Book lovers have plenty of reasons to stay excited this year. Hollywood keeps turning popular bestsellers into movies and web series, with dozens of adaptations already released or scheduled to arrive through 2026. According to Netflix data, book-based titles drove more than 9 billion global views in 2025, making up nearly 20% of all hours watched on the platform. These adaptations are not just popular with audiences—they also send readers back to the original books.
From beloved romance novels to thrilling mysteries and science fiction epics, here is everything arriving in the coming months.
Netflix Leads the Pack With Major Best Seller Adaptations
Netflix has the largest lineup of book-to-screen projects scheduled for 2026. Remarkably Bright Creatures, based on Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel, arrives May 8, 2026. The movie stars Sally Field as a widow working at an aquarium who forms an unusual friendship with a giant Pacific octopus. Olivia Newman, who directed Where the Crawdads Sing, directed this adaptation.
The second season of A Good Girl‘s Guide to Murder debuts May 27, 2026. Emma Myers returns as Pip, who must solve another mystery while awaiting a trial. This season adapts the second book in Holly Jackson‘s YA series, Good Girl, Bad Blood.
Little House on the Prairie, a new take on Laura Ingalls Wilder‘s classic books, premieres July 9, 2026. The cast includes Alice Halsey and Luke Bracey. The show reimagines the pioneer story as an epic family adventure set in the American West.
The Thursday Murder Club lands on Netflix August 28, 2026. The film brings together Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie as retired friends who solve cold cases. The story is based on Richard Osman’s 2020 novel.
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Adaptations Hitting Screens
Project Hail Mary arrived in theaters March 20, 2026 and became a box office hit. The film, starring Ryan Gosling, has earned $656.3 million worldwide so far. It holds a 94% critics‘ score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it Gosling’s second-highest grossing movie after Barbie.
One Hundred Years of Solitude Part 2 arrives on Netflix in August 2026. The adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez‘s famous novel continues the story of the Buendía family in the town of Macondo. Laura Mora and Carlos Moreno directed the second part.
The Whisper Man comes to Netflix in Summer 2026. The thriller is based on Alex North‘s New York Times bestseller. Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, and Adam Scott star in the story about a crime writer whose son disappears, leading to a connection with a decades-old serial killer case.
Fan-Favorite Series Returning With New Seasons
Heartstopper Forever arrives July 17, 2026 as the final film in the series. The movie follows Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) dealing with a long-distance relationship as Nick prepares for university. The story is based on Alice Oseman‘s graphic novels.
Enola Holmes 3 debuts July 1, 2026. Millie Bobby Brown returns as the young detective, with Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter. The mystery takes Enola to Malta for a dangerous new case based on Nancy Springer’s book series.
The Chestnut Man Season 2 arrives May 7, 2026. The Danish thriller, based on Søren Sveistrup‘s novel, follows Detectives Hess and Thulin hunting a killer in Copenhagen.
Upcoming Adaptations Still in Development
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has Maggie Betts attached as director. The Netflix adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel has faced delays, but casting speculation continues to generate buzz among fans.
The Nightingale will bring real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning together on screen for the first time. The movie adapts Kristin Hannah’s World War II story about two sisters in Nazi-occupied France.
The Guest List is moving forward as a limited series on Hulu. Lucy Foley’s best-selling mystery follows a celebrity wedding on a remote island where a murder occurs.
Things We Never Got Over is in development at Amazon MGM Studios. Amy Rardin will serve as showrunner for the adaptation of Lucy Score‘s romance novel.
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Adaptations That Did Not Move Forward
The Red Rising TV series adaptation has been cancelled. Author Pierce Brown confirmed the project did not advance past development, despite being optioned three times over 12 years. Brown shared that he only learned the show would not go forward in October 2025, and he is now working on something new for the property.
Also Read: Westworld Movie Reboot Confirmed: What This Means for the HBO Series
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