Sign in with Facebook
The Big Book-to-Screen Adaptations of 2019
Ready to see some of your favorite stories come to life? Hollywood producers, directors, and actors are continuing their obsession with books—not that we can blame them.
From Greta Gerwig's Little Women, starring Emma Watson and Saoirse Ronan, to the wartime romp of Catch-22 with George Clooney and Hugh Laurie, there's an adaptation for every type of reader. Love horror? Check out NOS4A2 and Pet Sematary. Want true stories? Try The Best of Enemies and I'll Be Gone in the Dark.
And the stars of last year's adaptations are back for more. Lana Condor follows up her breakout performance in To All the Boys I've Loved Before by enrolling in Syfy's Deadly Class, and Amy Adams moves from HBO's psychological thriller, Sharp Objects, to the big-screen adaptation of the Hitchcockian The Woman in the Window.
We've included the release dates (if available) and the network or platform where you'll find each television show. For more information about the adaptations, click on the title.
Which of these upcoming movies and series will catch your attention? Browse the adaptations below and then join the conversation in the comments!
Movie adaptations
Television adaptations
From Greta Gerwig's Little Women, starring Emma Watson and Saoirse Ronan, to the wartime romp of Catch-22 with George Clooney and Hugh Laurie, there's an adaptation for every type of reader. Love horror? Check out NOS4A2 and Pet Sematary. Want true stories? Try The Best of Enemies and I'll Be Gone in the Dark.
And the stars of last year's adaptations are back for more. Lana Condor follows up her breakout performance in To All the Boys I've Loved Before by enrolling in Syfy's Deadly Class, and Amy Adams moves from HBO's psychological thriller, Sharp Objects, to the big-screen adaptation of the Hitchcockian The Woman in the Window.
We've included the release dates (if available) and the network or platform where you'll find each television show. For more information about the adaptations, click on the title.
Which of these upcoming movies and series will catch your attention? Browse the adaptations below and then join the conversation in the comments!
Movie adaptations
With 400 miles of dangerous Colorado wilderness between her and her person, one lost puppy embarks on an unforgettable adventure home. The movie stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, and Edward James Olmos.
Release date: January 11
Release date: January 11
Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. The young black man comes of age in 1930s Chicago in this powerful story of race and class division. The movie stars Ashton Sanders, Nick Robinson, and Sanaa Lathan.
Release date: January 24
Release date: January 24
The plane crash that killed Stephanie's family wasn't an accident. Filled with rage, she joins a covert intelligence organization to exact her revenge. The movie stars Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Sterling K. Brown.
Release date: February 22
Release date: February 22
How do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought? Todd and his dog, Manchee, run for their lives in a surreal dystopian world. The movie stars Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Mads Mikkelsen, and Nick Jonas.
Release date: March 1
Release date: March 1
A governess attempts to protect two strange, oddly silent children as malevolent forces draw nearer in this modern update of the classic tale. The movie stars Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, and Barbara Marten.
Release date: March 14
Release date: March 14
When revolutionary architect–turned–misanthropic matriarch Bernadette disappears, it's up to her daughter to search through emails and secret correspondences to find her. The movie stars Cate Blanchett, Judy Greer, and Kristen Wiig.
Release date: August 9
Release date: August 9
An ex-convict and top-secret operative embarks on a dangerous assignment: posing as a prisoner inside the country's most notorious jail. The movie stars Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Clive Owen, and Ana de Armas.
Release date: March 22
Release date: March 22
A convoy ploughs through icy, submarine-infested seas during the most critical days of World War II. Its fate rests in the hands of Commander George Krause, an untested veteran. The movie stars Tom Hanks, Elisabeth Shue, and Karl Glusman.
Release date: March 22
Release date: March 22
When charismatic bartender Will discovers a cellphone after a violent brawl at his bar, he decides to keep it until the owner returns. Then the messages begin. The movie stars Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson, and Zazie Beetz.
Release date: March 29
Release date: March 29
Louis Creed has it all: a beautiful wife, charming children, and a lovable cat. But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling secret, more terrifying than death itself. The movie stars Jason Clarke, John Lithgow, and Amy Seimetz.
Release date: April 5
Release date: April 5
Civil rights activist Ann Atwater faces off against Ku Klux Klan leader C.P. Ellis in 1971 Durham, North Carolina, in this story inspired by true events. The movie stars Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell, and Wes Bentley.
