Book Adaptations Coming in 2026
A look at some of the biggest page to screen movie and show adaptations expected this year.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Though George R. R. Martin fans may need to give up their Winds of Winter dreams, we can still watch the Game of Thrones universe expand on screen. Set for its HBO premiere January 18th, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on the Tales of Dunk and Egg, a series of novellas within the main A Song of Ice and Fire universe.
There’s planned to be one season for each of the three novellas, titled The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight. The story follows Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a lowborn hedge knight with no house or holdings, and his sharp-witted squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). Ser Duncan’s outsider status promises a fresh perspective on Westeros, one far removed from royal courts and looming prophecies.
With a trailer sprinkled with comedic relief, the show is anticipated to be more lighthearted and adventure-forward than its blood-soaked counterpart, House of the Dragon. On his blog, Martin wrote, “Viewers who are looking for action, and more action, and only action… well, this one may not satisfy you.”
The first season centers on Duncan (Dunk) and Egg’s initial meeting and their attempt to enter a joust, setting the stage for a smaller-scale story that still carries the moral weight and political scheming the universe is known for.
Martin expressed approval of the show, writing, “It’s as faithful an adaptation as a reasonable man could hope for (and you all know how incredibly reasonable I am on that particular subject).” This endorsement carries significant weight following his since-deleted criticism of House of the Dragon season two.
As a major Game of Thrones fan—and lover of all things historical drama, well-coordinated combat, and the kind of rousing speech that makes me want to charge my couch-loving ass into battle—this is one of my most anticipated releases of the year.
Wuthering Heights
Based on the classic gothic novel by Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights follows the famously destructive love story of Catherine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi).
First published in 1847, the novel has already been adapted for the screen more than twenty times, with major film versions released in 1939, 1970, 1992, and 2011.
So, you may ask, how will this adaptation stand apart? Robbie shared in an interview with Vogue, that director Emerald Fennell has described her vision as potentially becoming “this generation’s Titanic,” with Robbie herself expressing hope that the film will be the next “big epic romance.” Combined with the passionate trailer and a release date perfect for a Valentine’s date night, it’s possible that this adaptation will prioritize sweeping passion over the novel’s all-consuming toxicity.
In 2026 I plan to prioritize classics, so I’ll definitely be reading this one before the movie comes out on February 13. I’m looking forward to getting another long-beloved story under my belt and to compare where this adaptation lands on the scale of heated romance to study in obsession.
Project Hail Mary
Set for its theatrical release on March 20, Project Hail Mary will star Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a middle-school science teacher who wakes up alone on a spacecraft with no memory of who he is—or why the fate of humanity appears to rest on his shoulders.
Andy Weir’s bestselling story unfolds as Grace slowly regains his memories, revealing a last-ditch mission to save Earth.
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Martian, Spider-Verse), the adaptation has earned cautious optimism from fans, especially given how internal and science-heavy much of the novel is. Their greatest challenge will be translating Weir’s meticulous explanations and the story’s internal monologue without losing momentum or over-simplifying. With a bit of balance, Project Hail Mary has the potential to join the small but mighty club of sci-fi adaptations that both honor the source material and work for general audiences (no pressure, just the fate of humanity!).
Despite being a long-time hater of the whole oh-shit-trapped-in-space thing, I think the FOMO would be too serious to miss out on this one. I’ll likely get to the book before the release as well. Known for its surprisingly emotional core, I’m definitely curious what makes this single-character story so compelling.
The Odyssey
First written around the 8th century BCE, Homer’s The Odyssey follows Odysseus’s long, punishing journey home after the Trojan War, a voyage marked by monsters, gods, temptation, and the slow loss of certainty surrounding who he is and what “home” truly means.
With confirmed filming locations across Greece, Sicily, the U.K., Morocco, Scotland, and Ireland, Christopher Nolan’s adaptation promises a a saga of epic proportion. Between this and the well-known cast, including Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Zendaya as Athena, and Mia Goth as Melantho, it’s easy to understand the movie’s reportedly massive $250 million budget.
Shot entirely in IMAX, I have high hopes that the story will be portrayed on the scale it deserves: mythic landscapes that feel larger than life, shots that emphasize the isolation and peril of the sea, and battle sequences that truly convey the chaos and danger of Odysseus’s journey. The majority of the film was actually shot at sea, with “over two million feet of film” used throughout the 90-day shoot (source: Empire).
“We got the cast who play the crew of Odysseus’ ship out there on the real waves, in the real places. And yeah, it’s vast and terrifying and wonderful and benevolent, as the conditions shift,” Nolan told Empire.
“We really wanted to capture how hard those journeys would have been for people. And the leap of faith that was being made in an unmapped, uncharted world,” he continued. “By embracing the physicality of the real world in the making of the film, you do inform the telling of the story in interesting ways. Because you’re confronted on a daily basis by the world pushing back at you.”
Coming to theaters July 17, this movie is right up my alley—visually appealing, epic in scale, medieval and mythic. I’d love to use this as an opportunity to read the book and make the most of the story. As a self-proclaimed book-picker-aparter, I’m particularly fascinated by the way ancient epics like this one have influenced Western literature, The Odessy being a huge inspiration for the lessons and plot points that define the classic hero’s journey.
Sense and Sensibility
Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility is once again destined for the screen. First published in 1811, the novel follows the Dashwood sisters—practical Elinor and romantic Marianne—as they navigate love, loss, and social expectation in a world where heart and practicality rarely align.
Set for theaters September 11, the film will star Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles as the sisters, with Outlander star Caitríona Balfe as the family matriarch.
