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

Including 'Carrie', 'Verity', 'Sense and Sensibility', and more

We're headed into fall soon and the season is full of exciting new book-to-screen adaptations to enjoy. But before we watch, we're going to read (or reread) the source material, because, as we all know, the book is (almost) always better. Here are 18 of the books that inspired all the best new and upcoming adaptations.  

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 before watching.  

Night and Day by Virginia Woolf 

Virginia Woolf's Night & Day is in theaters now 

Woolf's second novel is perhaps her most traditional. Set in Edwardian London around 1910, the story centers on a quartet of friends and would-be lovers as they come together, pull apart, and struggle between societal norms of love and marriage and their own beliefs and ambitions. The new film focuses on Katharine Hilbery, a brilliant astronomer resisting a traditional, prescribed path.  

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay 

Surviving the Silence: The Roxane Gay Story is streaming now on Lifetime 

This award-winning memoir from the author of Bad Feminist details the psychological impacts of a sexual assault that she suffered at age twelve. This devastating act of violence represented a turning point in her young life, setting off a lifelong struggle with body image, identity, and healing. The film (rated TV-14) traces Gay's path toward reclaiming her voice.  

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 

Streaming now on MGM+ 

This classic historical novel portrays a world on fire, split between Paris and London during the brutal and bloody events of the French Revolution. The four-part miniseries (rated TV-MA) stars François Civil as Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Kit Harington as Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, enmeshed by their love for Lucie Manette. 

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman? 

Practical Magic 2 is in theaters now? 

For over three hundred years a curse has kept the Owens family from love—but all of that is about to change in this breathtaking conclusion to the Practical Magic series. Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, and Dianne Wiest reprise their roles from the 1998 film alongside new cast members Joey King, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, and Xolo Maridueña.

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie 

Knife: the Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie is in theaters now 

On the morning of August 12, 2022, the Booker Prize-winning author was on a stage, poised to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man rushed toward him, wielding a knife. This is his searing, deeply personal account of the assassination attempt that shook the literary world and beyond. The new film documents the attack and the author's recovery. 

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy 

Streaming now on PBS 

Amid daily reports of violence, Catholic teacher Cushla lives a quiet life with her mother in a small town near Belfast. When she meets Michael Agnew, a Protestant barrister who's made a name for himself defending IRA members, Cushla is caught between allegiance to her community and a dangerous passion. The four-part miniseries stars Lola Petticrew and Gillian Anderson. 

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Streaming now on Prime Video? 

When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos. Third-year Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting love and when she sets out to prove her theory, she finds it isn’t as simple as she thought. The movie adaptation, rated R, stars Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman.  

East of Eden by John Steinbeck 

Premieres on Netflix October 1 

Set in California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons in a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis. The 1955 film adaptation was famously directed by Elia Kazan. And now his granddaughter, actress and writer Zoe Kazan, is following in his footsteps with this limited series, starring Florence Pugh.     

Carrie by Stephen King 

Premieres on Prime Video October 1 

Carrie White may be picked on by her classmates, but she has a gift. And she’s learning how to use it. King's legendary debut tells the story of a teenage outcast and the revenge she enacts on her enemies. Mike Flanagan has adapted the 1974 novel as a miniseries starring Summer Howell. While there is no official rating yet, this series is likely to be inappropriate for children.  

Verity by Colleen Hoover 

Coming to theaters October 2 

Lowen Ashleigh thinks she has landed the job of a lifetime when the husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford hires the struggling writer to complete his injured wife’s novels. But the job turns out to be more than she bargained for. The adaptation, rated R, is described as a psychological erotic thriller, starring Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, and Josh Hartnett. 

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman 

Other Mommy is coming to theaters October 9 

To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There's Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: "Can I go inside your heart?" And Bela can tell that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking this question. The film adaptation (Rated R) of this chilling horror novel stars Jessica Chastain.  

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus 

Coming to theaters October 16 

Jay Gardiner has given himself a fool's errand—to find the remains of his deceased father in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Monastery Beach. The Martian meets 127 Hours in this scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver who's been swallowed by an eighty-foot, sixty-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out. The film adaptation is rated PG-13. 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 

Coming to theaters October 16 

This classic has been adapted before, of course, but we never get tired of fresh new takes on Austen’s beloved novels. The new film, rated PG, is described a charming, witty, and deeply relatable story of love and sisterhood directed by Georgia Oakley and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, Frank Dillane, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw. 

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 

Coming to theaters October 23 

This novel from the Nobel Prize-winning author of Never Let Me Go imagines a future in which parents enter a shop, looking for an Artificial Friend for their lonely child. From her place in the store, Klara remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. Directed by Taika Waititi and starring Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, and Natasha Lyonne, the film adaptation is rated PG-13.  

