20 book-to-screen adaptations in 2024: ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘It Ends With Us,’ ’Wicked,’ more
If you’re a book lover with a fondness for movies and TV, then get excited.
2024 is shaping up to be a major year for book-to-screen adaptations, with beloved stories including “Bridgerton,” "Salem's Lot" and “Wicked” getting the Hollywood treatment.
Expect A-listers and newcomers to bring life to characters we already know so well from the page. Adam Sandler is the "Spaceman” in Netflix's interpretation of Jaroslav Kalfař's novel. Ewan McGregor is Amor Towles' “A Gentleman in Moscow” on Paramount+ with Showtime. Blake Lively is Lily Bloom in the big-screen version of Colleen Hoover's “It Ends With Us.”
These 20 book-to-screen adaptations are due (or have already been released) this year:
Editor's note: Release dates were correct as of press time, but may have shifted.
Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist
'The Idea of You' by Robinne Lee
It’s not not Harry Styles fanfiction – Lee’s 2017 novel about a 40-something art gallery owner falling in love with a 20-something boy band star gets the movie treatment with Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. Now streaming on Prime Video.
'Turtles All the Way Down' by John Green
For lovers of “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Paper Towns,” another John Green story comes to life on screen. “Turtles,” about a teenage girl with OCD who sets out on a quest to find a missing billionaire, is now streaming on Max.
'Mr. and Mrs. American Pie' by Juliet McDaniel
The Apple TV+ comedy series "Palm Royale" starring Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern and Allison Janney is based on Juliet McDaniel's 2018 novel about Palm Springs socialites.
'Romancing Mister Bridgerton' by Julia Quinn
Netflix’s hit Regency romance series skips ahead to Quinn’s fourth book in the “Bridgerton” series for Season 3, which focuses on Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. It debuted May 16 on Netflix, while the latter half of the season will drop June 13.
'The Never Game' by Jeffery Deaver
The 2019 crime novel “The Never Game” gets the TV treatment with CBS drama “Tracker,” starring Justin Hartley of “This Is Us,” about an investigator who tracks down people and things gone missing.
'One Day' by David Nicholls
David Nicholls' 2009 romantic drama novel that revisits the same day – July 15 – that a young couple meets for the next 20 years was originally adapted into a 2011 film starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. It's now a limited series on Netflix featuring Ambika Mod and "The White Lotus" alum Leo Woodall.
'The Expatriates' by Janice Y.K. Lee
Nicole Kidman plays a mother living abroad in Hong Kong and desperately seeking answers after her young son vanishes at a crowded market with his babysitter. Prime Video’s “Expats” (streaming now) is based on Janice Y.K. Lee's 2016 novel.
'It became a part of who I was':Nicole Kidman couldn't shake off her 'Expats' character
'Salem's Lot' by Stephen King
Stephen King's sophomore novel from 1975 comes to life with a vampire horror movie due on Max this fall starring Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh and Alfre Woodard.
'Spaceman of Bohemia' by Jaroslav Kalfař
Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan star in Netflix’s dramatic flick “Spaceman” (streaming now) about a Czech astronaut on a lonely cosmic mission based on Kalfař’s 2017 novel.
'Argylle' by Elly Conway
The cat-centric spy comedy with a stacked cast (Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Dua Lipa, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Samuel L. Jackson and Ariana Debose, to name a few) debuted in theaters in February and is streaming on Apple TV+. It’s based on the January 2024 novel of the same name, written by Terry Hayes and Tammy Cohen under the pseudonym Elly Conway.
'Shōgun' by James Clavell
Based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel about the first English contact with feudal Japan, USA TODAY’s TV critic Kelly Lawler dubbed the FX’s series (streaming on Hulu) “the genuine TV epic you’ve been waiting for.”
Interview:'Shogun' star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada's greatest battle was for epic authenticity
'Tokyo Vice' by Jake Adelstein
Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe star in the Max series based on Jake Adelstein's 2009 memoir about an American journalist in Japan covering crime – extortion, murder, human trafficking, fiscal corruption and the yakuza. Now in its second season.
'Dune' by Frank Herbert
“Dune 2,” which landed in theaters in February, covers the latter half of Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi epic novel. The film features an all-star cast including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista and Javier Bardem.
'We Were The Lucky Ones' by Georgia Hunter
Hunter’s 2017 historical fiction novel tells the harrowing story of a Jewish family living in Poland at the onset of the Holocaust, when they’re forced to separate in order to survive. Joey King and Logan Lerman star in the miniseries adaptation about the enduring human spirit, which is streaming on Hulu.
'A Gentleman in Moscow' by Amor Towles
Ewan McGregor stars in this Paramount+ with Showtime adaptation of Amor Towles’ 2016 novel about a Russian aristocrat sentenced by a committee of Russia's Bolshevik government to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin.
'The Talented Mr. Ripley' by Patricia Highsmith
Andrew Scott stars as the titular Mr. Ripley in Netflix’s black-and-white limited series “Ripley,” which became available for streaming in April. It’s the latest of several screen adaptations based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 psychological thriller.
'It Ends With Us' by Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover’s bestselling dramatic romance novel lands in theaters June 21, starring Blake Lively as Lily Bloom, “Jane The Virgin” alum Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid and Brandon Sklenar as Atlas Corrigan.
'Harold and the Purple Crayon' by Crockett Johnson
Harold looks a little different here – Johnson’s 1955 cartoon children’s book about a little boy with an active imagination and a magical drawing utensil lands a live-action adaptation in theaters Aug. 2. It stars (the adult) Zachary Levi in the titular role, along with Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel and Jemaine Clement.
'God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State' by Lawrence Wright
Lawrence Wright's acclaimed 2018 history book about his home state became a three-part docuseries on Max in February. Three different local filmmakers chronicled Texas's past, present and future through their own lenses.
'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West' by Gregory Maguire
What are your plans for the next two Thanksgivings? Part one of Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of the Broadway hit (which was an adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel) is flying into theaters Nov. 27, with part two coming the following November. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star as Elphaba and Glinda, with Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey and Bowen Yang rounding out the cast.
