Notable Book Adaptations Out Now Or Coming Soon

In a recent Marie Claire article titled "Hollywood Loves Books," the author Kate Dwyer observed that the proliferation of streaming services was "fueling a golden age of adptations." This is a trend we've been noticing for the past few years, and one that shows no signs of tapering off. This is great news is you enjoy experiencing a beloved book in a new way or if you are led to discover a new beloved book after watching an adpatation of it.

Below are some films and shows based on books that are available now, as well as upcoming ones to keep an eye out for. The list includes literary fiction, sci-fi and fantasy bestsellers, a children's classic, and even a few works of nonfiction. We've included a catalog link to the book or books they're based on so you can learn more and borrow the book.

Available Now

Passing (in theaters and streaming on Netflix)

Cast includes: Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland

Based on the 1929 novel 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.

Dune (in theaters and streaming on HBO Max)

Cast includes:Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista

Based on the first half of Dune by Frank Herbert

The science-fiction classic follows the adventures of Paul Atreides, the son of a betrayed duke, who is given up for dead on a treacherous desert planet and adopted by its fierce, nomadic people, who help him unravel his most unexpected destiny.  Read more: Enter the Duniverse at the Library

Maid (streaming on Netflix)

Cast includes: Margaret Qualley, Andie MacDowell, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Billy Burke, Raymond Ablack

Based on Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land

A journalist describes the years she worked in low-paying domestic work under wealthy employers, contrasting the privileges of the upper-middle class to the realities of the overworked laborers supporting them.

The Lost Daughter (streaming on Netflix)

Cast includes: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard, Ed Harris

Based on Elene Ferrante's novel The Lost Daughter

When Leda's daughters leave home to be with their father, she decides to take a trip to a small coastal town in Italy, but soon after she arrives memories from her unsettled past come back to haunt her.

Dopesick (streaming now on Hulu)

Cast includes Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter

Based on journalist Beth Macy's 2018 book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America

Chronicles America's more than twenty-year struggle with opioid addiction, from the introduction of OxyContin in 1996, through the spread of addiction in distressed communities in Central Appalachia, to the current national crisis.

Fever Dream (streaming on Netflix)

Cast includes María Valverde, Dolores Fonzi, Germán Palacios

Based on the novel Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin

A first English translation by an award-winning Spanish author follows the nightmarish experiences of a dying woman and a boy beside her hospital bed, who explore the dynamics of broken souls, toxic relationships and the power and desperation of family.

The Last Duel(in theaters now, streaming on Disney+ beginning December 1)

Cast includes Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck

Based on 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.

There's Someone Inside Your House (streaming on Netflix)

Cast includes: Sydney Park, Théodore Pellerin, Asjha Cooper, Dale Whibley

Based on the YA book There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Park

When incrementally more violent attacks overshadow life at Osborne High, an intense hunt for the killer leads to the revelation of astonishing secrets.

UPCOMING

The Wheel of Time (available on Amazon Prime Video November 19)

Cast includes Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Josha Stradowski, Zoë Robins, Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford 

Based on the 14-bookThe Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

Relates a tale of the bestial Trollocs, the witch Moiraine, and three boys, one of whom is fated to become the Dragon—the world's only hope and the sure means of its destruction.

Harriet the Spy (coming November 19 to AppleTV)

Voice cast includes Beanie Feldstein, Jane Lynch, Lacey Chabert, Kimberly Brooks, Bumper Robinson, Charlie Schlatter

Based on the 1964 children's book of the same name by Louise Fitzhugh

Using her keen observation skills, 11-year-old Harriet M. Welsch writes down in her notebook what she considers the truth about everyone in and around her New York City neighborhood. When she loses track of her notebook, it ends up in the wrong hands, and before she can stop them, her friends read the sometimes awful things she's observed and written about each of them. How can Harriet find a way to keep her integrity and also put her life and her friendships back together?

House of Gucci (in theaters November 24)

Cast includes: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, Al Pacino

Based on the book: The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden

The rollercoaster fortunes of the Gucci family are chronicled in a fascinating biography of Maurizio Gucci that focuses on his murder and the sensational 1995 trial that followed.

A Boy Called Christmas (streaming on Netflix beginning November 24)

Cast includes Henry Lawfull, Maggie Smith, Kristen Wiig, Sally Hawkins, Zoe Colletti, Jim Broadbent, Joel Fry, Toby Jones

Based on the middle grade novel A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

Having received a single beloved toy in his life, an 11-year-old boy nicknamed "Christmas" travels to the North Pole when his father goes missing, where he befriends a surly reindeer and discovers an enchanted frozen world along the way. 

Drive My Car (in theaters November 24)

Cast includes Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tōko Miura, Masaki Okada, Reika Kirishima

Based on the story of the same name in Haruki Murakami's Men Without Women 

Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are lovesick doctors, students, ex-boyfriends, actors, bartenders, and even Kafka's Gregor Samsa, brought together to tell stories that speak to us all.

Nightmare Alley (in theaters December 17)

Cast includes Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara

Based on the crime novel Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham

One of the twentieth century's most darkly beautiful works of crime fiction—a story of carny life, spiritualism, and a con man of merciless resolve.

The Tender Bar (in theaters December 17)

Cast includes: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Daniel Ranieri,  Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd

Based on J.R. Moehringer's The Tender Bar: A Memoir

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.

Mothering Sunday (in theaters February 25, 2022)

Cast includes: Odessa Young, Josh O’Connor, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Patsy Ferran, Emma D’Arcy, Glenda Jackson, Olivia Colman, Colin Firth

Based on Graham Swift's novel Mothering Sunday: A Romance

Sharing what she believes will be a last tryst with a longtime secret lover on the eve of his marriage, a woman reflects on the years they have spent together and her journey of self-discovery against a backdrop of twentieth century history.

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

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