25 books you should read before they're turned into movies and TV shows next year

Release date: January 15

"Children of Blood and Bone" is the first installment in author Tomi Adeyemi's "Legacy of Orïsha" young-adult trilogy. It takes place in a kingdom called Orïsha (an alternate pre-colonial version of Nigeria), of which the king has suppressed magic for over a decade. Our main character, Zélie, is a magic user who decides to take on the king with the help of her brother, Tzain, the rebel princess, Amari, and her brother, the enigmatic prince, Inan.

"Children of Blood and Bone" is followed by two more books: "Children of Virtue and Vengeance" and "Children of Anguish and Anarchy."

The film, which Adeyemi has openly expressed her disappointment with, will hit theaters in January. It stars Thuso Mbedu as Zélie, Tosin Cole as Tzain, Amandla Stenberg as Amari, and Damson Idris as Inan, as well as Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villainous King Saran, Regina King as his wife Queen Nehanda.

Release date: January 22

"Neuromancer" is a classic 1984 sci-fi/cyberpunk novel written by William Gibson. It takes place in a futuristic society where people can enter a virtual reality called "cyberspace." Our main character, Case, was a once-promising hacker who was caught and is now prohibited from entering cyberspace.

But when Case is approached by a mysterious figure to steal some corporate secrets, he's also offered the opportunity to rejoin cyberspace — but, of course, there's always a catch.

In the coming Apple TV+ series, Case will be played by Callum Turner, and his co-conspirator, Molly, will be played by Briana Middleton. His shadowy benefactor, Armitage, will be played by Mark Strong.

Release date: February 5

"Remain" is based on an idea that director M. Night Shyamalan and author Nicholas Sparks developed together — and then Sparks wrote a novelization, while Shyamalan directed a film.

The story follows architect Tate Donovan (Jake Gyllenhaal), who heads to Cape Cod to design a new vacation home for his best friend. While there, he meets Wren (Phoebe Dynevor), a mysterious woman whom Tate grows infatuated with.

As all Sparks books do, this story has a romance, and as in all Shyamalan movies, not everything is as it seems.

Release date: February 12 in theaters; April 2 on Netflix

"The Magician's Nephew" was the sixth book released in CS Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia," but it's chronologically the first, in that it tells the creation story of the world of Narnia by Aslan, the all-knowing, all-powerful talking lion.

Director Greta Gerwig is adapting this story for the big screen for the first time, following the early-2000s trilogy that focused on "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Prince Caspian," and "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

The adaptation stars Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan, David McKenna as Digory Kirke (who ends up growing up to be the professor that the Pevensies stay with during the Blitz; it's his magical wardrobe they enter Narnia through), Carey Mulligan as Digory's mother, Beatrice Campbell as Digory's friend Polly, Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew, and Emma Mackey as Jadis, the future White Witch.

Release date: Early 2027

Sarah Hogle wrote "You Deserve Each Other" in 2020. The novel is about Nicholas and Naomi, an engaged couple who are the furthest thing from soon-to-be-newlywed bliss. In fact, they're in a game of chicken to see who can call off the wedding (and be stuck with the nonrefundable deposits) first.

The film adaptation will star Meghann Fahy and Penn Badgley as Naomi and Nick, with a supporting cast of Natalie Morales, Justin Long, Kyle MacLachlan, and Ana Gasteyer. It's not yet known if it will head straight to Prime Video or get a theatrical run, but it's expected in early 2027.

Release date: March 19

Kristin Hannah's beloved World War II novel is finally coming to cinemas after years of delays, starring Dakota Fanning as Vianne and Elle Fanning as Isabelle.

The novel (and film) follows the two women as they live through the occupation of France in their own ways: one becomes involved in the Resistance, and the other hides Jewish children away from the SS who seek to deport them to concentration camps.

Release date: Spring 2027

The biggest sensation of 2025 (and, yes, 2026) was the hockey series "Heated Rivalry," which aired on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US. The first season, which followed rival hockey players — and secret soulmates — Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), was based on Rachel Reid's book of the same name, with elements of other books in her "Game Changers" series.

The extremely anticipated second season will mostly follow the direct sequel to Shane and Ilya's story, "The Long Game," but some casting announcements over the last few months have confirmed that characters from "Tough Guy" and "Role Model" will appear as well, so if you want the full story, add those to your TBR.

And if you can't wait for (hopefully) season three of "Heated Rivalry," Reid is set to publish the third installment, "Unrivaled," in June 2027.

Release date: May 7

The second film adaptation of Emily Henry's romance novels will be "Beach Read." It follows romance writer January Andrews (Phoebe Dynevor) as she retreats to a lake house she never knew existed to mourn her father, but realizes that her next-door neighbor is her old college nemesis (and pretentious author), Gus Everett (Patrick Schwarzenegger).

Both are suffering from writer's block, so they make a deal to switch genres for the summer — maybe you can guess what happens next.

Release date: TBD

Another highly anticipated romance adaptation next year is the Netflix series based on Carley Fortune's "This Summer Will Be Different."

The book jumps back and forth in time between the present-day when Lucy (Sophie Nélisse) travels to Prince Edward Island to find her missing best friend Bridget (Francesca Reale) on the eve of Bridget's wedding, and all their summers in their twenties leading up to this one — the summers when Lucy secretly fell in love with Bridget's brother, Felix (Robby Attal).

This is the second adaptation of a Fortune novel (the first being the less-than-stellar "Every Year After" on Prime Video), so fans have high hopes.

Release date: July 16

It's shaping up to be a summer of love in 2027. The adaptation of Lynn Painter's "Fake Skating," a YA romance about a brainy high school senior, Dani, and hockey star/childhood crush, Alec, will hit theaters in July.

The two concoct a plan to convince everyone they're dating for their mutual benefit, but feelings grow.

The film will star Graham Campbell as Alec and Amélie Hoeferle as Dani.

Release date: November 11

Iconic director Ridley Scott's next project will be an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, "Treasure Island."

The story has been adapted countless times over the years, as a futuristic Disney animated film called "Treasure Planet," a 1970s epic starring Orson Welles, and even by the Muppets, but Scott's version is sure to be a spectacle all its own.

The story centers on Jim Hawkins, the son of an innkeeper, who gets dragged into a wild adventure filled with treasure, pirates, skullduggery, mutiny, and a one-legged cook named Long John Silver.

In Scott's adaptation, Silver will be played by Hugh Jackman, and young Jim will be played by "Adolescence" star Owen Cooper.

Release date: November 12

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow," written by Gabrielle Zevin, was one of the most popular books of 2022, so an adaptation was sure to come eventually.

The film will be directed by Siân Heder, best known for "CODA," and will star Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sky Yang as Sadie and Sam, two best friends who build a video game empire together. The story follows them across decades, from their intense childhood bond, their beginnings in college, and all the way to their fractured relationship after their mega-success.

Release date: November 12

"Old Country" has lived many lives. First, it was a Reddit short story posted on r/NoSleep titled "My Wife and I Bought a Ranch" in 2020. Then it was expanded into a novel in 2022, written by brothers Matt and Harrison Query. Now, in 2027, it's getting turned into a horror film called "Seasons" starring Lily James, Jack Reynor, Ron Perlman, and Elizabeth McGovern.

The story follows husband and wife Harry (Reynor) and Sasha (James) as they move into an isolated ranch in Idaho, where they're warned by their new neighbors Dan (Perlman) and Lucy (McGovern) that the land is inhabited by spirits.

Release date: December 17

After the blockbuster success of "The Housemaid" in 2025, it's no surprise that director Paul Feig and star Sydney Sweeney are reuniting to film an adaptation of the second novel in "The Housemaid" series, written by Freida McFadden.

In the second novel, Millie (Sweeney) is once again hired as a maid, this time in a New York City high-rise apartment by a wealthy CEO, Douglas Garrick (Paul Anthony Kelly), who cautions Millie never to disturb his allegedly ill wife, Wendy (Kirsten Dunst).

Release date: December 25

"Alone at Dawn" is a nonfiction book about John A. Chapman, a US Air Force combat controller who was killed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom after saving an entire team of Navy SEALs (specifically, the elite SEAL Team 6). It was written by Dan Schilling and Lori Chapman Longfritz, Chapman's sister.

The film, directed by Ron Howard, will star Adam Driver (a real-life Marine veteran!) as Chapman.

Release date: TBD

Michael Mann's "Heat" is a classic that has engendered such fandom that an X account posting every single frame from the 1995 crime epic garnered almost 28,000 followers.

Twenty-seven years later, Mann and coauthor Meg Gardiner published a follow-up novel that picks up right after the film ends, and also jumps backward in time to follow younger Vincent Hanna, Neil McCauley, and Chris Shiherlis, played by Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, and Val Kilmer, respectively, à la "The Godfather Part II."

The film adaptation of the novel is set to star Leonardo DiCaprio as Chris, Christian Bale as Vincent, and Stephen Graham as Neil.

