The cast is set to include Jessica Chastain, Dichen Lachman, Jay Duplass and Karen Allen, and director Rob Savage, who has done recent movies like Host and The Boogeyman. Now that author Emily Henry has become one of the most fan-favorite authors in recent years, there’s a ton of upcoming Emily Henry book adaptations on the way. The first of them will be for the People We Meet On Vacation movie starring Songbirds and Snakes’ Tom Blyth and My Lady Jane’s Emily Bader as Alex and Poppy. The 2021 novel is about a pair of best friends who used to have a tradition of vacationing for a week together every year until they had a falling out.
While some purists may argue that certain plot points were altered or omitted, the overall spirit of the series remained intact, allowing us to relive our favorite moments while experiencing new ones through the lens of cinema. The Coen Brothers’ adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel is a stark, intense portrayal of violence and moral decay. The film, which won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, is noted for its faithful representation of the source material.
This sultry, suspenseful thriller brings Big Little Lies energy with its blend of wealth, obsession and murder. The movie, which will be directed by its playwright, has a star-studded cast including Sterling K. Brown, Vivica A. Fox and Janelle Monáe. This 2017 New York Times Bestseller follows a travel magazine writer named Lo Blacklock, who is on an assignment aboard a luxury cruise. It’s set to be a relaxing voyage until she witnesses a woman being thrown overboard, and yet all the passengers are apparently accounted for. Now, Ruth Ware’s thriller has become a Netflix thriller starring Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce, Hannah Waddingham, Kaya Scodelario and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
When done well, these changes not only enrich the characters but also elevate the overall narrative, ensuring that you engage with the story on multiple levels. Ultimately, the enhancement of character development makes adaptations more than just retellings; they become fresh interpretations that resonate with audiences in new ways. When adapting a book, some changes can considerably enhance the final product.
However, when your main character is a clear-cut villain, that usually stays the same. Kenneth Branagh’s decision to axe the “criminal” part of “criminal mastermind” angered a ton of fans who pointed out the flaws in the story’s overall execution. The film also received a lot of criticism for the race-swapping of characters, with the deuteragonist Holly Short being played by a white actress despite being described as canonically brown-skinned in the books. Paramount’s film adaptation of a Colleen Hoover book, Regretting You, starring Allison Williams, Mckenna Grace, Dave Franco and Mason Thames will arrive in theaters in October. Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) will direct from Susan McMartin’s (After) script.
The 53 best book-to-film adaptations ever, ranked
Despite these criticisms, the film’s epic storytelling and iconic performances have solidified its place in film history. The high fantasy world of kings, queens, dragons and ambitious orphans has captured the world’s interest for years to come. At some point, the series creators had to write their own story since Martin never finished the books.
Confirming Suspicions: Book-to-Movie Adaptations Can Be Extraordinary
Cormac McCarthy’s stark and violent novel about a Vietnam veteran who stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong is brought to life. Mario Puzo’s novel chronicles the Corleone family’s rise to power within the New York City underworld. It’s about a farmhand named Westley on a quest to rescue his true love, Buttercup. It’s this collaborative spirit that fosters the dynamic exchange of ideas that make adaptations so special and push the boundaries of both literature and cinema to new horizons. It’s about taking one source of inspiration, taking your own experience, mixing it all together, and creating something new.
Top 7 Book Adaptations to Watch in 2025
By embracing these dynamics, filmmakers can create adaptations that capture your imagination while pushing the boundaries of storytelling. Streamlining plot structure in adaptations often eliminates extraneous subplots, allowing the core narrative to shine. This approach enhances plot pacing and sharpens narrative focus, making the story more engaging for viewers.
The book tells the story of Offred, a woman (a handmaid) who lives in the Republic of Gilead. A dystopian, patriarchal, white supremacist society that is not in place of the United States of America. Offred is a handmaid, a group of women who are forced to bear children for the commanders of Gilead.
Creative book to movie adaptations can breathe new life into a familiar story, offering fresh perspectives, innovative visual storytelling, and sometimes even improved pacing and structure. Adaptations can serve as a bridge, reviving interest in the source material and expanding its audience beyond the literary world. A successful adaptation encourages new readers to explore the book, ultimately enriching their understanding of the narrative and its deeper themes. This symbiotic relationship between the two mediums fosters a cultural exchange that raises the profiles of both novel and movie.
The visual effects, set designs, and performances by the young cast, particularly Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, brought the beloved characters to life. The series also sparked a renewed interest in reading among young audiences, showing the power of a well-executed adaptation. These are just a few examples of the many successful book-to-film adaptations. What makes them stand out is their ability to translate the essence of the source material. The world of cinema has seen numerous book adaptations that not only honor their source material but also elevate it, creating memorable experiences for audiences.
The Handmaid’s Tale was published in 1985 and won the Booker Prize, the Nebula Award and many other literary awards. Louis Sachar’s weird and wonderful novel translated super well to screen for a movie that was just netflix quiz as weird and wonderful. The movie was a total hit, making over triple the original $20 million budget at the box office, and earned a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Family Film. It showcases the challenges and rewards of immigration with sensitivity and depth. This showcases the joys and heartbreaks of adolescence with honesty and sensitivity. It offers a poignant and often humourous look at childhood innocence amidst societal injustice.
Hopefully, the finished product is a delicious standalone work that manages to please the palate of both new audiences and die-hard fans. In what was perhaps the most surprising success of 2023, Barbie broke expectations by delivering a subversive and clever take on the iconic doll’s legacy. Directed by Greta Gerwig, this live-action film wasn’t just a colorful romp—it became a deep exploration of femininity, societal expectations, and identity.