Is there anything more exciting than seeing a book you read and enjoyed being adapted into a film or movie? You’ve imagined all of these scenes and characters in your head. Now you get to see it all play out in front of you. Will the adaptation include all of your favorite lines or moments? Will it make surprising changes that elevate the material? Or will the book truly end up being better than the movie? We’ll never know until we watch, which is why we love to watch books being made into movies.
Here are 25 books that are being adapted into movies or series in 2023 and 2024. Some of these projects have hard and fast release dates. Some of them have trailers. Some only have a cast list and a vague promise of a release sometime in 2023 or 2024. Of course, new info about these projects are coming out all the time. But at the time of publication, here are the all the most recent details we have about all these upcoming films and TV series. Get excited! There’s a ton to look forward to in the next year or so.
Young Adult Adaptations
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Lin Manuel-Miranda is producing this YA adaptation, which is written and directed by Aitch Alberto in her feature directorial debut. Aristotle and Dante stars Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales as two teens living in El Paso in 1987. The film premiered at the 47th International Toronto Film Festival on September 9, 2022. A wide theatrical release is planned for summer 2023, but a release date has not been announced yet. If you can’t wait til then, here’s a first look at the movie!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Based on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the origin story of Panem President Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth in the new film. The film also stars Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird. Other members of the cast include Josh Andrés Rivera, Hunter Schafer, Viola Davis, and Peter Dinklage. Director Francis Lawrence is returning to the franchise to direct with a script by Michael Lesslie. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes released a teaser trailer and is premiering in theaters on November 17, 2023.
It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
The Summer I Turned Pretty is coming back for a second season on Amazon Prime video, and it will be based on the second novel in Jenny Han’s series, It’s Not Summer Without You. Everyone you loved from season 1 is returning, and joining the cast are Kyra Sedgwick and Elsie Fisher. Season 2 has wrapped production, so while we don’t have an official release date yet, we should expect something later in 2023 or early 2024.
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Speaking of sophomore seasons that recently wrapped production, Heartstopper season 2 should be coming soon! The new season will introduce Bel Priestley as Naomi, Ash Self as Felix, and Thibault De Montalembert as Nick’s father Stephane. The first season of Heartstopper followed the first volume of Alice Oseman’s graphic novel, and based on the casting announcements, it’s safe to assume this next season will follow volume two. Netflix has confirmed Heartstopper season 2 will be released on August 3, 2023!
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
YA dystopian adaptations are still going strong in 2023. Netflix is also adapting Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies into a movie! The film is produced by Joey King, who is starring as Tally Youngblood. Uglies will also star Keith Powers, Brianne Tju, Chase Stokes, and Laverne Cox. Filming took place in Atlanta, GA in December 2021. The movie is expected to drop on Netflix at some point in 2023, but a release date hasn’t been announced yet.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down was optioned for film immediately upon its release in 2017. Filming wrapped in Cincinnati last June, with Hannah Marks directing. The movie adaptation stars Isabela Merced as Aza Holmes and Cree Cicchino as Daisy Ramirez. “The movie really stays true to the book in so many ways. I think we really worked hard on making it a faithful adaptation,” said Marks. “And beyond that, it’s pretty cool that we have two teenage Latina leads in the movie, which hasn’t been done very much before. And the girls were absolutely terrific and great for representation, but also great for their characters.” Turtles All the Way Down will premiere on HBO, but a release date hasn’t been announced yet.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese is being adapted into an action comedy TV series on Disney+. Destin Daniel Cretton directed the series, and Charles Yu and Kelvin Yu wrote it. It stars Michelle Yeoh, Ben Wang, Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, Daniel Wu, Ke Huy Quan, Jim Liu, and Sydney Taylor. It will premiere this month, on May 24, 2023 on Disney+. Here’s the trailer!
Literary Fiction Adaptations
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel Black Cake will soon be a series on Hulu. Before the novel was even published, Oprah Winfrey’s production company Harpo Films purchased the TV rights. The series will star Adrienne Warren, Mia Isaac, and Ashley Thomas. A release date hasn’t been announced yet, but it’s expected to premiere in late 2023.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple was adapted as a film in 1985. Then it was adapted as a musical. Now the musical is being adapted into a film, set to be released on December 25, 2023. The movie is directed by Blitz Bazawule and adapted for the screen by Marcus Gardley. It stars Fantasia as Celie Harris Johnson, Colman Domingo as Albert “Mister” Johnson, Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery, Corey Hawkins as Harpo Johnson, Danielle Brooks as Sofia, H.E.R. as Mary Agnes (“Squeak”), and Ciara as Nettie Harris.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
The Lessons in Chemistry series is due to release on Apple TV+ at some point in 2023. The series is executive produced by Brie Larson, who will also star as Elizabeth Zott, a female scientist in the 1960s who uses a cooking show to educate women about science. Also starring are Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Patrick Walker, Thomas Mann, Kevin Sussman, and Beau Bridges. Filming wrapped in August 2022.
Horror Adaptations
The Last Voyage of the Demeter, based on Dracula by Bram Stoker
There have been plenty of Dracula adaptations, but 2023’s The Voyage of the Last Demeter is based specifically on one chapter of the classic horror novel, “The Captain’s Log.” The film is directed by Norwegian film director André Øvredal. It stars Corey Hawkins, Ailsling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, and David Dastmalchian. The Last Voyage of the Demeter is set to be released on August 11, 2023 from Universal Pictures. Here’s the trailer!
