The best and worst thing that could happen to a book is getting adapted into a movie
Sometimes, the movie is so bad that it shouldn’t be associated with the book. In other cases, the film successfully does the book justice.
It’s nothing new for books to be turned into films or TV series. Movies like The Godfather, Forrest Gump, The Hunger Games, The Princess Bride, and Fight Club are just a few of the books that have been adapted.
Furthermore, streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Max have gained a reputation for making TV show adaptions of books, with other services following suit. Examples include shows like Percy Jackson, Witcher, House of Dragon, and Bridgerton.
1. Powerless – by Lauren Roberts
A more recent announcement for Powerless is set to be made. Lyrical Media will be producing the series. The director of the adaption is Will Gluck, who’s known for directing Anyone But You.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts is about a society where the Elites run the kingdom of Ilya. The king has banished the Ordinary. Paedyn Gray, born Ordinary, poses as a Psychic to stay alive and blend into the Elites. After encountering some trouble, she unknowingly saves one of the princes, which lands her in the ‘Purging Trials’ designed to showcase the Elites’ powers.
We’re waiting to hear more about casting. Afterwards, we can hopefully expect a release date.
2. The Housemaid – by Frieda McFadden
Lionsgate will be behind The Housemaid’s film adaption. Todd Lieberman, best known for movies such as Beauty and the Beast and Wonder, will produce the film. Alongside Todd Lieberman, Paul Feig, best known for A Simple Favor and Spy, will be directing The Housemaid.
In The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden, Millie has a deep secret she wants to keep buried. She starts fresh by becoming the housemaid for a wealthy family. But Nina, the wife, just might have far more dangerous secrets. Millie cooks for the family, picks up their daughter from school, and then heads up to eat alone in her tiny room on the top floor. It’s hard not to imagine herself in Nina’s shoes: a walk-in closet, a fancy car, the perfect husband. When she tries on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses, Nina finds out, and Millie realizes that her attic bedroom door only locks from the outside.
There is no release date yet settled. As of October 9th, 2024, Sydney Sweeney, set to play Millie, and Amanda Seyfried, set to play Nina, are the only announced cast.
3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – by Taylor Jenkins Reid
In March of 2022, Netflix announced that they would be working on an adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Leslye Headland, known for shows like Russian Doll and Acolyte, is set to direct.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is about Evelyn Hugo and Monique Grant. Evelyn Hugo lives a glamorous and scandalous Hollywood life. Over time, she becomes ready to tell the truth of her lifestyle on her terms, and she chooses Monique Grant, an unknown magazine reporter, to help her. Monique’s life is at a standstill when this opportunity is presented. As Evelyn is telling Monique her life story, Monique develops a real connection to the icon, but as the story comes to an end, it is clear that their lives intersect in more tragic, irreversible ways.
Netflix confirmed production during their fan event, TUDUM, in June. No cast has been confirmed yet.
4. People We Met on Vacation – by Emily Henry
Emily Henry’s popular book is being adapted by Netflix. Along with Netflix, Sonny Pictures is also producing. Known for All the Bright Places, Brett Haley is set to direct.
In a perfect friends-to-lovers trope, People We Met on Vacation by Emily Henry, follows opposites Poppy and Alex. Poppy is wild, while Alex is introverted, and one day, in a fateful car ride home from college, the pair became the best of friends. Once a week every summer, they go on a week-long vacation for an entire decade. But one year, they ruined everything, and they haven’t spoken a word since. Then Poppy gets in a rut and asks Alex to go on one last trip to fix everything. He agrees, and they have to face a truth that is blocking their relationship.
Tom Blyth, playing Alex Nilsen, and Emily Bader, playing Poppy Wright, have been cast as the leads of People We Met on Vacation. We also know that Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, and Lukas Gage, are part of the film cast.
