Shelf to Screen: Book Adaptations Coming in 2026

Doubtless you have heard, “Which was better, the book or the movie?” I am often unable to answer this question, mainly because once I have read and enjoyed a book, I am rarely willing to watch the movie. There are exceptions for sure, and sometimes I am pleasantly surprised by a screen adaptation, such as with The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I actually saw the movie before I knew it was a book, then I read the book. Both are wonderful!

2026 looks to be another year with a multitude of screen adaptations of books, including into movies, tv shows, and miniseries. Just yesterday I decided to watch the first episode of the 2016 miniseries 11.22.63, the screen adaptation of Stephen King’s 2011 novel. The book fascinated me when I read it several years ago, so I may give the series a chance.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2026, if you are a lover of book adaptations to the screen, you will have a lot to choose from. You can certainly look online to find lists of what is on the horizon and individual release dates; in addition, I have chosen a few to highlight for you here.

Carrie, by Stepehen King, has a new TV show version arriving sometime this year. Other classics coming to the screen include Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Homer’s The Odyssey, and Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert, as well as The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie.

For some more contemporary fare, Shelby van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures will be released on Netflix on May 8th. For Colleen Hoover fans, the movie version of Verity will be out October 8th, and Reminders of Him will be out March 13th. Alice Feeney enthusiasts can already view the psychological thriller His & Hers series, and the movie version of Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation is also available to see now.

Fantasy and science fiction will also be big on the screen this year, including Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir scheduled to be in theaters on March 20th. Another hugely popular title that will be out in November is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins’ second prequel to the original Hunger Games series. The screen version of The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman will be in theaters on September 18th, and George R.R. Martin’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms TV series will be out January 18th.

The titles here only represent a portion of book to screen adaptations scheduled for release in 2026. I am not sure which ones I will take a chance on, though I admit that when I was reading Sunrise on the Reaping, I was actively thinking, “This would make a great movie!”

We’ll see if that comes to pass. One I am guessing I won’t watch is Remarkably Bright Creatures – I loved the book and the pictures in my head too much to risk it.

If any of these upcoming movies and shows pique your interest but you haven’t read the book yet, Wickson is sure to be the place to start.