Books Being Turned Into TV Shows and Movies in 2024
Brian Tee and Nicole Kidman in 'Expats'
More often than we realize, our favorite TV shows and movies were actually first conceived in book form. Screenwriters take inspiration—loosely or literally—from books all the time, and these days if a book is making waves there’s a good chance it's make its way to a screen.
Last year was a big year for book adaptations, with shows like Lessons in Chemistry and Percy Jackson and the Olympians releasing to much fanfare. Predictably, 2024 will be no different and features a long list of book adaptations that are already generating excitement.
Some of the most anticipated include Dune: Part Two, It Ends With Us and Wicked Part 1, which may be better known for its time on Broadway.
Ahead is the full list of books coming to theaters and televisions, that we can be fairly confident will release in 2024. (Note: The writers’ and actors’ strikes last year delayed many of these productions, so timelines are still changing.)
Books being turned into TV shows in 2024
The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee
TV show: Expats
Release date: Jan. 26 on Amazon Prime Video
Fans of Janice Y.K. Lee’s work won’t have to wait long until the series premiere of Expats, based on her 2016 novel of a similar name. It stars Nicole Kidman as part of a group of American expats living in Hong Kong.
Related: Queen of the Prestige Miniseries, Nicole Kidman, Is Back in 'Expats'
The Tiger’s Apprentice by Lauren Yep
TV show: The Tiger’s Apprentice
Release date: Feb. 2 on Paramount+
The Tiger’s Apprentice is a wildly popular fantasy book for kids that has been made into an animated show coming to Paramount+. It follows a young Chinese-American boy who learns ancient magic from a tiger as he realizes his destiny. The cast is stacked with voices such as Michelle Yeoh, Lucy Liu and Sandra Oh.
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
TV show: 3 Body Problem
Release date: March 21 on Netflix
In 3 Body Problem, the humans living on Earth divide into separate camps based on how they want to deal with an impending alien invasion.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
TV show: Bridgerton
Release date: May 16 on Netflix
Bridgerton fans are finally getting their season about Penelope and Colin. The first part drops May 16 and the last batch of episodes drops June 13. According to the official Shondaland website, Season 3 will be dramatic as ever, as Colin ‘mentors’ Penelope to help boost her confidence so she can find a husband.
Related: Everything to Know About 'Bridgerton' Season 3
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
TV show: The Sympathizer
Release date: 2024 on Max
This author’s debut novel won a Pulitzer and is now being made into a series starring Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. Set in the 1970s, it tells the story of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, following a North Vietnamese mole who spies from within the South Vietnamese army.
Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippmann
TV show: Lady in the Lake
Release date: 2024 on Apple TV+
Apple TV is adapting this crime drama, set in 1960s Baltimore, to star Natalie Portman and David Corenswet. It doesn’t have an exact release date but is expected to come out sometime this year.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
TV show: A Gentleman in Moscow
Release date: 2024 on Showtime
Even non-readers may recognize the name of this 2016 novel. It tells the story of a Russian aristocrat who is condemned by communists to live his life in a glamorous hotel. Set in 1922, the show stars Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
TV show: The Spiderwick Chronicles
Release date: 2024 on Roku
This popular children’s series has been adapted before, but the show wants to dig deeper than the 2008 movie—and has eight books of material to work with. It was originally produced for Disney+ but will now be released by The Roku Channel. It has no set premiere date.
Books being turned into movies in 2024
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Movie: Lisa Frankenstein
Release date: Feb. 9 in theaters
The classic Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has been adapted countless times and is having another go around with the film Lisa Frankenstein, a comedy-horror starring Kathryn Newton as the daughter of Frankenstein. Oh, and she also happens to be in love with Frankenstein’s monster (played by Cole Sprouse).
Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfa?
Movie: Spaceman
Release date: March 1 on Netflix
The plot of Spaceman involves an astronaut (played by Adam Sandler) who goes on a trip to Venus and discovers a giant, hyper-intelligent spider.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Movie: Dune: Part Two
Release date: March 1 in theaters
Dune premiered on Oct. 22, 2021, and the sequel is finally releasing this year. The films are based on the sci-fi classic novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, and feature big-name actors like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler.
Related: Everything to Know About 'Dune: Part Two'
The Watchers by A.M. Shine
Movie: The Watchers
Release date: June 7 in theaters
This supernatural horror is directed by Ishana Shyamalan, the daughter of famous director M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Dakota Fanning and follows a group of people trapped inside a bunker while vicious creatures roam the outside world.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Movie: It Ends With Us
Release date: June 21 in theaters
Colleen Hoover is a powerhouse romance author with no shortage of fans, so there’s a lot of hype leading up to the film adaptation of her 2016 bestseller It Ends With Us. The book’s main character, Lily Bloom, will be played by Blake Lively.
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Movie: Harold and the Purple Crayon
Release date: Aug. 2 in theaters
This classic kids’ book was released in 1955 but is now being turned into a live-action film starring Zooey Deschanel and Zachary Levi. The story, sure to be a hit with kids and their parents, follows main character Harold on a magical journey with his purple crayon.
Cold Storage by David Koepp
Movie: Cold Storage
Release date: Sept. 5 in theaters
Liam Neeson heads the cast of this movie adaptation, about a dangerous fungus that is accidentally released from its storage in a government facility.
Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams by Kerri Strug and John P. Lopez
Movie: Perfect
Release date: Sept. 9 in theaters
This book and movie are based on the true story of the Magnificent Seven—the Olympic gymnasts who won in 1996. It stars Thomasin McKenzie as Kerri Strug and Mckenna Grace as Dominique Moceanu.
The Legacy of Mark Rothko by Lee Seldes
Movie: Rothko
Release date: Oct. 25 in theaters
This biographical film, based on the novel, stars Aisling Franciosi as the daughter of famous painter Mark Rothko while she fights to honor his legacy. Other stars include Russell Crowe and Aaron Taylor-Johnson
The Amateur by Robert Littel
Movie: The Amateur
Release date: Nov. 8 in theaters
In this action-packed adaptation, Rami Malek plays a CIA cryptographer who sets out for revenge against the people who killed his wife.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Movie: Wicked Part 1
Release date: Nov. 27 in theaters
Wicked, a much-beloved Broadway musical, was actually based on a 1995 book series by Gregory Maguire. In it, Maguire reimagines the world of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This new adaptation, the first of two parts, turns the popular musical into a movie, starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
Movie: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Release date: Dec. 13 in theaters
Lord of the Rings fans will be delighted to know that an animated prequel film is set to come out late this year. For those into LOTR lore, it expands on the legendary people of Rohan, the king Helm Hammerhand and their battle with the Dunlendings, set 183 years before the events of the original trilogy.
Related: 'The Lord of the Rings' Cast: Where Are They Now?
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Movie: Turtles All the Way Down
Release date: 2024 on Max
John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars was successfully adapted into a movie in 2014, and his book Looking for Alaska was made into a miniseries in 2019. Now, his 2017 YA novel Turtles All the Way Down is set to come out on Max sometime in 2024, following a teen trying to solve the mystery of a missing billionaire.
The Electric State by Simon Stalenhag
Movie: The Electric State
Release date: 2024 on Netflix
The Electric State, adapted from the dystopian sci-fi book of the same name, stars Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan and Stanley Tucci. Brown plays the protagonist, a girl named Michelle who travels through a dystopian wasteland alongside a robot. While no release date has been announced, it’s expected to come out this year.
Next, 'Stranger Things' Finally Resumes Filming: Everything to Know About Season 5
