Some of the best movies and TV shows trace back to a stellar book or novel series, and that continues to be the norm in Hollywood. There has been a slew of popular movies in recent years that have their source material in books, and 2022 is no exception. And with the year just starting, there are so many books that are getting the on-screen treatment in the months and the following year to follow which means there’s time to read the stories before seeing them on screen.
From classic adventure novels to contemporary romantic comedies, all sorts of stories are on their way to the screen in the form of Netflix, Peacock, and even traditional movie theaters. Some old and some new, these are the latest adaptations that bookworms and cinephiles should look out for.
Updated on March 19th, 2022 by Danielle Bruncati: Some of the most exciting movies and TV shows on the horizon are adaptations of beloved works of literature, from the tales of Middle-earth from J.R.R. Tolkein to Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Where The Crawdads Sing By Delia Owens – July 22, 2022
Published in August 2018, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens quickly became a hit and was The New York Times Best Fiction Seller for two years in a row. The book remains on the bestseller list to this day.
Now being adapted for the big screen, the movie stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya, a young woman whose life is turned upside down when she becomes a murder suspect in her small town. The movie is set to release in theaters on July 22nd and is being produced by Reese Witherspoon’s production company which is fitting since the book was included in Witherspoon’s book club.
Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between By Jennifer E. Smith – Summer 2022
First published in September 2015, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between is one of Jennifer E. Smith’s most popular young adult novels. The entire novel takes place over the course of one night which makes it that much more exciting.
The book has since been adapted into a screenplay by Ben York Jones (Everything Sucks) and Amy Reed (Diary of a Future President) for Netflix. The movie stars Talia Ryder and Jordan Fisher as the romantic leads who must figure out where their relationship is headed the night before they leave for college.
The Lord Of The Rings & Other Stories By J.R.R. Tolkien – September 2, 2022
While some may think it’s unfair that J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is getting yet another adaptation after being massively successful in the feature world but it’s happening. The deal was made back in 2017 when Amazon bought the television rights to the franchise.
The series, which is set to air five seasons on Amazon Prime, will begin airing in September. Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, the series will explore how the Rings of Power came to be, the rise of Dark Lord Sauron, and what it was like when Elves and Men were in alliance.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret By Judy Blume – September 16, 2022
Judy Blume is one of the most popular children and young adult authors in the 1970s. And yet, she hasn’t had one of her stories adapted for the screen until this year. First published in 1970, Blume’s young adult novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is hitting the big screen.
Abby Ryder Fortson will play the title role of Margaret Simon, a 6th grader who has just moved to a new state with her family. The story follows Margaret as she begins to question her religion since her parents are of two different faiths. The movie is being distributed by Lionsgate and is set to hit theaters on September 16th.
White Bird: A Wonder Story By R.J. Palacio – October 14, 2022
Written by R.J. Palacio White Bird: A Wonder Story was first published in October 2019 as a young adult graphic novel. It marked Palacio’s debut graphic novel, who is already a best-selling author for the children’s book Wonder.
After Palacio’s first book adaptation was a success, Lionsgate is trying to double the magic with this adaptation releaseing in theaters in October. The movie centers on Julian, a character from Wonder, who learns about his family’s history during World War 2 while visiting this grandmother.
Heartstoppers By Alice Oseman – Late 2022
Heartstoppers started as a webcomic written by Alice Oseman back in 2016. In 2018 the webcomic was published into a physical graphic novel with several sequels now available. The rights to the graphic novel were optioned in 2019 and in 2021 Netflix officially ordered the first season of the series with Oseman serving as the show’s writer.
Releasing on Netflix sometime this year, Heartstoppers will consist of eight episodes following the events of the first volume of the series. Joe Locke and Kit Connor have been cast as the two leads who fall in love at school after running into each other one day.
Red, White, And Royal Blue By Casey McQuiston – 2023
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston was first published in May 2019 and became an overnight sensation. It debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List in June and continued to take off from there, winning several fan-voted book awards like 2019’s Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Romance and Best Debut.
Prior to the release of the novel, Amazon Studios won the film rights in a highly competitive option. The movie which is set to release sometime next year is being produced by Berlanti Productions with Matthew Lopez being tasked with bringing the epic love story between the First Son of the United States and the Prince of Wales to screen.
The Kiss Quotient By Helen Hoang – 2023
First published in June 2018, The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang became a hit earning Hoang her first New York Times Best Seller title. The book centers on Stella Lane, an autistic econometrician who is tired of being bad at love. To get better at intimacy and relationships, Stella hires Michael, a professional escort, who is tasked with fake dating her to show her relationships aren’t as scary as they seem.
Lionsgate quickly acquired the movie rights to the book and put the story into development. Savion Einstein has been tapped to write the adaptation with fans hoping they’ll see this steamy romance on the big screen sometime next year.
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