From Jacob Elordi in ‘Frankenstein’, to Colleen Hoover’s ‘It Ends With Us’, we can’t wait for these iconic stories to grace our screens.
19 Highly Anticipated Book-to-Screen Adaptations Coming Out in 2024
From Jacob Elordi in ‘Frankenstein’, to Colleen Hoover’s ‘It Ends With Us’, we can’t wait for these iconic stories to grace our screens.
If you’re struggling to find your next weekend read worthy of cancelling precious plans over, these 19 books will make for the perfect excuse. With each one being brought to life this year in the form of a movie or television show, this diverse list will guarantee you hours of reading cosied up on the couch with the only worry of having to finish them before their screen adaptations come out.
From indie production house A24’s artsy rendition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein starring Jacob Elordi, to the highly anticipated film release of Colleen Hoover’s award-winning novel It Ends With Us, these are the books worth putting on your TBR list this year.
1. Dune: Part Two
When can I watch it? In cinemas February 29
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Zendaya – with much more screen time this time around *punches air* – Dune: Part Two promises to be just as cinematically spectacular as its epically long predecessor. The prequel is set to be released at the end of February, and is based on Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel Dune Messiah – the second of six books in the Dune series. Watch as conflict arises over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence – and only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.
2. Mickey 17
When can I watch it? In cinemas March 29
Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho is back this March after stunning the world with his brilliant film, Parasite, in 2019. Featuring an all-star cast including Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo, this screen adaptation of the sci-fi novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton takes us on an expedition to the ice world Niflheim.
3. It Ends With Us
When can I watch it? In cinemas June 21
Gracing the big screen this year is the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling book, It Ends With Us. Dubbed ‘CoHo’ by her cult-like following, Hoover is known as the queen of BookTok (TikTok’s reading community). Starring Blake Lively as Boston flower shop owner, Lily, the film follows her journey through grief over her abusive father’s death and the complications that come with the return of her high school love, Atlas.
4. Wicked
When can I watch it? In cinemas November 27
Another film which as been a long time in the making, Wicked will finally be released towards the end of 2024. In development for a decade, the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical – which is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West – will be split into two parts, with Michelle Yeoh making her singing debut as Madame Morrible, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good.
5. Bridgerton, Season 3
When can I watch it? On Netflix May 16
A new season of Bridgerton is coming this year and don’t forget – this franchise is based on the completely wonderful book series by Julia Quinn. If you haven’t read them yet, we recommend diving in from top to bottom, given that the books are such a total delight and they help add depth to the binge-able series. The third season, which is coming to Netflix soon, will focus on the relationship between Lady Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, which unfolds in the fourth book in the series, Romancing Mr Bridgerton. Heaven.
6. Lady In The Lake
Where can I watch it? On Apple TV+ now
This adaptation based on the book by Laura Lippman, Lady In The Lake takes place in 1960s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist. She becomes obsessed with unravelling the mystery of two murders, while clashing with a woman working to advance the agenda of the city's black community.
7. Frankenstein
When can I watch it? In cinemas late 2024
There’s no shortage of adaptations on Mary Shelly’s 1818 novel Frankenstein, but what sets this 2024 rendition apart is its star-studded cast and award-winning filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro who is responsible for bringing this piece to life. With the it-boy of the moment Jacob Elordi starring as the monster, Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, along with A24’s very own scream-queen Mia Goth, we already know this film is going to be an indie-blockbuster hit.
8. Madame Web
When can I watch it? In cinemas now
If your For You Pages haven’t already been infiltrated with Madame-Web mania, prepare yourself for an influx, because this origin story has just hit the big screen. Based on the novel Marvelverse: Spider-Man & Madame Web, the movie tells the story of Cassandra Webb, a New York City paramedic who starts to show signs of clairvoyance. This superhero origin story is a must-watch for anyone who is a fan of the wonderful and vast Marvel Universe.
9. A Gentleman in Moscow
When can I watch it? On Paramount+ March 29
Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow follows a Russian aristocrat who is spared from death and placed on house arrest during the Bolshevik Revolution. The mini-series is set to star Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and is brought to life by writer, executive producer, and showrunner Ben Vanstone, who has worked on a myriad of shows from EastEnders to All Creatures Great and Small.