This upcoming adaptation joins a long list of predecessors, most recently Ang Lee’s beloved 1995 film starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. This version having set an almost impossibly high bar for any that follows, fans are left wondering how this one will stand apart. Though Focus Features refers to the adaptation as a “fresh take” on the beloved classic, I wasn't able to find any direct mentions of what director Georgia Oakley plans to do differently.
Having been on my TBR for so long, I’ll definitely get to this book within the next few months. From Downton Abbey to Poldark, I’ve always been a sucker for corsets, quiet longing, and social tension, so I’m very optimistic this will be a story that becomes as easy favorite for me.
Trailer not yet released.
Verity
Based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling psychological thriller of the same name, Verity follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), who is hired as a ghostwriter for a successful book series after a mysterious accident leaves author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) incapacitated.
When Lowen uncovers chilling notes and secrets hidden in Verity’s unpublished manuscripts, she begins to question not only the author’s past but her own grip on reality.
Director Michael Showalter referred to the March 2025 leak of the above on-set photo as “the perfect storm,” explaining that “people love Colleen Hoover, people love Dakota, and people love blood”—a combination that quickly sent the image viral (source: People).
I’m not much of a thriller reader, but I would like to see the movie, so I may pick up the book beforehand for the sake of comparison. Originally planned to come out May 15, Verity has since been postponed to October 2, positioning it as a perfectly unsettling start to the Halloween season.
Trailer not yet released.
Sunrise on the Reaping
Sunrise on the Reaping marks the next big expansion of The Hunger Games franchise, bringing Suzanne Collins’s 2025 prequel novel to theaters on November 20.
Returning to Panem 24 years before the original Hunger Games, the story begins on the morning of the 50th Hunger Games (the Second Quarter Quell).
Haymitch Abernathy is thrust into the brutal fight for survival that will shape the man who later mentors Katniss Everdeen.
The cast lineup, which was dramatically released on TikTok, looks pretty intriguing, with Joseph Zada as Haymitch, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Ralph Fiennes as a younger President Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, and Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman. Rumor has it, we may even get to see Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson make a come back in this one.
A committed Hunger Games fan, I read Sunrise on the Reaping as soon as it came out last year. With the focus on Haymitch, the story isn’t just another retelling of the brutal Games; it’s a meaningful and tragic look at the making of a character we thought we already knew. While I had some negative feelings about the 2023 adaptation of Collins’s other prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I’m excited to see this adaptation and hope that it captures the nuance and heart of Haymitch’s story.
Dune: Messiah
Following the massively successful Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve is set to continue Frank Herbert’s saga with Dune: Messiah, adapting the second novel in the series.
Set 12 years after Paul Atreides’ rise to power, the story explores the consequences of messianic mythmaking, and political power—shifting the narrative from heroic ascent to moral reckoning.
Unlike the first two films, Dune Messiah is a quieter, darker, and far more philosophical story in Herbert’s universe. The novel examines Paul’s rule as Emperor, the religious cult that has formed around him, and the devastating fallout of the jihad—a galaxy-spanning holy war carried out in his name.
Because these elements don’t translate as easily to the screen, the story’s heavy focus on political maneuvering and internal conflict is likely to challenge the adaptation. Villeneuve—who says that this will be his last Dune adaptation despite more books in the series—says that fans can expect “something completely different” with the film that completes Paul’s character arc (source: Collider).
Easily my favorite movie of 2024, this is my most anticipated release of the year. I haven’t read Dune Messiah yet, but my love for both the first book and the films has me deeply invested in how the story continues. In this case, I may just let the movie lead and save the book for after.
Trailer not yet released.
East of Eden
This 1952 novel, often described as John Steinbeck’s magnum opus, reimagines the biblical story of Cain and Abel through multiple generations of the Trask and Hamilton families in California’s Salinas Valley, exploring themes of free will, morals, and the struggle between good and evil within families.
With a release date still TBD, this East of Eden adaptation is coming to Netflix as a seven-episode limited series. The show is written and executive produced by Zoe Kazan, granddaughter of Elia Kazan, who famously directed the 1955 East of Eden film. Speaking to Netflix about the project, Kazan acknowledged her personal connection to the material, saying, “In the process of bringing this family saga to life, the resonance of my own familial connection to the material has not been lost on me.” She went on to emphasize that it is “Steinbeck’s writing — personal, shocking, profound, and free — that has kept me enthralled by East of Eden since I first read the book as a young teen.”
I’ve already decided that this will be my first standalone book of 2026 and I’m really excited to get started. As a period piece lover and a big fan of Florence Pugh (she’s playing Cathy Ames), I’m really looking forward to the show as well.
Trailer not yet released.
Looking ahead, I’m hoping to make adaptations a priority this year. There’s something uniquely satisfying to me about experiencing a story in more than one form. I’ve found that it really maximizes my appreciation when I experience both—then inevitably pick them apart, compare choices, then talk (and type) through what worked, what didn’t, and why. Seeing what the year has in store for me gets me so so excited for another 12 months of reading.
I’ll be updating this list as trailers drop and as I find the time to include some of the less-talked-about adaptations that deserve attention too.
Sources
Vogue - Interview with Margot Robbie on Wuthering Heights
Empire - Interview with Chritopher Nolan on The Odyssey
People - Michael Showalter on the Verity set leak
Collider - Dennis Villenueve on Dune: Messiah
Netflix - Zoe Kazan on East of Eden
George R. R. Martin’s blog - thoughts on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
