004 novel from Canadian author Edo van Belkom.
The novel follows a group of teens with shape shifting abilities in California. It’s a supernatural coming-of-age story that sees the teens wonder how far they can push themselves before they turn to the dark side when they have to save themselves from being experimented on by scientists. The series is said to be tied to stories surrounding California wildfires, so just how close the show will be to the source material remains to be seen. Wolf Pack will, however, feature the genre queen Sarah Michelle Gellar, and has been developed for television by Teen Wolf show runner Jeff Davis.
Lockwood & Company Series By Jonathan Stroud – January 27, 2023
A five book young adult series, Lockwood & Co. features a supernatural premise: teens have psychic abilities that allow them to hunt ghosts. In fact, in this world, it’s only young people who have the ability to see spirits, so there’s fierce competition among teens for work.
Netflix picked up the concept for a new series, which will drop on the streamer on January 27, 2023. This is the project that actually saw Ruby Stokes leave Netflix’s successful Bridgerton adaptation. The role of younger Bridgerton Francesca was recast when she landed one of the leads in Lockwood. Netflix likely expects to see similar success with it as they have with the Enola Holmes movies.
The Cabin At The End Of The World By Paul Tremblay – February 3, 2023
There hasn’t been much acknowledgment of the fact that M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming thriller Knock At The Cabin is actually inspired by a novel. In the book, a vacation to a remote cabin turns into a terrifying time for a family when their daughter befriends a stranger and the family is taken hostage after their meeting.
The movie stars Dave Bautista and Jonathan Groff and has been sparking interest in horror fans since the first trailer released. It’s a more psychological thriller though as it asks the question of whether a family chooses to save themselves from a bad situation or make the ultimate sacrifice to help the rest of the world.
Daisy Jones & The Six By Taylor Jenkins Reid – March 3, 2023
When a popular band breaks up, everyone wants to know why. What happened to cause the group to go their separate ways? Daisy Jones & The Six asks that very question as it chronicles just what happens to a popular 1970s rock group in a fictional account of a familiar story.
Developed by Amazon Prime, the show is set to have a stellar cast with Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse, and Riley Keough as lead singer Daisy Jones. Reid’s novels have been popular for streamers lately as Malibu Rising is also in development at Hulu and The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo is also in development at Netflix.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret By Judy Blume – April 28, 2023
Judy Blume is one of the most popular children and young adult authors in the 1970s. And yet, she hasn’t had one of her stories aimed at children adapted for the screen until this year. First published in 1970, Blume’s young adult novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is hitting the big screen.
Abby Ryder Fortson (who Marvel fans will know as Scott Lang’s daughter in the Ant-Man movies) will play the title role of Margaret Simon, a 6th grader who has just moved to a new state with her family. The story follows Margaret as she begins to question her religion since her parents are of two different faiths. The movie is being distributed by Lionsgate and, after a few delays, is set to hit theaters on April 28.
American Prometheus: The Triumph And Tragedy Of J. Robert Oppenheimer By Kai Bird And Martin J. Sherwin – July 21, 2023
While most of the stories being adapted for the screen right now come from novels as their source material, Oppenheimer comes from a nonfiction account instead. Christopher Nolan is bringing the story of the father of the atomic bomb to the screen, but he’s using a 700+ page nonfiction book as his starting part.
Cillian Murphy takes on the titular role for Nolan, and the movie itself is filled with an impressive supporting cast. With Nolan at the helm, and Murphy in the lead, there’s also Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh. There’s already early awards show talk for the cast.
The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes By Suzanne Collins – November 17, 2023
There’s no question that the Hunger Games franchise has become a hugely successful one. Beyond the movies themselves, the original books have fascinated teens and adults alike with their take on the trajectory of society. The social commentary surrounding a society that has teenagers fight for the sacrifices made by the previous generation is just as relevant today as it was when the Hunger Games was first published.
Suzanne Collins, understanding that there’s more story to tell since her original stories focused on a single chapter in the world she created, wrote a prequel novel which was fairly immediately optioned for the screen. The novel will focus on the villain of her original trilogy, Coriolanus Snow, in what are only the 10th Hunger Games. While he’s not the character most fans might have been clamoring to learn more about, his story will help flesh out the expansive world already fresh in fans’ minds.
Red, White, And Royal Blue By Casey McQuiston – 2023
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston was first published in May 2019 and became an overnight sensation. It debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List in June and continued to take off from there, winning several fan-voted book awards like 2019’s Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Romance and Best Debut.
Prior to the release of the novel, Amazon Studios won the film rights in a highly competitive option. The movie which is set to release sometime this year is being produced by Berlanti Productions with Matthew Lopez being tasked with bringing the epic love story between the First Son of the United States and the Prince of Wales to screen.
The Kiss Quotient By Helen Hoang – 2023
First published in June 2018, The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang became a hit earning Hoang her first New York Times Best Seller title. The book centers on Stella Lane, an autistic econometrician who is tired of being bad at love. To get better at intimacy and relationships, Stella hires Michael, a professional escort, who is tasked with fake dating her to show her relationships aren’t as scary as they seem.
Lionsgate quickly acquired the movie rights to the book and put the story into development. Savion Einstein has been tapped to write the adaptation with fans hoping they’ll see this steamy romance on the big screen sometime next year.
