Exciting Book Adaptations to Watch Out For

Adapting books into films and tv series is nothing new and it seems, more and more, that the literary world is fueling Hollywood. What is new is that the books being adapted increasingly reflect more diversity in genre and creators. Below is just a sampling of works that are in different stages of development and production that will be appearing on big and small screens...sometime! They include acclaimed titles like Octavia Butler's Kindred and Nella Larson's Passing as well as manga, a comic book, and works for children. We've also included a few at the end that just recently became available to watch.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana's life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.

Butler's visionary 1979 novel is being developed into a series for FX.

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

A young boy growing up in a rundown 1980s Glasgow public housing facility pursues some semblance of a normal life as his older siblings move on and his mother increasingly succumbs to alcoholism.

The Booker Prize-winning nobel is being developed for television by A24 and Scott Rudin Productions.

Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 

After Cora, a slave in pre-Civil War Georgia, escapes with another slave, Caesar, they seek the help of the Underground Railroad as they flee from state to state and try to evade a slave catcher, Ridgeway, who is determined to return them to the South.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, Whitehead's novel will premier as a limited series on Amazon Prime Video in May. It's the first tv series from filmmaker Barry Jenkins (Moonlight). 

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

Two rising 70s rock-and-roll artists are catapulted into stardom when a producer puts them together, a decision that is complicated by a pregnancy and the seductions of fame.

Amazon is developing the novel into a 13-episode series starring Riley Keough and produced by Reese Witherspoon.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Anne Elliot is a woman of quiet charm and deep feelings. When she was nineteen she fell in love with and was engaged to a naval officer, the fearless and headstrong Captain Wentworth. But the young man had no fortune, and Anne allowed herself to be persuaded to give him up. Now, eight years later, Wentworth has returned to the neighborhood, a rich man and still unwed. Anne's never-diminished love is muffled by her pride, and he seems cold and unforgiving. What happens as the two are thrown together in the social world of Bath and as an eager new suitor appears for Anne is touchingly and wittily told in a masterpiece that is also one of the most entrancing novels in the English language.

Does the world need another adaptation of Persuasion? Apparently it needs two. Dakota Johnson is set to star in a "modern retelling" of Austen's last complete novel for Netflix which begins filming in May. Sarah Snook is set to star in an adaptation for Searchlight Pictures.

The Tender Bar: A Memoir by J.R. Moehringer

In a memoir of growing up with a single mother, the author describes how he received valuable life lessons and friendship from an assortment of characters at the neighborhood bar, who provided him with a kind of fatherhood by committee.

This coming-of-age tale, starring Ben Affleck and directed by George Clooney, is currently in production for Amazon.

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

Considered by many to be her masterpiece, Edith Wharton's second full-length work is a scathing yet personal examination of the exploits and follies of the modern upper class. As she unfolds the story of Undine Spragg, from New York to Europe, Wharton affords us a detailed glimpse of what might be called the interior decor of this America and its nouveau riche fringes. Through a heroine who is as vain, spoiled, and selfish as she is irresistibly fascinating, and through a most intricate and satisfying plot that follows Undine's marriages and affairs, she conveys a vision of social behavior that is both supremely informed and supremely disenchanted.

Sofia Copolla is developing Wharton's 1913 novel into a series for Apple TV+. 

The Redwall series by Brian Jacques

When the peaceful life of Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, vows to find the legendary sword which will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.

Netflix has so much confidence in this iconic book series (21 books in all!) that it is developing both a movie and a tv show based on it. The movie will portray the events of the first book, Redwall, while the series will focus on the character Martin the Warrior.

The Inheritance Trilogy (The Hundred Thousdand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms, and The Kingdom of Gods) by N.K. Jemisin

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith-founded Westbrook Studios are producing the project for television.

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

Desperate to clear the name of her loving and charismatic husband in the wake of scandalous accusations, Sophie clashes with a determined prosecution lawyer, Kate, who resolves to uncover the truth and bring Sophie's husband to justice.

Starring Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Rupert Friend, the film adaptation will be released on Netflix this year (you can already set a reminder for yourself).

Jupiter's Legacy by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely

1932: Sheldon Sampson's dreams about a mysterious source of power lead him, his brother Walter, and a group of loyal followers on a quest around the world. What they discover sets them on a course that will wrench a family apart and alter the world's political stage! Decades after their journey, Sheldon and Walter are superpowered legends, world renowned for their heroism. But the offspring trained to live in their image have fallen desperately short. Rocked by one public scandal after another, Chloe and her brother Brandon are a dishonor to the generation before them. The rift reaches its breaking point when one branch of the family overthrows the government and struggles to rule at any cost—while the others must flee for their own safety. But when the failures of the corrupt leaders catch up to them, the world hovers on the brink of collapse—and the hidden heroes must emerge to take back their legacy!

This comic book series has been developed into a superhero series for Netflix airing in May. The show stars Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, Ben Daniels, and Elena Kampouris.

The Last Duel: A True Story Of Crime, Scandal, And Trial By Combat In Medieval France by Eric Jager

Presents a case of scandal, crime, and justice in medieval France, where a Norman knight returns from Scotland and finds his wife accusing an old friend and fellow courtier of raping her, leading to a battle to the death.

Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer. It's slated for release in October, 2021.

Dune by Frank Herbert

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the spice melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for. When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul's family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. 

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, this film has a huge cast including Timothée Chalamet,Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, and Charlotte Rampling.The film is baked and cooling on the windowsill waiting for movie theaters to widely reopen. It has a schedule theatrical release of October 21 with a simultaneous release on HBO Max.

Passing by Nella Larsen

Clare Kendry, a beautiful light-skinned African American woman married to a white man who is unaware of her heritage, long ago cut all ties to her past, but a reunion with a childhood friend forces her to confront her lies.

The film adaptation, starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and will be released on Netflix.

Wings of Fireseries by Tui T. Sutherland

Determined to end a generations-long war among the seven dragon tribes, a secret movement called the Talons of Peace draws on a prophecy that calls for a great sacrifice, compelling five appointed dragonets to fulfill a painful destiny against their will.

This extremely popular children's series is being adapted into a 10-episode animated series for Netflix by Ava DuVernay.

Recently Released

The Shadow & Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo 

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken to become the protegâe of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold. Books in the trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising.

The 8-episode first season premiered on Netflix April 23.

Worn Stories by Emily Spivack

Everyone has a memoir in miniature in at least one piece of clothing. Spivack has collected over 60 of these clothing-inspired narratives from cultural figures and talented storytellers. First-person accounts range from the everyday to the extraordinary, such as artist Marina Abramovic on the boots she wore to walk the Great Wall of China; musician Rosanne Cash on the purple shirt that belonged to her father; and fashion designer Cynthia Rowley on the Girl Scout sash that informed her business acumen. Other contributors include Greta Gerwig, John Hodgman, Brandi Chastain, Marcus Samuelsson, Maira Kalman, Simon Doonan, Susan Orlean, and more.

Jenji Kohan (Orange is the New Black) adapted this into a series for Netflix which became available on April 1.

The Way of the Househusband by Oono Kousuke

He was the fiercest member of the yakuza, a man who left countless underworld legends in his wake. They called him the Immortal Dragon. But one day he walked away from it all to travel another path; the path of the househusband!

This popular manga series has been adapted to a Japanese-language anime series which began airing on Netflix April 8.  

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.