The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
Mike Flanagan is back again with another highly-anticipated horror adaptation for Netflix. The cast for this Edgar Allan Poe adaptation will include a lot of Flanagan project regulars, including Rahul Kohli, Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas, T’Nia Miller, and Kate Siegel. Mark Hamill has also joined the cast. While a release date has not been announced yet, producer Trevor Macy said, “It could either be spring or [Netflix] could hold it back for spooky season.” Considering the fact that spring is almost over, I’d say we can expect it this fall.
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
After several years in development, The Changeling is finally being adapted as a series for Apple TV+, with Lakeith Stanfield attached to star as Apollo. Kelly Marcel wrote the script and Melina Matsoukas is directing. However, no release date has been announced yet, so it’s unclear whether we can expect this series to premiere in 2023 or 2024. Fingers crossed it’ll be sooner rather than later!
Mystery/Thriller Adaptations
A Haunting in Venice, based on Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie
Kenneth Branagh is adapting a third Hercule Poirot novel to follow Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. Branagh will again star as Poirot, who is now retired and must solve a murder after a guest at a séance he attends is killed. The film will also star Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Kelly Reilly, and Michelle Yeoh. It’s scheduled to be released on September 15, 2023.
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Rumaan Alam’s psychological thriller is being adapted as a film, produced by Alam, Barack and Michelle Obama, Tonia Davis, Daniel M. Stillman, and Nick Krishnamurthy. The film stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans, and Kevin Bacon. A full trailer has not been released yet, but you can catch a small glimpse of the movie in Netflix’s 2023 preview. Leave the World Behind will be out in early December.
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
The psychological thriller Eileen premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The film stars Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway as two women working in a juvenile detention facility. Eileen is directed by William Oldroyd and the novel was adapted by the author Ottessa Moshfegh and her husband Luke Goebel. The film will be released theatrically this fall from Neon.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Adaptations
Dune by Frank Herbert
Fans of Dune won’t have to wait much longer for part 2 to release. The second half of the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune will be out on November 3, 2023. The film, directed by Denis Villeneuve, will see the return of many of the stars of the first film, including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, and Tim Blake Nelson will be joining the cast.
Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař
Adam Sandler is starring in the upcoming adaptation of Jaroslav Kalfař’s Spaceman of Bohemia for Netflix. The film, entitled simply Spaceman, is directed by Johan Renick with a script by Colby Day. Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano will also star. While Netflix has not announced a specific release date for this project, the streaming service has said that we can expect the film to release in fall of 2023.
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Universal is adapting the Tony Award-winning musical Wicked, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, into two films. The movies will star Cynthia Ervo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. The films are directed by Jon M. Chu. Recently, Chu shared a first look at the upcoming movies on his Instagram. The first Wicked movie is scheduled to release in theaters on November 27, 2024.
Romance Adaptations
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Amazon Studios is adapting Casey McQuiston’s debut novel Red, White, and Royal Blue into a film. It stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Henry and Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex Claremont-Diaz. Uma Thurman will also star as U.S. President Ellen Claremont, the mother of Zakhar Perez’s character. Filming wrapped in August 2022, and the movie will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on August 11 of this year!
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Bridgerton season 3 is probably one of the most highly anticipated adaptations on this list, and it will be based on Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mister Bridgerton, which follows the love story of Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton, and Penelope Featherington, played by Nicola Coughlan. Filming is still underway for the third series, so we might have to wait for this one until 2024. In the meantime, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is out now!
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Beth O’Leary’s novel The Flatshare was adapted into a TV series in the UK in December 2022. It’s scheduled to release in the U.S. at some point in 2023. The series stars Jessica Brown Findlay as Tiffany “Tiffy” Moore and Anthony Welsh as Leon Twomey, two strangers who share a flat together but never interact due to their conflicting schedules. Through notes left in their shared living space, the two start to form a friendship…and maybe more. Here’s the trailer!
The Perfect Find by Tia Williams
This romcom was adapted for the screen by Leigh Davenport and directed by Numa Perrier. The film stars Gina Torres, Keith Powers, and Gabrielle Union, who is also a co-producer. While a trailer has not been released, here’s a first look at some images from the movie. The Perfect Find is scheduled to release on Netflix on June 23, 2023.
Nonfiction Adaptations
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Martin Scorsese has directed a film adaptation of David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon, and it clocks in at 3 hours and 26 minutes. Ahead of its theatrical release, it’s debuting at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal, Brendan Fraser, and John Lithgow. It will be released in theaters on October 20, 2023, by Paramount Pictures. It will also be released streaming on Apple TV+ on an unspecified date.
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
The series adaptation of Three Women was originally scheduled to release on Showtime in 2022. But even though a full season was already filmed, Showtime scrapped the show. Now, Three Women is moving to Starz. A release date has yet to be announced, but we do have a trailer! The series stars Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise, Betty Gilpin, Gabrielle Creevy, Blair Underwood, and John Patrick Amedori.
Love film adaptations and books being made into movies? Here are more 2023 adaptations to get excited about (and some you might have missed).