Wildwood by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis 

Coming to theaters October 23 

For fans of The Chronicles of Narnia comes the first middle-grade novel in the Wildwood Chronicles. Prue and her friend Curtis uncover a secret world within the landscape of modern-day Portland. The stop-motion film, rated PG-13, features voicework from a host of stars including Awkafina, Jacob Tremblay, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Carey Mulligan, and others. 

The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II by Buzz Bissinger 

Coming to Netflix October 30 

The author of Friday Night Lights returns with another gripping sports narrative about an epic football game played between two regiments of the Marines as they were preparing for the Battle of Okinawa on the island of Guadalcanal in 1944. Directed by Peter Berg, the movie (rated R) stars Nicholas Galitzine, Bill Skarsgård, Ray Nicholson, and Tom Francis. Rated R. 

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss 

Coming to theaters November 6 

"I know some new tricks," said the Cat in the Hat. "A lot of good tricks. I will show them to you. Your mother will not mind at all if I do." The reimagined family-friendly take on the classic children's story stars Bill Hader as the titular cat. Other members of the stellar voice cast include Xochiti Gomez, Tiago Martinez, America Ferrera, Quinta Brunson, and Giancarlo Esposito.  

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter 

Coming to Peacock November 12 

Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn's happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home that left their mother dead. Twenty-eight years later, Charlie is forced to confront the shocking truth about the crime that destroyed her family. The Peacock series stars Meghann Fahy, Rose Byrne, and Brendan Gleeson. 

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito  

Coming to theaters November 13 

In 1858, an eccentric young governess, Winifred Notty, arrives at the remote gothic manor Ensor House. As Winifred assimilates, staff begin to inexplicably disappear, and her employers wonder if something is amiss about this new governess. The film adaptation of this horror thriller is rated R, leaning gleefully into the graphic violence and bloody gore depicted in the book. 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 

Ebeneezer: a Christmas Carol comes to theaters November 13 

Ebeneezer Scrooge is a man whose cold heart has long since abandoned the warmth of human connection. Until one fateful Christmas Eve when he is visited by three ghosts. It's safe to say that this beloved holiday classic, published in 1843, has been the subject of countless adaptations over the years. The new film, not yet rated, stars Johnny Depp, Rupert Grint, and Daisy Ridley.  

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center, Guarding Stars comes out Nov. 18 on Netflix 

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan 

Season 3 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians comes to Disney+ November 20 

When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. The third book in Rick Riordan’s popular YA series finds the gang encountering a variety of intriguing legends from Greek mythology. This season of the popular show (rated TV-PG) brings all 12 Olympian gods to the screen.  

Way of the Warrior Kid by Jocko Willink 

The Way of the Warrior Kid comes to AppleTV November 20 

After a disastrous year in fifth-grade, underdog Marc looks forward to a summerlong visit from his Uncle Jake, a for-real, super-cool Navy SEAL. Uncle Jake is going to turn Marc into a warrior. But becoming a warrior isn't easy. The upcoming adaptation of this illustrated middle-grade novel stars Chris Pratt as Uncle Jake, Jude Hill as Marc, and Linda Cardellini as Sarah, Marc's mom.  

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 

Coming to theaters November 20 

Fear grips the districts of Panem as the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games. In honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken. In District 12, all Haymitch Abernathy is thinking about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. The blockbuster Hunger Games franchise continues with its latest star-studded film adaptation. 

Excavations by Kate Myers 

Dig comes to Peacock November 23 

On a remote archeological site in Greece, the mythic home of the first Olympics, four women discover an unusual artifact in this sun-drenched novel about feminism, friendship, and archaeology. Amy Poehler is set to star in the new series adaptation, which she co-created with Mike Schur (of Parks and Rec, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place). 

The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis  

Coming to theaters November 26 and to Netflix on December 25 

One touch of a magical ring sends two friends hurtling into another world and releases an evil sorceress from her enchanted sleep. But a song from the Great Lion, Aslan, awakens new hope and a new world: Narnia, where anything is possible. Greta Gerwig directs the epic, star-studded adaptation of this prequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

Most anticipated

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

• In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren—A Netflix film of this holiday rom-com is slated for a December 2026 release. Maddie Ziegler and Rob Lowe to star. 

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen—The beloved classic will get its latest adaptation in December 2026 as a Netflix series written by Dolly Alderton and starring Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden. 

• Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert—Dune: Part Three, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is scheduled to be released in theaters in December 2026. 

• Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling—A new series of the beloved children's fantasy series is set to premiere on HBO on December 25, 2026.  

• The Children of Blood and Bone by Tomo Adeyemi—A film adaptation of this YA fantasy is set to arrive in theaters on January 15, 2027. 

• Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan—The adaptation of this romantic supernatural thriller, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, comes to theaters Feb. 5. 

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah—The long-anticipated film adaptation of this historical fiction bestseller will star sister Dakota and Elle Fanning and is expected to be released in theaters March 2027.  

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon