We truly are in the era of book-to-screen adaptations, and it feels like every second film or television series that’s released is based on an existing novel.
But with such a saturated market, how do you know which ones are worth watching?
Whether you’re a fan of romance, fantasy, thriller, crime, or real-life stories, there’s something for everyone.
We’ve rounded up the best book-to-screen adaptations we can’t wait to see in 2026.
1. The Good Daughter (Stan)
Rose Byrne could probably pick any role she wanted after the actress was swept up in a whirlwind of accolades for her daring performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Now the Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee stars alongside Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus) in The Good Daughter, a six-part drama based on the novel by Karin Slaughter.
The series focusses on sisters Charlotte (Fahy) and Samantha (Byrne) whose lives were ripped apart after a violent incident occurred in the small town of Pikeville, Charlotte. Now, 20 years on, another attack brings up buried secrets and possible suspects that could help bring peace to their lives.
Author Karin is the showrunner and writer for The Good Daughter, which co-stars Brendan Gleeson, Harper Steele and Michael Dorman.
Where can I watch The Good Daughter?
The Good Daughter is available November 13 on Stan.
2. The Five Star Weekend (Binge)
Sometimes you just need a girl’s trip. In The Five Star Weekend, based on Elin Hildebrand’s novel of the same name, Jennifer Garner plays Hollis Shaw, a food blogger and author whose life is turned upside-down by a traumatic event.
As the debilitating loss begins to fracture her relationships and career, she decides to host a weekend away with women from all facets of her life. As they come together in support of Hollis, they soon find that no matter what stage of life you’re at, everyone has a story to tell.
Check out the trailer below:
As secrets are revealed and the unknown is explored, it’ll force themselves to look at each other like never before.
The eight-part drama is supported by D’Arcy Corden (The Good Place), Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, Chloe Sevigny, Harlow Jane and Timothy Olyphant.
Where can I watch The Five Star Weekend?
The Five Star Weekend is available July 9 on Binge.
3. Off Campus (Prime Video)
Hockey dramas are certainly having a moment. Now, the latest adaptation is Off Campus, a new, spicy series based on Elle Kennedy’s New York Times bestselling series.
It follows a college student named Hannah (Ella Bright) who engages in a fake relationship with the school’s star hockey player Garrett (Belmont Cameli) to make her crush, Justin (Aussie Josh Heuston) jealous. In a twist as old as time, the plan works but as sparks eventually start to fly between Hannah and Garrett, Hannah must work out which suitor really is the one for her.
Where can I watch Off Campus?
Off Campus is available now on Prime Video.
4. I Will Find You (Netflix)
In the Netflix limited series based on Harlan Coben’s 2023 novel, I Will Find You follows David Burroughs’ (Sam Worthington) desperate attempt to find his son after he receives evidence that he may be alive. The trouble is, he’s currently serving life in prison for the supposed murder of his own son.
In the trailer for it’s upcoming release, David is handed a photo of a boy who “looks just like Matthew,” he says astonished, before vowing to break out of prison to find him and the people responsible.
Three-time Emmy nominee Milo Ventimiglia, best known for his star-making role in Gilmore Girls and This Is Us, stars as wealthy philanthropist Hayden whose deep pockets can grant access to the most intricate of social circles.
Britt Lower steps out of the Severance phenomenon to play David’s former sister-in-law (before his marriage crumbled) and reporter Rachel who follows her instincts, dangerous or not. When her hunch leads to a search for justice, she and David team up to bring Matthew back home.
The supporting cast includes Madeleine Stowe (Revenge), Erin Richards (Gotham) and Jonathan Tucker (Westworld, Kingdom).
Where can I watch I Will Find You?
I Will Find You is available June 18 on Netflix.
5. The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV)
Based on the best-selling books by Laura Dave, The Last Thing He Told Me returns for a second season – and this time, Hannah is ready to take her life back.
For five years, Hannah – played by Jennifer Garner – has watched over her shoulder, never living to her full potential. Her husband left with nothing but a note asking that she protect his daughter, and a mystery that she’s still trying to solve. Now, she’s had enough.
Watch the trailer below:
In the season return of the Apple TV series, which is based on Laura Dave’s best-selling novel The First Time I Saw Him, Hannah is ready to claim her life back. But in doing so, she must find her husband Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and bring down a crime syndicate – all without getting herself and stepdaughter Bailey (Angourie Rice) killed.
Meanwhile, Owen is living off the grid and trying to build a case that will put the Campano family behind bars. It begins as a research mission, only to become more dangerous when his plans are exposed.
Can they find their way back to each other and the life they had?
Where can I watch The Last Thing Told Me?
The Last Thing He Told Me S2 is available now on Apple TV
6. Little House On The Prairie (Netflix)
Beloved by generations of children and adults around the world, Laura Ingall Wilder’s Little House on The Prairie is ramping up for another adaptation.
The semi-autobiographical novel, written during the Great Depression and published in the 1930s, follows a family growing up in the American West of the 1800s and the struggles and obstacles they overcame to survive.
The story’s heroine Laura is played by young actress Alice Halsey, while Aussie Luke Bracey will play her father Charles Ingalls. Crosby Fitzgerald (Palm Royale) will play mother Caroline and Skywalker Hughes as older sister Mary.
Where Can I Watch The Little House on The Prairie?
The Little House on The Prairie will be available July 9 on Netflix.
7. Scarpetta (Prime Video)
Scarpetta brings two screen icons together for a thrilling new mystery based on Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling novels.
Nicole Kidman leads the cast as medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the protagonist of Cornwell’s series, who returns home to investigate a grisly murder.
In doing so, viewers are taken on a dual narrative that explores her origins and her present-day challenges that include a fraught relationship with sister Dorothy Farinelli, played by Jamie-Lee Curtis. They both have secrets, but will they expose each other?
Amid Kay’s personal drama is an investigation that could unravel everything she’s every worked for. So ensues a complex and layered storyline that will have viewers hooked.
Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker and Ariana DeBose also star in the forensic Prime Video series. Check out our interview with Simon Baker here.
Where can I watch Scarpetta?
Scarpetta is available on Prime Video
8. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (In cinemas Nov 19)
The hugely successful Hunger Games franchise returns with a prequel that looks even more intense than its predecessors. The sixth instalment, adapted from Suzanne Collins novel of the same name, is set 24 years before the original film and follows a young Haymitch Abernathy – who was originally played by Woody Harrelson – as he prepares to compete in the 50th annual games.
See the trailer below:
Joseph Zada will play Haymitch, while Whitney Peak stars as his love interest Lenore Dove. McKenna Grace will also star as fellow District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner.
Topping the bill are some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Maya Hawke as a young Wiress (who appeared in the original trilogy), Ralph Fiennes as a young President Snow, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Glenn Cose as Drusilla and Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman.
What is the release date for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping?
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping arrives in cinemas November 19.
9. Margot’s Got Money Troubles (Apple TV)
This heartwarming and hilarious story by Rufi Thrope has been adapted for television by prolific showrunner David E. Kelley. And we predict it could lead to Michelle Pfeiffer’s first-ever Emmy win.
Based on the novel of the same name, Elle Fanning leads the cast as Margo, college dropout and aspiring writer whose world is turned upside down when she falls pregnant.
With a mountain of bills and a path she wasn’t ready for, Margo turns to her mother Shyanne, a former Hooters waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) and father Jinx, ex pro-wrestler (Nick Offerman) for their unorthodox help.
Check out the trailer below:
The comedy series also stars Nicole Kidman, Greg Kinnear, Marcia Gay Harden and Thaddea Graham.
Where can I watch Margot’s Got Money Troubles?
Margot’s Got Money Troubles is available on Apple TV.
10. The Testaments (Disney+)
Should brutality have a home, perhaps Gilead is it. Now comes the next chapter in the hit series, set years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Based on the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name, The Testaments is a coming-of-age story on Disney+ about teenager Agnes (Chase Infiniti), a convert from beyond Gilead’s who comes to a preparatory school for future wives led by Aunt Lydia. Ruling with an iron fist and a cruel demeanour, the class will soon discover the horrors that wait them – and what happens if you step out of line.
But the aftermath of what happened in Gilead still weighs on Lydia and her alliance to the regime has shifted. Away from the Handmaids, she finds her own way forward. Told from varying perspectives, The Testaments may exist In the Handmaid world but it’s a different story – and with it comes different a wrestle for control.
Where can I watch The Testaments?
The Testaments is available now on Disney+
11. Practical Magic 2 (in cinemas Sep. 17)
Ready to be spell-bound? We certainly are as the highly anticipated film, Practical Magic 2 heads to cinemas in 2026.
The sequel, which follows Alice Hoffman’s 2021 novel The Book of Magic and stars Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, has been kept firmly under wraps with only small hints being revealed on social media.
“Tooth of wolf and morning dew, something old and something new,” the stars voiced in an official post to Instagram. “Let the spell begin to mix, September 18, 2026.”
Without any plot details, readers could assume the narrative will follow the book which sees the family attempt to save multiple lives from the dreaded family curse – yes, that deathwatch beetle is back. Along the way, they’ll discover the power of love, sacrifice and uncover more family secrets.
What is the release date for Practical Magic 2?
Practical Magic 2 is in cinemas September 17.
12. Cape Fear (Apple TV)
There are some stories that remain cinema classics. From biopics and adventures to true crime and drama, we all have a list that stand out as the best. For many, Cape Fear is on that list. Based on the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald and inspired by the 1991 adaptation by Martin Scorsese, a revitalised retelling is heading to screens in a series format.