Release date: April 5
Release date: April 5
In post-World War II Hamburg, as thousands wander the streets homeless, a British colonel and his family move in with a German widower and his rebellious daughter. The movie stars Keira Knightley, Alexander Skarsgård, and Jason Clarke.
Release date: April 26
Release date: April 26
This is not the right time for Natasha to fall in love. With her family mere hours away from being deported, she unexpectedly connects with a cute boy on a crowded New York City street. The movie stars Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton.
Release date: May 17
Release date: May 17
In this sequel to A Dog's Purpose, troubled teenager Clarity finds comfort, protection, and belonging with Molly, an adorable—and oddly familiar—puppy. The movie stars Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, and Betty Gilpin.
Release date: May 17
Release date: May 17
Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl II is a millionaire, a genius, and a criminal mastermind. He leverages his considerable talents to search for his missing father. Step one? Kidnapping a fairy. The movie stars Ferdia Shaw, Judi Dench, and Josh Gad.
Release date: August 9
Release date: August 9
Nearly three decades after the events of It: Chapter One, the Losers Club have grown up, moved away, and moved on...until a devastating phone call brings them back. The movie stars Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, and Bill Skarsgård.
Release date: September 6
Release date: September 6
Anna Fox has one lifeline to the real world: her window. Terrified to step outside, she watches her perfect neighbors—and then she witnesses something no one was supposed to see. The movie stars Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, and Julianne Moore.
Release date: October 4
Release date: October 4
After his mother is killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, young Theo Decker is taken in by a wealthy family and drawn into the dangerous underworld of art. The movie stars Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson, and Ansel Elgort.
Release date: October 11
Release date: October 11
When con man Roy meets wealthy widow Betty online, he can hardly believe his luck. She's the perfect mark. But as he begins to care for her, his web of lies grows. The movie stars Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen.
Release date: November 15
Release date: November 15
In this new adaptation of the beloved classic, the March sisters come of age, enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England. The movie stars Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, and Timothée Chalamet.
Release date: December 25
Release date: December 25
At the dawn of the Klondike Gold Rush, when capable sled dogs are in high demand, half St. Bernard Buck is wrenched away from his home and forced to survive in the harsh conditions of the Yukon. The movie stars Harrison Ford and Dan Stevens.
Release date: December 25
Release date: December 25
Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of their school's bell tower. Both struggling to reconcile their past and their future, it's unclear who saves whom. The movie stars Elle Fanning, Keegan-Michael Key, and Luke Wilson.
Release date: 2019 on Netflix
Release date: 2019 on Netflix
Lionel Essrog, a lonely private detective afflicted with Tourette's syndrome, attempts to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna. The movie stars Bruce Willis, Leslie Mann, and Willem Dafoe.
Release date: 2019
Release date: 2019
Mob hitman Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran tells his side of the story, looking back on his involvement with organized crime and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. The movie stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.
Release date: 2019
Release date: 2019
After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl arrives at high school in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, forever changing wallflower Leo's life. The movie stars Grace VanderWaal and Graham Verchere.
Release date: 2019
Release date: 2019
Television adaptations
When a botched government experiment turns a group of death row inmates into highly infectious vampires, an orphan girl might be the only person able to stop the ensuing crisis. The series stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Saniyya Sidney.
Release date: January 14 on Fox
Release date: January 14 on Fox
Welcome to the most brutal high school on earth, where top crime families send the next generation of assassins to be trained. New kid Marcus is having trouble fitting in. The series stars Benedict Wong, Benjamin Wadsworth, and Lana Condor.
Release date: January 16 on Syfy
Release date: January 16 on Syfy
A severely dysfunctional family of superheroes reunites to save the world after their adoptive father, the millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves, dies. The series stars Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, and Robert Sheehan.
Release date: February 15 on Netflix
Release date: February 15 on Netflix
Annie wants to change her life, not her body. She juggles a career in journalism, bad boyfriends, sick parents, and society's many opinions about fat people. The series stars Aidy Bryant and Lolly Adefope.
Release date: March 15 on Hulu
Release date: March 15 on Hulu
Charlie Manx's old car lets him deposit his victims in Christmasland, a twisted holiday village. Having escaped him once, artist Victoria McQueen vows to take the evil Manx down. The series stars Zachary Quinto and Ashleigh Cummings.
Release date: April 30 on AMC
Release date: April 30 on AMC
It's the end of the world, and someone has misplaced the Antichrist. As the armies of Good and Evil prep for war, a fussy angel and a fast-living demon team up to stop the apocalypse. The series stars David Tennant, Michael Sheen, and Jon Hamm.
Release date: 2019 on Amazon
Release date: 2019 on Amazon
The sadistic Golden State Killer terrorized California for more than a decade. The documentary series traces journalist McNamara's obsession with the mysterious predator and her attempts to crack the unsolved case.
Release date: 2019 on HBO
Release date: 2019 on HBO
In the closing months of World War II, bombardier Yossarian desperately tries to get himself excused from perilous missions. But there's a catch... The series stars Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, George Clooney, and Hugh Laurie.
Release date: 2019 on Amazon
Release date: 2019 on Amazon
Enigmatic artist Mia and her daughter, Pearl, threaten to upend the carefully ordered community of Shaker Heights in this tale of secrets, security, and the power of motherhood. The series stars Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
Release date: 2019 on Hulu
Release date: 2019 on Hulu
Myfanwy Thomas is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization that battles supernatural forces in Britain. She's also just been stabbed in the back. The series stars Jon Fletcher, Emma Greenwell, and Olivia Munn.
Release date: 2019 on Starz
Release date: 2019 on Starz
From Damon Lindelof comes a new, original story set in the world of Watchmen, where superheroes are treated as outlaws. The series is reportedly unrelated to the 2009 film adaptation and stars Jeremy Irons, Jean Smart, and Tim Blake Nelson.
Release date: 2019 on HBO
Release date: 2019 on HBO
When handsome womanizer Nolan is murdered, the teenage girls who hated him become the prime suspects in this Pretty Little Liars spin-off. The series stars Janel Parrish, Sasha Pieterse, Sofia Carson, and Kelly Rutherford.
Release date: 2019 on Freeform
Release date: 2019 on Freeform
Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter and cunning sorcerer, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. The series stars Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, and Joey Batey.
Release date: 2019 on Netflix
Release date: 2019 on Netflix
Which movies and television shows are you looking forward to watching? Tell us in the comments!
Check out more recent articles:
43 Highly Anticipated Books of 2019
Exclusive: Thomas Harris Shares the Cover and Sneak Peek of His Upcoming Thriller
7 Great Books Hitting Shelves This Week
Check out more recent articles:
43 Highly Anticipated Books of 2019
Exclusive: Thomas Harris Shares the Cover and Sneak Peek of His Upcoming Thriller
7 Great Books Hitting Shelves This Week
Comments Showing 1-50 of 97 (97 new)
message 1:
by
Corwyn
(new)
Jan 16, 2019 12:36AM
The January "release date" for Native Son is only for the Sundance premiere, in case anyone else, like me, gets excited and confused. (The book was very good; looking forward to the adaptation)
flag
I am too excited for the Good Omens adaption!
I tried to find the trailer for The Turning (Turn of the Screw) but apparently there is none? How is that possible if the movie is supposedly coming out in March??
I can’t wait for so many of these to come out!
What about The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison starring Nicole Kidman?
No Nightingale, Cats (movie musical) ? what the hell?
Oh, I feel really lucky because I just started reading 'Good Omens' and wow it's slated to have a tv series the same year I picked it up? I'm really loving the book so far and on top of that David Tennant is one of my absolute fav actors. This seems like something promising on the horizon of my 2019. Definitely looking forward to that one.
I would love to see more kids books turned into movies. There are so many with relatable characters for kids of today. Our culture could use more quality tv and movies for kids instead of continual remakes of old movies or movies created for selling toys, etc.
We are missing:The nightingale, The good liar, between shades of grey, Anthem of a reluctant prophet & Five feet apart
So they're making both A Dog's Way Home AND A Dog's Journey? Good year for people who love dogs, I guess.
Beatrixacs300 wrote: "No Witcher?"Netflix is supposed to be making a series for witcher.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5180504/
I can't wait for The Rook. I love that duology and I'm still hoping there's more to come.
Hello??? Five feet apart! Starting Cole Sprouse! How could u miss that one.
Lili wrote: "Hannah wrote: "Where is Six of crows? Does anyone know when that’s coming out?"i didnt even know that was coming out?!?"
