As the calendar turns, anticipation builds for a fresh new wave of book adaptations. 2023 was a year of remarkable book-to-screen cinematic gems that captivated audiences around the globe. With 2023 coming to an end, the stage is set for another round of bookshelf favorites coming to the big screen. Let’s dive into what the new year has in store as we round up 7 book adaptations we are excited about in 2024!
7. The Watchers by A.M. Shine
Described as a combination of Cabin in the Woods and Lost, The Watchers is a survival horror adventure set to hit theaters on June 7, 2024. Published in 2022, the novel features Mina, a young artist from Galway Ireland, whose car breaks down on the edge of a mysterious forest.
Trapped in the dark woodland, she runs into a stranger urging her to run inside a concrete bunker where she discovers three other survivors. The nightmare unfolds as the door shuts on her only way out, revealing an automatic electric light that activates at nightfall and a glass wall to the outside where terrifying creatures that dwell in the forest may observe them.
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6. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
Said to be the most ambitious science-fiction ever read, co-showrunners of Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss spearhead the production of one of the great modern sci-fi classics by Cixin Liu to be premiered on Netflix on March 21, 2024.
The novel is told from multiple points of view across several decades where Earth encounters an extraterrestrial civilization on the brink of destruction from a nearby system of three sun-like stars orbiting one another. Their contact results in an impending invasion by said aliens and the formation of factions with different agendas within Earth’s society.
5. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
The book behind the hit Broadway musical works its magic on the big screens as the first of a two-part film adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu. After nearly 10 years in development, the first installment is set to premiere on November 27, 2024. The story focuses on Elphaba, a green-skinned woman, and on how she came to be the Wicked Witch of the West.
4. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Here comes our next big spy obsession as it hits the silver screen premiering live on HBO and Max streaming in 2024. Nguyen’s best-selling debut espionage thriller is a cross-culture satire story about the confession of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the latter part of the Vietnam War and his exile to America.
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3. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
BookTok-famous romance novel is getting the Hollywood treatment as the film is set to hit the theaters on February 9, 2024. Starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel is one of the most anticipated book-to-movie adaptations as Hoover, dubbed as the Queen of BookTok-a sub-community on TikTok-has become one of the most popular writers of all time. It Ends With Us follows the story of Lily Bloom as she navigates her tumultuous relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid, while also trying to heal from her past.
2. They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera
Another BookTok-favorite is officially being adapted into a Netflix series bringing life to star-crossed lovers Mateo and Rufus. Although Netflix has yet to announce a release date for the adaptation, it is expected that it will drop sometime in 2024. Set in the future, the novel centers on two teenage boys who both receive phone calls from Death-Cast, a national service that notifies people who have only 24 hours left to live. They connect through an app called Last Friend and decide to spend their last day together exploring New York City.
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1. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Finishing the list with none other than BookTok Author of the Year 2023, Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. BBC Three announced that it will be available on broadcast on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer with no set premiere date. Wednesday star Emma Myers is set to lead the adaptation breathing life into Pip’s character together with newcomer Zain Iqbal as Ravi. The novel features Pip, a high school student in Little Kilton, investigating a five-year-old murder case under the guise of her school project where soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that led her to uncover more than what she expected.
With the dawn of a new year, we are in for a treat with these upcoming adaptations. Keep an eye also for Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Lady in the Lake, and many more titles that’ll add to an exciting year ahead!
