Entertainment
6 Upcoming Book Adaptations That You Simply Must Watch
The recent success of projects like The Housemaid, People We Meet on Vacation, and Wuthering Heights tells us that the market for book-to-movie adaptations is stronger than ever. Sure, there’s no pleasing everyone, and book purists might be particularly angry that a certain thing got changed to suit a new medium. Still, few projects are currently more surefire bets than a book making its way to the big screen.
What’s best, 2026 will bring more book adaptations to the movie theater, a few of which are already among the most highly anticipated upcoming releases. Whether they’re based on timeless epic poems or on ambitious sci-fi sagas, these book-to-movie adaptations have the potential to dominate the box office and become genuine cultural events. So if you’re looking for your next movie obsession, these adaptations might just be it.
‘Project Hail Mary’ – Release Date: March 20, 2026
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller team up with Ryan Gosling for an adaptation of Andy Weir‘s 2021 novel Project Hail Mary. The film follows astronaut Ryland Grace (Gosling), who awakens in the middle of an interstellar journey with no memory of how he got there. Soon, he deduces he is the lone survivor of a crew sent to the Tau Ceti system on a mission to save the Earth from disaster. Oscar nominee Sandra Hüller also stars.
The book received strong reviews upon its debut in 2021, and the movie is set to match the acclaim, or perhaps even surpass it. Indeed, Project Hail Mary has earned rave reviews from critics, who praised its production values, Lord and Miller’s direction, the screenplay’s humor (courtesy of the reliable Drew Goddard), and the overall scope. This ambitious project has the potential to be a major hit, perhaps the first true blockbuster of 2026, making it a must-watch for anyone who is even remotely interested in science fiction or cinema as a whole.
What a career Sally Field has had. The recipient of two Oscars and the star of classics like Steel Magnolias and Mrs. Doubtfire, Field keeps working well into her seventies. This year, she’s back front and center with Remarkably Bright Creatures, an adaptation of the eponymous novel about the unlikely friendship between Marcellus, a giant octopus captive at an aquarium, and Tova, a widow who works as a cleaner at night.
At first glance, this pitch sounds wild; however, there is much more to it than meets the eye. This tale about unlikely connections is moving, funny, insightful, and emotional without being manipulative or cheap. Field excels in these types of stories, bringing a distinct brand of humor and vulnerability to everything, from the quirky romance of Hello, My Name is Doris to the more brash and wacky escapades of 80 for Brady. Accompanied by Lewis Pullman, Field is bound to make the most of Remarkably Bright Creatures, which is set to potentially become a runaway hit when it debuts on Netflix at the start of the summer movie season.
‘The Odyssey’ – Release Date: July 17, 2026
Arguably, the most anticipated movie of the year is Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, an adaptation of the eponymous epic by Homer. The film, led by Matt Damon in his first starring role in a Nolan vehicle, will tell the story of Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. An all-star cast accompanies Damon, including Oscar winners Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron, plus Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson.
By now, Nolan’s name is synonymous with epic, daring, visually dazzling cinema that expertly balances spectacle with powerful storytelling. Thus, a timeless Greek epic is perfectly suited to his sensibilities. The trailer has revealed a fraction of the movie already, more than enough to see just how grand Nolan’s vision will be. It’ll also be the first time that Nolan toys with fantasy elements, giving The Odyssey a must-watch quality that few will want to miss. Indeed, this film is the kind of movie event capable of uniting everyone in the movie theater. Ask anyone, and they’ll probably agree that The Odyssey is sure to be the film of the summer.
‘Verity’ – Release Date: October 2, 2026
Colleen Hoover isn’t exactly highly regarded as a writer, but one can’t argue with the numbers. Her books have sold millions of copies, and the film adaptation of It Ends With Us was a massive commercial success. Even Regretting You was a solid performer, grossing $90 million on a $30 million budget. Thus, there’s reason to believe the upcoming Verity, based on Hoover’s eponymous novel and directed by Michael Showalter, will follow suit.
The film has two major names leading the cast, Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, plus Josh Hartnett, currently experiencing a career renaissance following the mainstream success of Oppenheimer and the more niche performance of Trap. The plot, about a woman (Johnson) acting as a ghostwriter for successful author Verity Crawford (Hathaway) before discovering dangerous secrets, sounds a tad average, but the book is among Hoover’s best-received efforts. Showalter has also proven himself adept at elevating middling material before, having worked with Hathaway in the safe but forgettable The Idea of You. All in all, Verity has just enough star power to become a runaway hit at the box office.
‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ – Release Date: November 20, 2026
Much like a tribute inside the arena, the Hunger Games franchise is still trying to keep up with the competition and the ever-evolving modern blockbuster landscape. Following the solid performance of 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the series is back with another entry, this time focused on Haymitch Abernathy’s backstory. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will chronicle Haymitch’s stint at the 50th Hunger Games, the second Quarter Quell, where each district must send twice the number of tributes to compete.
The best thing that Sunrise on the Reaping has going for it is the insane cast it assembled. Elle Fanning! Glenn Close! Ralph Fiennes! Kieran Culkin! Jesse Plemons! Maya Hawke! This group of actors might be reason enough for most moviegoers to purchase a ticket, and the franchise still has considerable pull among audiences. Moreover, Haymitch is quite the popular character, and there’s a big chance that Woody Harrelson returns for a cameo. Also, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are most likely returning to their most famous roles, making this film November’s hottest ticket.
‘Klara and the Sun’ – Release Date: TBD
These days, the name Taika Waititi doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. After a meteoric rise to fame, which included directing the blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok and winning an Oscar for the adapted screenplay of Jojo Rabbit, Waititi fell from grace just as fast with the widely loathed Thor: Love and Thunder and the underwhelming Next Goal Wins. This year, the director is back after a much-needed break with Klara and the Sun, an adaptation of the eponymous novel starring Jenna Ortega as a robot who gives comfort to other families.
Joining Ortega is six-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams, giving this project considerable pedigree. If all of that doesn’t convince you, then you must know the novel was written by the iconic Kazuo Ishiguro, the Nobel Prize-winning author behind classics like The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. Like many of his previous efforts, Klara and the Sun is contemplative and full of poetic lyricism, with Ishiguro exploring themes of nature, the power of love, and the importance of companionship. It’s a profound work, rich and thought-provoking, and if Waititi aces it, it has the chance to be one of the best and most bittersweet sci-fi efforts in recent memory.