Created by Nick Antosca and executive produced by Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Cape Fear follows two married attorneys, Anna (Amy Adams) and Tom (Patrick Wilson) who become the target of the very notorious killer they out behind bars.
Out of prison and out for revenge, Max Cady (Xavier Jardem) will stop at nothing to find them.
Where can I watch Cape Fear?
Cape Fear is available June 5 on Apple TV
13. Remain (In cinemas 2026)
When it comes to psychological thrillers, M. Night Shyamalan knows exactly how to pull people in. Remain is likely to be no different.
Based on the novel by Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks, the story follows a grieving architect who moves to Cape Cod hoping to start fresh. While there, he meets a mysterious young woman who makes him question everything he knows about life and loss.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) lead the cast.
What is the release date for Remain?
Remain will be released in cinemas in 2026.
14. Pride and Prejudice (Netflix)
It would seem this is the year for literary classics to find their way to a new generation. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights has led the pack and now Netflix will follow suit with a series adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
While casting for such iconic figures would be an enormously difficult task, the six-part series has come out strong with Golden Globe-winner Emma Corrin (The Crown) as Elizabeth Bennet and BAFTA winner Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) as Mr. Darcy. Academy Award winner Olivia Colman will play Mrs. Bennet with Rufus Sewell also to star.
Check out the trailer below:
“Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is the blueprint for romantic comedy — it has been a joy to delve back into its pages to find both familiar and fresh ways of bringing this beloved book to life,” author Dolly Alderton, who co-produced the series alongside director Euros Lyn, said.
“The book is a gift to adapt — packed with drama and depth as well as comedy and charm. In it lies the opportunity to examine the complexities of love, family, friendship, and society, while aspiring to Austen’s delightfully observational voice.”
Where can I watch Pride and Prejudice?
Pride and Prejudice will be available on Netflix in 2026.
15. The Devil Wears Prada 2 (In cinemas)
The trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 has fans excited. (Credit: 20th Century Fox)
Gird your loins – the cast of The Devil Wears Prada is back and Andy Sachs has had a career glow-up.
In the sequel to the 2006 film and based on the novel Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, former assistant Andrea (Anne Hathaway) returns to the fashion world as the new features editor at Runway. Of course, the iconic fashion bible is still being helmed by Editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) and the trailer implies she’s as cutthroat as always.
Emily Blunt returns with her razorblade wit, while Stanley Tucci appears to still be Miranda’s right-hand man, Nigel.
Whie plot details remain tight, Weisberger’s novel follows Andy after she quit Runway – and the events that led to her return.
When will The Devil wears Prada 2 be released?
The Devi Wears Prada 2 is in cinemas now.
16. Remarkable Creatures (Netflix)
An octopus, a widower and a wayward young man are the curious elements that make up this mysterious new story.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, which was on the bestseller list for 64 weeks, is now getting the silver screen treatment. Academy Award winner Sally Field stars in the story about a widow, Tova, who develops a bond with a giant octopus while working at an aquarium. There she also meets a young man in search for connection, and together, they uncover a mystery that will take them on an unexpected adventure.
Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick), Colm Meaney, Joa Chen and Kathy Baker also star.
Where can I watch Remarkably Bright Creatures?
Remarkably Bright Creatures is available now on Netflix.
17. Carrie (Prime Video)
In a contemporary retelling of the 1974 Stephen King novel, Carrie will be reimagined for the small screen in an eight-part drama. With themes surrounding community, peer pressure and family, Carrie will stay true to the narrative of a shy teenager whose experience with bullying become a catalyst for power.
Summer H. Howell will reprise the title role with Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White and Siena Agudong as Sue Snell.
When will Carrie be released?
Carrie will be available on Prime Video in 2026.
18. Project Hail Mary
We had The Martian, which followed Matt Damon on a solo misadventure in space. But now, we have a mind-bending take on the space genre with Project Hail Mary.
The film, based on the same name as the novel by Andy Weir, follows middle school teacher Ryland (Ryan Gosling) who wakes up alone, aboard a spacecraft mile from Earth. With no recollection of how he got there, he has to piece together his life while also defending Earth from a mysterious phenomenon.
See the trailer below:
Where can I watch Project Hail Mary?
Project Hail Mary is available to rent or buy on Apple TV
19. Narnia (Netflix)
If the 2023 juggernaut film Barbie proved anything, director Greta Gerwig has a wild imagination. So naturally, she is the perfect fit to take on the screen adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia. The enchanting books by C.S. Lewis have activated imaginations since 1950 as the mystic battlegrounds, heroic creatures and treacherous adventures took the world by storm.
With details under wraps, there is little detail out, but Greta’s adaptation will likely focus on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, which is a prequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
When will Narnia be released?
Narnia is slated to be released on Netflix in December.
Stay tuned for more!
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