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Our Adaptation Watchlist: Book to Screen Picks We Can't Wait to See

 


Whether you're a book nerd like us or just someone who appreciates a good story, there's nothing quite like the anticipation of seeing your favorite novel come to life on screen. We've rounded up the adaptations each of us is most excited about. Check out our lists and let us know which ones you'll be watching too.

Laura's List

Rose Hill Series by Elsie Silver
Amazon MGM Studios | Release TBD | TV Series

Elsie Silver's steamy small-town romance series is coming to the small screen. The Rose Hill books follow four single dads finding love in a fictional Rocky Mountain town. The first book, Wild Love, centers on billionaire Ford Grant, who's trying to escape the press and open a recording studio when he's hit with sudden fatherhood and an attraction to his best friend's younger sister, Rosie Belmont. Amazon MGM Studios announced the development in June 2025, with Silver serving as executive producer alongside Temple Hill's Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, and James Seidman. No writer is attached yet, which means we're still a ways out from seeing this one hit our screens, but the producers behind Twilight are involved, so expectations are high.

The Women by Kristin Hannah
Warner Bros. | Release TBD | Film

Kristin Hannah's historical novel about nurses who served during the Vietnam War is getting the big-screen treatment. The Women follows Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a young nurse who joins the Army Nurse Corps in the 1960s and faces the chaos of war alongside her fellow nurses. The book explores both the wartime experiences and the difficult homecoming these women faced. Warner Bros. acquired the rights in January 2024, before the book was even published, with Cate Adams and Diamond McNeil overseeing the adaptation. No casting has been announced yet, but given the novel's success, this one's attracting serious attention.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Peacock | Released March 13, 2025 | 8 Episodes

If you haven't already binged this one, Long Bright River premiered on Peacock in 2025. The series stars Amanda Seyfried as Mickey Fitzpatrick, a Philadelphia patrol cop working in Kensington, a neighborhood devastated by the opioid crisis. When a series of murders hits her beat, Mickey realizes her search for her missing sister Kacey might be connected to the killings. The eight-episode limited series also stars Nicholas Pinnock, Ashleigh Cummings, and Callum Vinson. Showrunner Nikki Toscano adapted Liz Moore's novel, which weaves together a murder mystery with a powerful story about two sisters, addiction, and a community in crisis. Worth the watch.

Katya's List

Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins
Lionsgate | Release November 20, 2026 | Film

Sunrise on the Reaping takes us back to the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell, where a young Haymitch Abernathy is reaped as tribute. The book and film were announced simultaneously in June 2024, a first for the franchise. Joseph Zada plays young Haymitch, with an absolutely stacked cast including Jesse Plemons as a young Plutarch Heavensbee, Ralph Fiennes as President Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Glenn Close, and more. Director Francis Lawrence returns, and the teaser dropped in November 2025. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are reportedly reprising their roles as Katniss and Peeta in what's likely a flash-forward sequence. November 2026 can't come soon enough.


Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Apple TV+ | Release April 15, 2026 | 8 Episodes

Margo's Got Money Troubles follows Margo Millet, a 20-year-old college dropout who gets pregnant by her English professor and turns to OnlyFans to make ends meet. When her estranged father, a former pro wrestler, shows up wanting to move in, she accepts for the childcare help and starts incorporating his wrestling advice into her online persona. Elle Fanning stars as Margo, with Michelle Pfeiffer as her mother, Nick Offerman as her dad, and Nicole Kidman in a supporting role. David E. Kelley serves as showrunner, and the series is produced by A24. The first three episodes drop April 15, 2026, with new episodes weekly through May 20. 


Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie

BritBox | Released 2023 | 2 Episodes

Agatha Christie's 1939 novel got a fresh adaptation from Mammoth Screen and the BBC. The two-part series aired on BBC One in December 2023 and is available on BritBox. The story follows Luke Fitzwilliam (David Jonsson), who meets Miss Pinkerton (Penelope Wilton) on a train to London. She tells him about a series of suspicious deaths in the village of Wychwood-under-Ashe that everyone thinks are accidents. When Miss Pinkerton turns up dead on her way to Scotland Yard, Fitzwilliam heads to the village to investigate. The cast includes Morfydd Clark, Tom Riley, Douglas Henshall, and Mathew Baynton. This adaptation updated Christie's story with some modern sensibilities while keeping the classic mystery intact.

Michelle's List


The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Netflix | Release TBD | Film

This psychological thriller has been in development for a while, but things are finally moving forward. The Last Mrs. Parrish follows a con woman who sets her sights on the beautiful, wealthy Parrish couple, planning to insinuate herself into their lives and become the next Mrs. Parrish. But the wife's life turns out to be far more complicated than she imagined. Netflix acquired the rights in 2021 (after Amazon's earlier attempt fell through), and in April 2025, Jennifer Lopez signed on to star with Robert Zemeckis directing. Filming began in September 2025 in New Jersey and New York City. The cast also includes Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Isabel May, Pierson Fodé, Debi Mazar, and Denis O'Hare. No release date yet, but with Zemeckis and Lopez attached, this one's generating serious heat.


The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

New Book Release | She Wishes!!

Okay, this one isn't actually in development for adaptation yet (as far as we know), but Michelle is hoping someone picks it up. Kate Quinn's first foray into magical realism releases February 17, 2026. The Astral Library follows Alexandria "Alix" Watson, who discovers a hidden library in the Boston Public Library where people can literally escape into their favorite books. Working with the acerbic Librarian, Alix learns she can step into the worlds of Jane Austen, Sherlock Holmes, and The Great Gatsby. But a shadowy enemy threatens the library and everyone it protects. The concept alone has us imagining what a screen adaptation could look like. Come on, Hollywood. Make it happen.


Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Netflix | Release May 8, 2026 | Film

The book everyone called "that octopus book" is hitting Netflix in May 2026. Remarkably Bright Creatures tells the story of Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old widow working the night shift at an aquarium, who forms an unlikely friendship with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. Together (yes, the octopus has inner monologue chapters), they uncover secrets about Tova's son, who disappeared decades ago. Sally Field plays Tova, with Lewis Pullman co-starring. The cast also includes Colm Meaney, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, and Beth Grant. Olivia Newman, who directed Where the Crawdads Sing, helms the adaptation. Filming wrapped in May 2025, and Netflix confirmed the PG-13 rating and May 8, 2026 release date in January. This one spent 64 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and we can't wait to see Marcellus brought to life on screen.

What adaptations are you most excited about? Let us know if any of these are on your watchlist too.

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