Release date: TBD

If we're going by the release date set for the first season of HBO's "Harry Potter" series, which drops on December 25 of this year, it will be based on the second book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

Sure, it's a classic that you might've read a bunch since its release in 1998, but it could be worth doing a reread to brush up on all the details that were skipped in the 2002 film adaptation.

Casting for characters introduced in the second book have already been announced, like Kit Harington as Gilderoy Lockhart, Lenny Rush as Dobby, Rafe Spall as Arthur Weasley, Billy Barratt as Tom Riddle, and Molly Hewitt-Richards as Moaning Myrtle.

Release date: TBD

Season two of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," a series set in the world of Westeros decades before the events of "Game of Thrones" (and decades after "House of the Dragon") will be based on the second "Dunk and Egg" novella, called "The Sworn Sword."

The HBO series (and the novella) will pick up about a year after the events of season one, when Dunk (Peter Claffey) officially acquires Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as a squire (even though Egg's father doesn't approve). The two are living in the Reach, with Dunk acting as the sworn sword to Ser Eustace Osgrey. Shenanigans ensue regarding a river, dams, levies, the Blackfyre rebellion, and more.

Release date: TBD

The fifth season of Netflix's "Bridgerton" is set to release at some point next year, breaking the every-other-year precedent set by the first four seasons.

Season five will be based on the sixth book in Julia Quinn's "Bridgerton" series, "When He Was Wicked," which follows Francesca (Hannah Dodd).

While the first four seasons have been quite faithful to Quinn's books, season five will make, by far, the biggest change — as in, the book should be changed to "When She Was Wicked," if you catch our drift. Yes, Francesca's book love interest, Michael, has been changed to Michaela (Masali Baduza) for the small screen.

Release date: TBD

"Slow Horses" is the most consistent show on TV right now. Since its premiere on Apple TV+ in April 2022, there have been six seasons of the spy thriller series, based on Mick Herron's "Slough House" books.

Each season of the show has adapted a book from the series, except for season six, which has combined elements of "Joe Country" and "Slough House."

That means it stands to reason that season seven will cover the next book, "Bad Actors," which follows our favorite team of reject spies as they once again are dragged into the middle of an espionage mystery.

Release date: TBD

Sylvia Plath's seminal text on teenage angst, "The Bell Jar," remains just as relevant in 2026 as it was when it was published in January 1963. Plath's only novel that she wrote before her death in December 1963, "The Bell Jar" is a semi-autobiographical tale of a college student, Esther, who spends a formative summer in New York City at an internship at a magazine.

This film, which was written and directed by Oscar winner Sarah Polley, will star Billie Eilish as Esther and Carey Mulligan as Esther's mother, Mrs. Greenwood.

Release date: TBD

Director Sean Durkin's follow-up to "The Iron Claw" is an adaptation of the Holly Brickley novel, "Deep Cuts."

The book follows two college students, Joe and Percy, who meet at a college bar in 2000 and quickly bond over their shared love of music — Joe is a songwriter and Percy is a critic in the making. The story picks up with them over the course of 20 years and one very codependent relationship.

The film will star Drew Starkey as Joe and Cailee Spaeny as Percy.

Release date: TBD

This 2017 novel by Liv Constantine tells the tale of Amber Patterson, a scammer who plan to take over the life of the rich, beautiful socialite Daphne Parrish.

The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Isabel May as Amber, Jennifer Lopez as Daphne, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Daphne's husband, Jackson, is expected to hit Netflix sometime next year.

And if that's not enough, there's always the sequel, "The Next Mrs. Parrish."

Release date: TBD

Nine years after his last directorial effort, Deadline reported in November 2025 that Tom Ford is going to adapt Anne Rice's 1982 novel "Cry to Heaven."

The novel follows a student and teacher in 18th-century Italy: Tonio Treschi and Guido Maffeo.

While we don't know who is playing whom yet, the announced cast is already iconic: Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, George MacKay, Paul Bettany, Hunter Schafer, Thandiwe Newton, and, making her acting debut, Adele.

Release date: TBD

After the craze of HBO's "Heated Rivalry" and Prime Video's "Off Campus," two TV shows based on hockey romance novels, it was only a matter of time before "Icebreaker," another hugely popular hockey romance series, was adapted — and this time, Netflix is throwing their hat into the proverbial rink.

"Icebreaker" is the first installment in author Hannah Grace's "Maple Hills" series. The first book is about Anastasia Allen, a figure skater who's determined to go to the Olympics, and Nate Hawkins, an ice hockey player who's destined for the NHL. They're natural enemies, but are made to spend time together when their teams are forced to share one rink. You'll never predict what happens next.

The first season will star Daisy Jelley and Connor Simos as Anastasia and Nate, respectively.