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The Most Exciting Book-to-Screen Adaptations of 2026
2026 has been a bumper year for book-to-screen adaptations. These are the ones we're most looking forward to.
Whether you’re a book-to-movie person or prefer to catch the movie before the book, there’s something intrinsically satisfying about comparing and contrasting two pieces of art when it comes to adaptations. Sure, it can cause controversy (we’re looking at your Wuthering Heights!), but it can also lead us to appreciate a text on a deeper level, or bring to life a world even our imaginations can’t comprehend.
With 2026 already heavy on the book-to-screen adaptations (think Project Hail Mary, The Bride!, Margot’s Got Money Troubles), we’re excited to continue the year with a few more highly anticipated films and TV shows. Read on for the book-to-movie adaptations we’re most looking forward to.
Book-to-Movie Adaptations: With Release Dates
H is For Hawk | May 2026
Based on Helen McDonald’s global bestseller, this quietly disarming film follows Helen’s journey as she navigates the grief of losing her father. Obsessed by the memories she shared birding with her father, Helen sets herself the challenge of training her own wild goshawk. Portrayed by BAFTA-nominated actress Claire Foy, we’re anticipating a heartfelt exploration of grief via the healing power of the natural world.
Book your ticket via Dendy Cinemas
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The Odyssey | July 2026
Slated to be one of the most exciting films of 2026, The Odyssey brings together one of the oldest pieces of literature (over 2500 years, in fact) and one of the most star-studded casts we’ve seen in a while. The epic saga follows the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, on his ten-year journey home from the Trojan war. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the highly anticipated adaptation features Matt Damon as the King of Ithaca, Odysseus, and also stars Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, Elliot Page and more. One we’re definitely going to be seeing on the big screen.
Book your tickets via Dendy Cinemas
Book your tickets via Event Cinemas
Book-to-Movie Adaptations: In The Works
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
You must be living in a rather large pop-culture hole if you haven’t seen this pastel cover on your social media scroll. The fantasy/horror mashup follows the life of ‘tradwife’ Natalie, whose picture-perfect life is upended when she is taken back in time to live as a 19th-century rancher’s wife. Exploring the ever more pertinent theme of Insta vs reality, it has caused division amongst lit lovers.
In fun news, Anne Hathaway’s production company secured the rights to the film an entire year before the book was released, with The Devil Wears Prada star set to star and produce the film adaptations. Stay tuned for details!
No release date
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Netflix has confirmed that this hugely popular 2017 novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid, best known for Daisy Jones and The Six, is preparing to enter production. In exciting news, Reid herself has signed on to executive produce the film, which will follow the story of her protagonist, Hollywood legend Evelyn Hugo, as she invites a little-known journalist into her home to tell her life story. No news yet on who is to play Evelyn Hugo, but rumours abound!
No release date
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
A fantasy/drama mash-up, promising the exploration of themes of mental health and regret, is on its way to our screens thanks to Matt Haig and…Florence Pugh! Set to star and direct in the adaptations, Pugh will play main character Nora Seed, who, after a sort of midlife crisis, finds herself in an otherworldly library in which she is presented with all the possible versions of her life. We’re expecting a tear-jerker.
No release date
Pride & Prejudice
On the way to disrupt our regular viewing of Keira Knighltey’s iconic performance in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice, Netflix is bringing this enduring Jane Austen phenomenon back to our screens. Dolly Alderton, of Everything I Know About Love fame, has sorted the screenplay, whilst Emma Corrin (The Crown, Nosferatu) and Jack Lowden (Dunkirk, Mary Queen of Scots) take the leads as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy. The six-part mini series is slated to be a faithful adaptation, so there’s no need to fret if you’re an Austen fan.
Coming to Netflix summer 2026
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
A multigenerational saga, East of Eden is one of Steinbeck’s most well-known novels. Detailing the intermingling of the Hamilton and Trask families, and set against the backdrop of the Salinas Valley in California, the novel explores themes of right and wrong, good and evil and free will.
In contrast to earlier adaptations, we’re looking forward to seeing how this Netflix production tackles telling such an iconic story from the perspective of one of literature’s most despised antiheroes, played by the talented Florence Pugh.
Coming to Netflix summer 2026
FAQs
2026 is a bumper year for adaptations. Confirmed releases include H is For Hawk (May 2026), starring Claire Foy, and The Odyssey (July 2026), directed by Christopher Nolan with an all-star cast. In the pipeline are Netflix’s Pride & Prejudice with Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Midnight Library starring Florence Pugh, East of Eden (also with Florence Pugh), and Yesteryear with Anne Hathaway set to star and produce.
If you loved this edit of the best book-to-screen adaptations, you might also like to read all about the latest releases at the cinemas and on streaming this month. Happy viewing!