Yup. A TV series on Netflix, combining Shadow & Bones and Six of Crows. It was only just recently announced.
Anyone know when Jodi Pricoult’s Small Great Things adaption coming out?
I have to reread Chaos Walking! Read it so long ago that I can’t remember a lot of it.
Hannah wrote: "Where is Six of crows? Does anyone know when that’s coming out?"I hope it's coming out this year.
not all the books for this year are on this list.
I'm over the moon about the Rook - gorgeous book and I hope for an adequate adaptation!
I can't wait A Dog's Way Home and A Dog's Journey!!!
Goldfinch is a huge favorite. I'm really nervous about the adaptation. 😓
I can’t wait to see if Artemis Fowl ends up being good.
Robin wrote: "Beatrixacs300 wrote: "No Witcher?"Netflix is supposed to be making a series for witcher.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5180504/"
I know that Netflix is making the show. It is scheduled to premiere this year, that is why I am wondering why it is not on this list of Big Book-to-Screen adaptations. It definitely deserves the recognition.
There are lots to be excited about but though there's lots of trepidation around it, Artemis Fowl is still the movie I'm most looking forward to :)
Caroline wrote: "I am too excited for the Good Omens adaption!"Saaame
Beatrixacs300 wrote: "Robin wrote: "Beatrixacs300 wrote: "No Witcher?"Netflix is supposed to be making a series for witcher.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5180504/"
I know that Netflix is making the show. It is schedu..."
It is on the list, it's the very last one before the comments :-)
They're seriously making another version of Pet Sematary?
Chaos Walking? Wow. Excited about this.There are a lot of great books being adapted.
Beatrixacs300 wrote: "No Witcher?"The Witcher is the last on the TV Series list.
Isaa Jason wrote: "We are missing:The nightingale, The good liar, between shades of grey, Anthem of a reluctant prophet & Five feet apart"
The Good Liar is there between The Goldfinch and Little Women.
Hannah wrote: "Where is Six of crows? Does anyone know when that’s coming out?"2020 on Netflix.
would love to see WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING made into a movie or short series
Isaa Jason wrote: "We are missing:The nightingale, The good liar, between shades of grey, Anthem of a reluctant prophet & Five feet apart"
Ohhh...Between Shades of Grey? Excellent.
Suzi wrote: "Isaa Jason wrote: "We are missing:The nightingale, The good liar, between shades of grey, Anthem of a reluctant prophet & Five feet apart"
Ohhh...Between Shades of Grey? Excellent."
It's called Ashes in the Snow and was a limited release 1/11 in the US.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3759298/...
Suzi wrote: "Oh, thanks. Maybe on DVD at some point then?"Yeah, I don't think it will have a regular release and we can probably see it at home by the summer.
Devil In The White City is in development (forever). Can't wait to see that.I'd also love to see Empty Mansions made into a film.
Holding my breath (though not with high hopes) that they don’t screw up Where’d You Go Bernadette too badly...at least the casting looks good...
Kathryn wrote: "I tried to find the trailer for The Turning (Turn of the Screw) but apparently there is none? How is that possible if the movie is supposedly coming out in March??"IMDB says it comes out Jan 24, 2020, not March 2019. Chaos Walking also is apparently a 2020 movie, not 2019.
I was hoping to see The Hate U Give on this list. Isn't that scheduled as a movie this year?
I am excited about The Turning of the Screw (great story and very readable considering it is by Henry James). Also The Call of the Wild since I am a dog owner. Good Omens intrigues me too.
Does anyone know any info on The Nightingale? It was supposed to release in 2019 but I cannot find it anywhere :/
Tina wrote: "I was hoping to see The Hate U Give on this list. Isn't that scheduled as a movie this year?"It came out last October. It's available on DVD/Bluray now, I just got it from Redbox last week. It was very well done!
Hi my name is Farzin Youabian and at this time I'm looking to adopt the book of action pack crime story to screenplay. Sincerely yours Farzin Youabian writer and director.
Valentina wrote: "Does anyone know any info on The Nightingale? It was supposed to release in 2019 but I cannot find it anywhere :/"I can't find anything new. :/
This article (https://www.bookbub.com/blog/2017/07/...) says back in 2017 it was slated for 1/25/19 release. IMBd has no information about release.
In May 2017 her website (https://kristinhannah.com/more-movie-...) said August 2018.
I'm reading it right now!