5. Fourth Wing – by Rebecca Yarros
Prime Video picked up a TV show adaption of the book, Fourth Wing. Variety has the exclusive scoop. They said that MGM Studios and Outlier Society will be working on the production. The only crew announcement so far was Moira Wally-Beckett, best known for Breaking Bad and Anne with an E, who will be the showrunner.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros follows Violet Sorrengail as she’s denied her life in the Scribe Quadrant in the Basgiath War College. Instead, her mother, the commanding general, has ordered Violet to join the dragon riders. Violet is a small woman with very brittle bones — a blatant obstacle. Additionally, fewer dragons are willing to bond with the cadets, lowering her chances of success. With war raging, protective wards failing, the death toll rising, and leadership keeping secrets, Violet faces two options to escape college: graduate or die.
There is no filming or release date for the series yet, but rumor has it that Amazon is investing to expedite the show’s creation to keep up with the popularity of the series. Rebecca Yarros has promised that Xaden will be played by a person of color.
6. Wuthering Heights – by Emily Brontë
from penguinbooksaustralia.com
Wuthering Heights is a classic, and it already has plenty of adaptions. The newest one was announced in September 2024. Emerald Fennell will be writing, directing, and producing the movie. LuckyChap will also be producing the film, making this the third collaboration between the pair alongside Saltburn and Promising Young Woman.
To most, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë comes off as an intense love story between Catherine and Heathcliff. In reality, it’s more of Heathcliff’s revenge story. Growing up, Catherine and Heathcliff fell in love with one another. After a dog attacks Catherine, she is kept by neighbors to heal and learns to navigate the expectations of society. In her time there, she becomes interested in Edgar Linton, who she eventually marries, indoctrinating her into the elite society she has learned to be a part of. On the other hand, Heathcliff is worked to the bone in the fields. After disappearing and mysteriously attaining money, Heathcliff returns to exact his lifelong revenge on the people who ruined his life.
So far, we know the casting of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Set to star are Australian actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. As of right now, the movie is in pre-production. We expect it will be filmed in the UK in 2025.
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses – by Sarah J. Maas
Plans for Hulu to adapt A Court of Thorns and Roses have been in discussion since 2021. Getting a showrunner to stick is the biggest issue. In July 2024, we learned that Ronald D. Moore was no longer working as the project showrunner because he moved from Disney to Sony. With the switch, the show never made it past development. Hopefully someone new will take over.
In A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Feyre hunts and kills a massive wolf to provide for her family. Once she returns home, a large creature demands retribution and whisks her away to faerie land. The creature spends most of his time as a man named Tamlin — one of the strongest immortal faeries who once ruled the world. As Feyre lives in her new home, her hatred of Tamlin turns into infatuation, but she realizes that something is wrong in the faerie lands.
Don’t hold out too long for a cast list. Since the show is on hold, it may be a while. The same goes for a release date.
8. Off-Campus series – by Elle Kennedy
On October 1st, 2024, Prime Video announced that it will be adapting the Off-Campus series, and it is currently in the works. Louisa Levy is the announced showrunner of the series, and MGM Studio is producing. The first season will be based on the first book in the series, The Deal.
The Deal by Elle Kennedy is a steamy book following Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham. Garrett fears that his grades will ruin his dreams of playing professional hockey. He seeks Hannah’s help with the condition that he pushes Hannah out of her comfort zone to make another guy jealous. In an unexpected chain of events, Garrett realizes that pretending with Hannah isn’t enough and plans to convince her to be with him.
There is not much information about the cast or the release date yet.
What to watch:
While you wait for the new releases, there are endless options available to watch now. Here are a couple of options for you:
- Harry Potter series
- Percy Jackson
- Little Women
- Lord of the Rings
- Coraline
- The Princess Diaries
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- The Handmaids Tale
- Game of Thrones
- Gossip Girl
Keep your eyes peeled for the next book that will be adapted!
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Lena Haro
October 16, 2024 at 1:53 am
Wow, great Article. Have to read and or watch the movie.