10. Expats
Where can I watch it? On Prime now
Following the personal and professional lives of a tight-knit group of expatriates living in Hong Kong, this drama series is based on the devastating and heartwarming novel The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee. Starring Nicole Kidman, this poignant series consists of five episodes and is available to stream now.
11. Uglies
When can I watch it? On Netflix late 2024
Based on the 2005 science fiction novel by Scott Westerfield – which nearly has a five-star rating on Good Reads – Uglies is set to grace Netflix accounts at the end of this year. The film stars Joey King, who initiated the project to the streaming service. Set in a world where a mandatory operation at 16 erases physical differences, to enforce a specific beauty standard, the protagonist, Tally Youngblood, faces choices that alters her life.
12. Heartstopper, Season 3
When can I watch it? On Netflix late 2024
If the first two seasons tugged at your heart strings, get ready for the unexpected romance that occurs in the third season of Heartstopper. This charmingly earnest show about self discovery and acceptance that focuses on the emotional dimensions of relationships, allowing the audience to further connect with the characters as they navigate young love. This sweet coming-of-age story is based on the LGBTQ+ young adult graphic novel of the same name written by British author Alice Oseman.
13. Spaceman Of Bohemia
When can I watch it? On Netflix March 1
Jakub Procházkam (Adam Sandler) was raised by his grandparents in the Czech countryside after being abandoned by his parents as a young boy. Now working as a scientist, this is the story of how he tried to become the Czech Republic's first astronaut. Sandler stars alongside Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano in this science fiction drama film adapted from Jaroslav Kalfař’s novel by the same name.
14. The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3
When can I watch it? On Paramount+ late 2024
Responsible for bringing us the addictive coming-of-age book trilogy The Summer I Turned Pretty, American author Jenny Han has been busy producing the third season of the coming of age series, set to be released on Prime in late 2024. In the third and final season Belly decides to make things official with Jeremiah, putting her in the difficult position of having to break one of the boy's hearts.
15. The Amateur
When can I watch it? In cinemas November 8
Rami Malek stars as Charles Heller in this film adaptation of Robert Littell’s novel The Amateur. Charles is a CIA cryptographer, who tragically loses his wife in a London terrorist attack. Due to the nature of his work and conflicting internal priorities his bosses will not act on the matter. Leaving him no choice but to blackmail the agency into letting him go after the terrorists who murdered his wife himself.
16. Apples Never Fall
When can I watch it? On Binge now
Another day, another Liane Moriarty book adaptation. The Australian author behind Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers can now add Apples Never Fall to the list, a seven-episode mystery drama miniseries based onher 2021 novel of the same name. Starring Annette Bening and Sam Neill as Joy and Stan Delaney, a married couple whose idyllic family façade unravels when Joy goes missing after a wounded woman knocks on their door.
17. The Watchers
When can I watch it? In cinemas June 14
Based on the thrilling gothic novel of the same name by A.M. Shine, The Watchers follows a young woman named Mina, who finds herself in a harrowing situation after her car breaks down on a remote road. After finding shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers, stalked by mysterious creatures each night. The film stars Dakota Fanning and is being brought to life by Ishana Night Shyamalan and produced by her father, renowned film director M. Night Shyamalan.
18. 3 Body Problem
Where can I watch it? On Netflix now
Perhaps the most anticipated follow up in television history, everyone has wondered what Game of Thrones writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss would come up with next. The answer is 3 Body Problem, an adaptation of Liu Cixin’s sci-fi novel that explores how a decision made in 1960s China impacts a group of scientists in the present, who must work together to protect humanity from its greatest threat. And what is that? You’ll have to watch to find out.
19. Ripley
Where can I watch it? On Netflix now
There have been multiple incarnations of the desire-laced story of The Talented Mr. Ripley – a portrait set in the 1950s when a young New Yorker arrives in Italy to convince a rich playboy to return to America. The latest rendition of the famous tale stars Andrew Scott, Johnny Flynn, and Dakota Fanning, and is brought to life through a thrilling and evocative eight-episode series.
