Page to screen adaptations seem to be happening more frequently as the rich plethora of source material that books provide gets mined for excellent stories. This year has already seen many great series, including Three Body Problem, the third season of Bridgerton, and the upcoming Wicked movie based on the musical adaptation. If, like me, you want to read the book before it comes to life on screen, here are a few of the upcoming adaptations I am looking forward to catching. 

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand 

It’s summer in Nantucket and that means it is wedding season. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember as the groom’s wealthy parents have spared no expense. When a body is found in the harbor before the ceremony, everyone at the wedding becomes a suspect. The adaptation stars Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber and debuts this weekend on Netflix. 

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

When robot Roz comes online for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote and wild island. Roz has no idea what her purpose is or how she came to be here, but she learns that she must adapt and learn from the animals that inhabit the island. A lovely kids novel about the collision of technology and nature, this movie premieres on September 27th in theaters.

The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose

Written by her son, this book chronicles the different lives of Lee Miller. She was a model for Vogue who became interested in working the other side of the camera and joined the surrealist movement before becoming an accredited War Correspondent. The movie adaptation is called Lee and stars Kate Winslet. It will debut in theaters on September 27th. 

Here by Richard McGuire

Here is a unique graphic novel based on the legendary 1989 comic strip of the same name. It condenses time and space to tell the story of a room and its inhabitants from the dawn of time until 2313 AD. The adaptation stars Robin Wright and Tom Hanks. It debuts in theaters on November 1st. 

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth 

This older spy novel is technically proficient and wonderfully rich in details. It centers around the anatomy of an assassination along with the counter measures being taken to make sure it doesn’t come to pass. It premieres on November 7th on Peacock and stars Eddie Redmayne. 

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

One of my best books of 2019, I am incredibly excited for this adaptation. The book centers around the disappearance and murder of Jean McConville in December 1972 during the The Troubles. Patrick weaves an intricate narrative about the notorious killing and the devastating repercussions. The adaptation comes out November 14th on FX and Hulu. 

Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

The beginning of the Alex Cross novels, this one places homicide detective Alex Cross against a psychopathic kidnapper and murderer. The new adaptation titled Cross comes out on November 14th on Amazon Prime and stars Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross. 

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu 

Sharp, unusual, and compelling, this novel is at its core a meditation on immigration and assimilation. Willis Wu doesn’t feel like the protagonist of his own life: he feels like Generic Asian Man stuck in the background of a police procedural. After stumbling into the spotlight, he discovers his own family secrets along with those of Chinatown. It comes out November 19th on Hulu and stars Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, and Chloe Bennet. 

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The original vampire story, this novel is one that doesn’t need a description and has been adapted many times. One of which was the 1922 silent horror film, Nosferatu, even though it was an unauthorized version. Robert Eggers is remaking Nosferatu, which will debut on December 25th and stars Bill Skarsgård, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Nicholas Hoult, and Lily-Rose Depp. 

Happy Reading!

Featured in the September 7, 2024 issue of The Independent