The Best Book Adaptations Coming To Screens Soon
Literary adaptations seem to be entering a golden period – these are the ones we’re marking in our calendars.
From cult literary hits to canonical classics, the next wave of book-to-screen adaptations is shaping up to be unusually (and excitingly) stacked. And no, we don’t just mean the forthcoming duet of Austen releases (writer Dolly Alderton’s take on Pride and Prejudice and Australian author Diana Reid’s Sense and Sensibility). There are even more titles we’re already clearing space on our watchlists for – stories that captured us on the page, now reimagined through the lens of some of the most compelling directors and actors working today.
Below, we’ve rounded up the literary adaptations worth reading before they arrive on big and small screens.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones
One of the most beloved novels of the past decade, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow explores the creative and emotional entanglements of two friends who build a video game empire together. Gabrielle Zevin’s 2022 novel became a global bestseller thanks to its thoughtful examination of collaboration, ambition, friendship, and the complicated intimacy of making art.
The upcoming film adaptation will star Daisy Edgar-Jones as Sadie Green and is set to be directed by Siân Heder, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind CODA. Zevin herself contributed to the screenplay alongside Mark Bomback (we’re still waiting on the release date).
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
Adapted as Dune: Part Three starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson
Frank Herbert’s philosophical sci-fi saga continues with the third instalment in Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic trilogy. Based on Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah, the film explores the consequences of Paul Atreides’ rise to power, shifting from epic spectacle toward something more political and psychologically complex.
Returning cast members include Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Javier Bardem, with Robert Pattinson joining as the antagonist Scytale. Villeneuve will again direct and co-write with Jon Spaihts, with a cinematic release expected for December 17, 2026 in Australia.
The Three Incestuous Sisters by Audrey Niffenegger
Starring Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Saoirse Ronan, Josh O'Connor
Audrey Niffenegger’s (The Time Traveller’s Wife) 2005 gothic illustrated novella The Three Incestuous Sisters follows (you guessed it) three sisters, whose isolated coastal lives unravel when an outsider enters their world. Essentially, we’ll watch Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, and Saoirse Ronan vying for the affections of Josh O'Connor on the big screen – honestly, say no more.
The Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher will direct, and is co-writing the screenplay with novelist Ottessa Moshfegh. Production is scheduled to begin in 2026, with early reports suggesting a release window between 2027 and 2028.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Starring Kit Harington
Dickens’ historical epic, set between London and Paris during the French Revolution, is one of the most enduring literary explorations of sacrifice and political upheaval. The forthcoming four-part television adaptation is expected to revisit the novel’s themes of moral courage and social transformation, tracking the lives of two lookalike men: the French aristocrat Charles Darnay and English lawyer Sydney Carton, who both love the same woman, Lucie Manette.
Kit Harington will reportedly lead the cast, marking a return to prestige literary television following his work on Game of Thrones.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Starring Jane Fonda
Virginia Evans’ novel examines connection and isolation through a series of letters, exploring how communication shapes identity. Jane Fonda will take the lead role as a lawyer with an affinity for screenwriting in the film adaptation. Honestly, anything with Fonda in it is a must-see in our books.
Berlin Noir by Philip Kerr
Starring Jack Lowden and Colin Firth
Philip Kerr’s bestselling crime series follows detective Bernie Gunther through the morally complex terrain of Nazi-era Germany. The upcoming television adaptation promises to bring together Jack Lowden and Colin Firth, and is set to deliver a layered and atmospheric take on Kerr’s psychologically dense stories.
Strangers by Belle Burden
Starring Gwyneth Paltrow
Belle Burden’s bestselling memoir examines intimacy, betrayal, and the complex ways we construct and disassemble narratives about ourselves. Gwyneth Paltrow (pitch-perfect casting, if you ask us) will star in and executive produce the film adaptation. All signs point to yes.
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Starring Meryl Streep
Jonathan Franzen’s landmark 2001 novel – a portrait of a Midwestern family navigating late-capitalist anxieties – is finally making its way to screens after multiple stalled attempts. The new adaptation is expected to star Meryl Streep as matriarch Enid Lambert, bringing one of contemporary literature’s most iconic family dramas to television. We are beside ourselves for this one.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
Starring Juno Temple
Holly Gramazio’s high-concept novel blends magical realism with contemporary relationship satire: when a woman’s attic begins producing an endless series of interchangeable husbands, questions of compatibility, choice and expectation unfold in increasingly surreal ways.
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