Sometimes they hit it right on the mark, and sometimes they miss entirely. It seems like there’s always a new adaptation of a book coming out or being announced, sometimes to the point that you may not even realize a movie or show you enjoyed was based on a book. In 2022, audiences got adaptations on the big screen and streaming platforms with The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Persuasion, Conversations with Friends, and The Midnight Club, just to name a few. Even video game adaptations are becoming more prevalent.

Regardless of how you feel about adaptations (and there has been a fair share of bad ones), it’s hard to deny how exciting it is when a new adaptation makes its way to the screen. It’s no wonder that some people wait years to hear any small update on an adaptation coming out for their favorite books that need to be adapted.

Update January 12th, 2023: This list has been updated to reflect new book adaptations that have been announced and various delays to previous projects.

So, for the fans of these upcoming adaptations, avid readers looking for books to read before they become movies or shows, or even just film fans looking for updates on new releases, here are upcoming book-to-screen adaptations coming soon(ish) that we’re excited to see.

Blackout

     Quill Tree Books

A collection of Black and queer love stories that take place during a New York City, Blackout was announced to have been picked up by Netflix back in July 2021, per The Hollywood Reporter, to turn into a series and a film alongside Barrack and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground, and Temple Hill Productions, best known for their adaptations of Twilight and The Fault in Our Stars.

Since then, there haven’t been any updates on where the adaptation is in terms of development or production, but we’re hoping to hear more about it soon, along with an expected release date.

The Dark Tower

     Grant

Writer and director Mike Flanagan successfully brought author Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep to the big screen in 2019, making both a faithful adaptation of the novel while also making a proper sequel to the film version of The Shinning. Flanagan will now return to the world of Stephen King in an adaptation of the author’s most ambitious work: The Dark Tower. The Dark Tower was previously adapted into a disappointing 2017 film after numerous attempts at making a long-running series.

The Fall of the House of Usher

     Vintage Classics

Children of Blood and Bone

     Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

2018’s Children of Blood and Bone from author Tomi Adeyemi was a big hit when it first hit shelves and was praised for its examination of oppression, racism, and slavery. It inspired a massive bidding war and was originally acquired by Fox 2000 Pictures. When Disney acquired Fox, the project was transferred to Lucasfilm and was set to be the company’s first non-Star Wars film since being acquired by Disney in 2012.

Children of Blood and Bone was announced as part of the studio’s slate in 2020. However, in 2021, Lucasfilm shifted focus to more Star Wars and Indiana Jones projects and let the rights go, with Paramount Pictures acquiring them in 2022. Rick Famuyiwa has been attached as the director since the rights were first acquired by Fox 2000 Pictures and remain on board. While no release date is set, the film is highly anticipated and could be the next big franchise.

Salem’s Lot

     Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Stephen King has become a movie and series veteran, with over 60 film adaptations of his books. Now his 1975 novel, Salem’s Lot, is being re-adapted as a movie from Warner Bros, with director Gary Dauberman at the helm. This will mark the third attempt at adapting the novel following miniseries in 1979, a sequel film in 1987, and another miniseries in 2004.

The question regarding the film is when exactly audiences will get to see it. The movie was initially set for release on September 9, 2022, but was pushed back due to COVID-related issues in post-production to April 21, 2023. However, in August 2022 the movie was taken off the release schedule by Warner Bros. and replaced with Evil Dead Rises. Currently, there is no release date for Salem’s Lot.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

     Lionsgate

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret? is an adaptation of the popular 1970 coming-of-age novel of the same name by author Judy Blume. Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen) the movie will center on Margaret Simon as she deals with her parents conflicting religions as well as her own adolescent anxieties and puberty. Ant-Man actress Abby Ryder Forston will play the lead role of Margaret with Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie cast as her parents.

Originally set for release on September 16, 2022, Lionsgate bumped the release date back to April 28, 2023. The novel is an incredibly popular and influential piece of young adult literature and the fact that it has taken so long for a proper film adaptation makes this upcoming movie an event years in the making.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

     Disney

Percy Jackson is being re-adapted as a series with Disney+, this time with the book’s author, Rick Riordan, being put in charge of writing the pilot and being allowed more creative control than its original movie adaptation. Fans of the YA book series were very unhappy with Fox’s adaptation, in fact, and even Riordan himself was unhappy with it, calling the original adaptation “a mess.”

However, since Disney’s purchase of Fox, they’ve gained the rights to the books and have a chance to give it the adaptation it deserves. The titular character will be played by Walker Scobell, with the roles of Grover and Annabeth will be played by Aryan Simhadri and Leah Sava Jeffries, respectfully. We might have to wait awhile though, as production only recently began in June 2022 and probably won’t be done for a few more months. As of now, it’s expected to be released sometime in early 2024, and we will eagerly wait for any more news.

Dune Part 2

     Warner Bros.

Dune: Part 2 is set for release on November 3, 2023, and will adapt the second half of the first Dune novel. Dune: Part 1 was a hit with both critics and audiences and won six Academy Awards. With the additions of popular rising talent Austin Butler and Florence Pugh to the cast, Dune: Part Two is set to be one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2023. Hopefully, the movie is able to deliver a satisfying part two and not disappoint the way It: Chapter Two did which was another Warner Bros. film where they split one book into two movies.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The long-awaited prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is hitting the big screen with director Francis Lawrence and writer Michael Arndt. When the book was released on May 19, 2020, there was a lot of hype around it, considering there hadn’t been a new book in the series in almost a whole decade.

The prequel takes place 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games and follows Coriolanus Snow in his final year at the academy as he is set to mentor a tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray, in the 10th Hunger Games. The movie will be released with Lionsgate, the same company that brought us the Hunger Games movies, on November 17, 2023, and will star Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, along with Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Viola Davis, and Peter Dinklage.