5 upcoming films and TV shows based on books

It’s always fun to debate whether a book original or its screen adaptation is better, and with the rise of book-to-screen adaptations, it’s the perfect time to end the debate. If you’re looking to discover a few award-winning and Hollywood-ready novels to read, then you might enjoy these five books that have been confirmed for an upcoming on-screen production.

One of the best books to come out of BookTok (the reading community on TikTok), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a romance novel that’s set to have its own dedicated feature film on Netflix. About an aging fictional Hollywood starlet who’s ready to share her secret-ridden, scandalous, and heart-breaking story with the press, the book is an ode to old Hollywood and the life of celebrity icons.

Touching on many contemporary themes that we love reading about today, from sexuality, to parenthood, to self-discovery, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (the book) shows us that there’s much more to the lives of Hollywood divas than what’s portrayed by the media. A tale about a secret love with a fantastic twist at the end, it’s no wonder the bestselling novel is getting a film adaptation from Netflix.

The feature film was first announced by Netflix in June 2023 and will be directed by Leslye Headland, who’s worked on other famous projects such as Russian Doll on Netflix and Queer for Fear on Amazon Prime. The film will be written by Liz Tigelaar who’s well known for creating the comedy drama Tiny Beautiful Things.

The critically acclaimed sci-fi dystopian novel Dune is getting a Part 2. With Dune Part One already on Netflix, it may be a good idea to check out the first installment of the movie series before jumping into the epic alien world. A classic book by Frank Herbert, Dune is an intense story about a feud between various noble houses in an interstellar society, set in the distant future. It features a huge cast of characters that adventure around their world to settle ownership of planetary fiefdoms.

An intricate and complex world filled with relatable characters and extraordinary happenings, Dune is perfect for those interested in fantasy fiction, with a slice of adventure and planetary romance. It follows Paul Altreides, an heir to a royal family that rules over a desolate land where a drug known as “spice” melange is the only thing of value. As planetary inhabitants discover that “spice” can be used to enhance consciousness and prolong life, the House of Altreides is overthrown and Paul is thrust into a dream-like adventure to avenge his family and fulfill an even greater destiny.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the Dune movie series features a few differences from the book to transform the written form into a memorable viewing experience. For example, rather than switching between perspectives as the book does, the Dune movie series follows Paul’s linear perspective to keep the world-building less complex and more digestible in a couple of hours. Catch Timothee Chalamet as Paul in Dune Part One on Netflix, and check out the book if you’re planning on watching Part 2 as well.

The Doll Factory is a thriller debut novel from Elizabeth Macneal, first published in 2019. Set in London in 1850, the book’s eerie atmosphere is littered with dark themes such as possession and obsession. It’s historical fiction about an aspiring artist named Iris, who after a short encounter with a collector of “all things strange and beautiful”, finds herself victim to an obsessive stalker.

As the stalker’s obsession grows and he goes to greater lengths to approach the artist, the book becomes creepier and it’s almost like the anticipation never ends. Reminiscent of Netflix show You, it’s a book that once you start, you can’t stop. And chances are, the same feeling will be recreated in the upcoming Paramount+ exclusive series based on the book.

The Doll Factory will be adapted into a thriller television series by Charley Miles and directed by Sacha Polak. The main cast of the show has also been decided, with English Esme Creed-Miles and Irish Eanna Hardwicke in starring roles. The show will capture the novel’s original gothic aesthetic and will further explore themes of art, romance, and sibling relationships.

Based in the high fantasy world created by the king of the genre, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power is an original spin-off from The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. Available exclusively on Amazon Prime, the second season of the show is due to premiere soon and is set in during the Second Age of Middle-earth, the era before the happenings of The Lord of the Rings.

A fascinating take on the lore of the Second Age that was largely left untold by Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power combines new adventures and characters with all that we love about the fantastical world of Middle-earth. The series offers an epic viewing experience, using the latest graphics technology to bring life to beloved landscapes, such as the Misty Mountains, Numenor the island kingdom, and Lindon the elf capital.

Season 1 of the show focused on introducing a new cast of characters as they confront the brewing evil facing Middle-earth. Season 2 is bound to have more action, adventure, and camaraderie, as the cast continues to discover more about their interconnected worlds and forge new alliances. If you’ve seen The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power and are looking to delve more into the world of Middle-earth, you need to check out the original book series which inspired everything – The Lord of the Rings.

A Gentleman in Moscow is a historical and political fiction written by Amor Towles that was first published in 2016. Now set to become a TV series on Paramount+, the book is about a Russian Count who after being charged as a social parasite in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, escapes the death sentence but is placed under house arrest for life, at the Hotel Metropol in central Moscow.

At the hotel, the Count cultivates a social group of unlikely friends, from a former circus performer to an unemployed architect, to a one-eyed cat. As the Count leaves his previous life behind and develops a new-found love for his growing friendships, he comes across another hurdle when he’s forced to adopt a young girl and raise her at the hotel.

A heart-warming novel about overcoming hardship with love, friendship, and family, A Gentleman in Moscow is not only a great read but is sure to be a great watch too. The show adaptation will be written and produced by Ben Vanstone and is set to star a brilliant cast of Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Leah Harvey, and many more.

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