What's New and Coming Soon in Book-to-Screen

Including 'Wicked', 'Out of My Mind', 'Nightbitch', and more

There's a lot going on in the book-to-screen world right now. We're excited to watch, but first we want to read (or reread), because, as we all know, the book is (almost) always better. Here are sixteen of the books that inspired the latest adaptations. Order your copy of the source material so you can read before you watch.

Note: Age recommendations often vary between the book and its adaptation. We have consulted internet sources such as commonsensemedia.org to provide age recommendations and ratings for many of these materials, but we encourage readers to do their own research as well. 

Here by Richard McGuire

In theaters now

This innovative graphic novel presents the history of a single spot of ground over the course of hundreds of thousands of years. The New York Times called it "the comic-book equivalent of a scientific breakthrough. The film adaptation (rated PG-13) reunites the Forrest Gump creative team with director Robert Zemeckis, writer Eric Roth, and stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Now streaming on Max

Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this beloved classic tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico blends poignant romance, bittersweet wit, and delicious recipes. With Salma Hayek as an executive producer, the lush limited series, in Spanish with English subtitles, has been lauded as offering a more complex and rich vision than the novel (Ages 15+ for nudity and violence).

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

Now streaming on Peacock

The Jackal is a tall, blond Englishman with opaque, gray eyes. A killer at the top of his profession, unknown to any secret service in the world. One man with a rifle who can change the course of history. The series adaptation of this classic thriller about a ruthless British assassin and the intelligence officer tasked with capturing him stars Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

In theaters now

It's 1985 in a small Irish town. Bill Furlong is a coal merchant and family man. In the busy weeks leading up to Christmas, while making an early morning delivery to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Cillian Murphy stars in the adaptation of this quietly powerful, award-winning novella.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

In theaters now

The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, and swear. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant. The new film adaptation (rated PG) of this beloved children's novel stars Judy Greer, Lauren Graham, Elizabeth Tabish, and Pete Holmes.

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

Now streaming on Hulu

In 1972, masked intruders dragged a 38-year-old widow and mother of ten, from her Belfast home. This bestselling true-crime narrative—as finely paced as a novel—peels back the layers of the Troubles and its legacy in Northern Ireland. Drawing from the celebrated nonfiction account, the new limited series tells the stories of various members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). (Rated TV-MA)

Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

Cross is streaming now on Amazon Prime

This is the first thriller in the bestselling series. Alex Cross is a homicide detective in Southeast D.C. with a Ph.D. in psychology. He's a tough guy from a tough part of town who plays classical piano and looks like Muhammad Ali in his prime. He's also a widower, raising two kids on his own. The stylish adapted series, aimed at mature audiences, stars Aldis Hodge as Cross. 

Shift by Hugh Howey

Season two of Silo is streaming now on Apple TV+

The second volume in the bestselling Silo series describes the catastrophic events that led to the creation of the underground silo that houses a tightly regulated community. Season two of the show, set in a toxic dystopian future, touches on the end of the first book and ventures into book two. The series stars Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Robbins, Common, Harriet Walter, and Steve Zahn.

Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Dune: Prophecy is streaming now on Max

It is 83 years after the last thinking machines were destroyed in the Battle of Corrin. Raquella Berto-Anirul has formed the Bene Gesserit School and, through a terrible ordeal, has become the first Reverend Mother. The new HBO series, which also draws from Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic, is billed as a prequel to Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film and focuses on the origins of the Bene Gesserit.

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Now streaming on Hulu

Willis Wu is a bit player on a procedural cop show called Black and White, but he dreams of bigger things. After stumbling into the spotlight, Willis is launched into a wild journey that sets the myth-making machines of our culture on fire. The series adaptation of this smart, funny novel tackles race, pop culture, immigration, and assimilation. Starring Jimmy O. Yang and The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch by Gregory Maguire

Coming to theaters Nov. 22

This inventive tale (itself an adaptation) recasts the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz as protagonist. Elphaba, green-skinned and misunderstood, wants to use her powers for good. The novel inspired a Broadway musical. and the long-anticipated film (rated PG), directed by John M. Chu, stars award-winning singer/actress Cynthia Erivo and mega-pop star Ariana Grande.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Premieres on Disney+ on Nov. 22

Eleven-year-old Melody is the smartest kid in her school, but no one knows it because she has cerebral palsy and can't speak or write. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she's determined to find a way to express herself. The moving film stars Phoebe-Rae Taylor, Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, Judith Light, and Jennifer Aniston.

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

Coming to theaters on Dec. 6

An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her baby, but the experience does not match her imagination. After discovering a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck, she begins to think she is turning into a dog. As her symptoms intensify, she struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity a secret. The black comedy, body horror film (rated R) stars Amy Adams.

Foregone by Russell Banks

Oh, Canada is coming to theaters on Dec. 6

Famed Canadian American leftist documentary filmmaker Leonard Fife is one of sixty thousand draft evaders who fled to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam. Fife, now in his seventies and dying of cancer, has agreed to a final interview in which he is determined to bare all his dark secrets. The film, directed by Paul Schrader, stars Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Michael Imperioli, and Jacob Elordi.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is coming to theaters on Dec. 13

The second LOTR novel introduces the kingdom of Rohan and mentions an epic long-ago battle between the people of Rohan and the Dunlendings. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, the anime film (rated PG-13) is set 183 years before the original trilogy and centers on the legendary Helm Hammerhand, voiced by Brian Cox. Miranda Otto voices the film's narrator, Éowyn, future shieldmaiden of Rohan.

What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez

The Room Next Door is coming to theaters on Dec. 20

A woman describes a series of encounters she has with various people in this novel about human connection and the nature of relationships in our times. It's a surprising story about the unusual ways people can help each other through hardship and a provocative portrait of the way we live now. Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, the film (rated PG-13) stars Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.

Most Anticipated

Here are a few of the most exciting upcoming adaptations we've got on our radar.

• Mickey7 by Edward Ashton—This sci-fi novel is being adapted into a film called Mickey 17 starring Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. Scheduled for release April 2025.
• The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag—This sci-fi graphic novel about a teen girl on a cross-country mission with a robot will be a 2025 Netflix film starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.
• Dog Man by Dav Pilkey—Pete Davidson is set to star in the animated adaptation, coming out in 2025, of this entertaining middle-grade series.
• Trust by Hernan Diaz—The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, a brilliant literary puzzle, is being adapted into an upcoming HBO series starring Kate Winslet.
• Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams—Helena Bonham Carter, Pierce Brosnan, and Gabriel Byrne will star in the adaptation of this Irish novel about a couple who are drawn together by fate.
• Long Bright River by Liz Moore—Amanda Seyfried will star in an upcoming series adaptation of this gripping thriller about a Philadelphia police officer searching for her sister, an addict, who has gone missing.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon