From the best of adaptations to the worst of adaptations, 2024 is already an action-packed year for book-to-screen renditions.
Film adaptations of beloved books are always controversial, it is impossible to avoid the nuance and please everyone with just one interpretation, but whether you love it or hate it, you are always stoked for the release date.
From highly-anticipated sequels and second seasons to TikTok’s famous books finally getting their film adaptation, adaptations are underway and set to deliver.
Check out these 10 book-to-screen adaptations that we can’t wait for, get your tickets, and start making plans to head to the theater.
10. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Fans of Wicked have a lot to look forward to, as the book adapted into a musical, adapted to a film will finally be released in November of 2024.
Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, viewers who have not made a trip to the theater for the prequel to The Wizard of Oz will finally be dazzled by the marvelous story. See how The Wicked Witch of the West became so cruel, her friendship turns foe arc with Galinda, and how the Wizard of Oz plays a role in their strife.
9. Dune by Frank Herbert
Dune Part One broke the internet a few years back, and now the release of the second installation is even more highly anticipated with the star-studded additions to the cast including Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Lea Seydoux.
When the last film left off, Paul had won over the trust of the Fremen people and he and his mother would embark on a journey into the desert to learn their ways – and hopefully find common ground for taking back what is theirs. Look out for the film coming to theaters near you in March 2024.
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8. The Amateur by Robert Littell
This classic 80s novel is finally seeing a silver screen adaptation being released in November 2024, and starring none other than Rami Malek.
Get ready spy fans, this American espionage film adaptation is exactly the action thriller you have been waiting for. A CIA agent’s finance was murdered, sending the protagonist into an agonizing caving for revenge he blackmails his superiors into sending him on assignment to Czechoslovakia to find the terrorists responsible for her death. This spy trope dives into revenge and the extent that people go when mourning or dealing with heartbreak.
7. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
It is finally happening, It Ends With Us is getting a film adaptation after being a bestseller for almost eight years. The film will star Blake Lively and is set to come out in June of 2024.
Now is the time to read the book if you haven’t yet, a heartbreaking and bittersweet romance novel about a twenty-something woman making a name for herself and falling in love, only to be challenged by an encounter with her first love that makes her question destiny. This is one of those reads that reflects every day love triangles, and while not much happens – everything does.
6. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
In May and June of 2024, you can expect Netflix to release the third installment of the Bridgerton series. Each book and each season reflects a love story from the perspective of one of the characters. Viewers have already been given The Duke and I, and the Viscount Who Loved Me, and finally it is Penelope and Collin Bridgeton’s time to shine.
The last season left off at a critical point, Penelope lost her friendship with Eloise and Collin – left only with her passion for being Lady Whistledown. However, there is heavy foreshadowing on the internet that Collin and Penelope will work through their childhood feelings and friendship to blossom into something more.
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5. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
This beloved classic book and iconic 1999 adaptation is getting rebooted into a Netflix series set to hit streaming in April 2024.
There is no better replacement for the revival of this iconic LGBTQ character than Andrew Scott, who from the trailer is not just the perfect match but nailed the mysterious demeanor of Tom Ripley. In other exciting news, Dakota Fanning returns to the screen to fill in the shoes of Marge, previously played by Gweneth Paltrow. Only time will tell how well the film is adapted into a series, and the new creative takes on the classic tale.
4. Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal and The Swan Song For An Era by Lawrence Learner
Ryan Murphy’s Feud season 2 focuses on Truman Capote and is all about the New York socialites he had friendships with called “The Swans” and how they took him down.
This female-powered season 2 stars none other than Susan Sarandon, Demi More, Jessica Lange and Catherin Zeta-Jones, Naomi Watts, Molly Ringwald, and Calista Flockhart – honestly the list goes on and on. Before binging the series, read the book beforehand to really engage in this real-life drama. Plus, the series is already available for streaming!
3. One Day by David Nicholls
You may remember the 2011 romantic drama starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, but maybe you didn’t realize it is based on a book! And now, from February 8th, 2024 the reboot will be available on Netflix.
You may recognize the hot shot actor Leo Woodwall from The White Lotus and British up-and-coming actress Ambika Mod who will be stepping into the epic roles and revitalizing this modern classic. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, enjoy this sad but lovely romantic drama.
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2. The End We Start From by Megan Hunter
Megan Hunter’s stunning debut dystopian novel will be adapted into a film starring Jodie Comer and was just released globally in January. The plot follows a young woman who gives birth during a natural disaster and tries to find her way home amidst chaos and the collapse of society.
Examining both the challenges of life and motherhood up against a social-political climate and as always finding the humanity in love. This novel takes survival tropes to a whole new level.
1. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Sympathizer will be aired as an HBO drama series in 2024. The plot takes place in 1975 as a half-Vietnamese and half-french undercover communist agent goes to Los Angeles and is not just confronted with the reality of war but the collision of culture and society.
Above all this powerful book looks at humanity, loyalty, and the aftermath of war from all sides and will surely be an enticing TV adaptation.
