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Get Ready for the Year's Biggest Book-to-Screen Adaptations
They say that the movie is never as good as the book, but at Goodreads we don’t think it’s a competition!
Sci-fi, AI, cyborgs, bots, and speculative stories are what’s hot in 2025 if production studios and streaming services are any indication. Robert Pattinson becomes the face of Mickey7—or is he Mickey8—in the dystopian adaptation of Edward Ashton’s bestselling novel in theaters this March. Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro’s futuristic Klara and the Sun is brought to life by the otherworldly Jenna Ortega, and Alexander Skarsgård puts the sizzle in cyborg in the Murderbot Diaries on Apple TV+.
There’s also a healthy dose of ’80s and ’90s nostalgia this year with remakes of Stephen King’s The Running Man and the Christopher Plummer sleeper spy thriller The Amateur. Bridget Jones is dating a younger man. And the franchise that just won’t die, a new I Know What You Did Last Summer, will scare and surprise viewers and readers alike.
We’ve curated this roundup of 25 books that are being adapted for feature films or streaming services for your viewing—and reading—pleasure. Some of these are already out, so you can begin bingeing immediately.
There’s also information and links for both the books and their adaptations. Click on the book cover images for more information about each title, along with ratings and reviews from your fellow Goodreads enthusiasts. And you can use the Want to Read button to add any possibilities to your digital shelf.
Cinephiles and bibliophiles, unite!
Sci-fi, AI, cyborgs, bots, and speculative stories are what’s hot in 2025 if production studios and streaming services are any indication. Robert Pattinson becomes the face of Mickey7—or is he Mickey8—in the dystopian adaptation of Edward Ashton’s bestselling novel in theaters this March. Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro’s futuristic Klara and the Sun is brought to life by the otherworldly Jenna Ortega, and Alexander Skarsgård puts the sizzle in cyborg in the Murderbot Diaries on Apple TV+.
There’s also a healthy dose of ’80s and ’90s nostalgia this year with remakes of Stephen King’s The Running Man and the Christopher Plummer sleeper spy thriller The Amateur. Bridget Jones is dating a younger man. And the franchise that just won’t die, a new I Know What You Did Last Summer, will scare and surprise viewers and readers alike.
We’ve curated this roundup of 25 books that are being adapted for feature films or streaming services for your viewing—and reading—pleasure. Some of these are already out, so you can begin bingeing immediately.
There’s also information and links for both the books and their adaptations. Click on the book cover images for more information about each title, along with ratings and reviews from your fellow Goodreads enthusiasts. And you can use the Want to Read button to add any possibilities to your digital shelf.
Cinephiles and bibliophiles, unite!
What started as a reimagining of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is one of the most beloved chronicles of singledom. After sharing her diary, returning from the edge of reason, and having a baby, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy shows Ms. Jones—or, ahem, Mrs. Robinson—chasing love of the May-December variety. Bridget is now older, not wiser, as she navigates widowhood and dating in the online era in this heartwarming, crackling comedy. Catch the movie on Peacock when you’re in the mood for love.
Mickey Barnes is living life the seventh time around. An “expendable,” he’s a human clone on a dangerous mission to colonize the ice world of Niflheim. With his life literally disposable, Mickey transfers his personality and memories each time he dies. But things get complicated when Mickey is mistakenly left for dead and is welcomed back to his colony by…Mickey8. Two Mickeys cannot simultaneously exist, but what will happen when neither is willing to die? The highly anticipated film adaptation, starring Robert Pattinson and by Parasite director Bong Joon Ho, Mickey 17 hits theaters on March 7.
Long Bright River follows Mickey, a compassionate Philadelphia police officer patrolling a neighborhood devastated by the opioid crisis. Mickey’s drug addict sister, Kasey, goes missing at the same time a series of prostitutes show up murdered in the neighborhood she patrols. It's a Good Morning America book club pick, and a Buzzfeed and NPR best book of the year, as Moore plots a gripping mystery amid addiction and allegiance in the city of brotherly love. The limited television series premieres on Peacock on March 13.
The Russians are taking control of the White House. A late-night phone call upends the life of FBI agent Peter Sutherland, whose career at the Bureau has been tainted by the legacy of his treacherous father. But the safety and security of the nation may be in Peter’s hands, as he races to expose a Russian mole and stop a conspiracy at the highest level of government. Based on Matthew Quirk’s spy thriller, catch Season 2 of The Night Agent on Netflix now.
What has the head of a dog, the body of a human, and the heart of a hero? When a police officer and his canine companion are injured on the job, an unconventional surgery creates canine crime fighter Dog Man. The first of this popular graphic novel series for kids hit the big screen in January with six-time Emmy winner Peter Hastings voicing the popular pup. Squirrels and scoundrels, beware! Dog Man fights crime, catches crooks and cats, and celebrates empathy and being yourself.
Is the ursine hero of 30 books by Michael Bond arguably literature's most lovable British bear? All signs point to yes, including the astounding 99% Rotten Tomatoes score for the second Paddington film adaptation. (Sorry, Pooh.) The third movie in the franchise, aptly titled Paddington in Peru, features an animated Amazonian adventure that takes Paddington and the Brown family back to his homeland. You can be sure they packed some marmalade sandwiches for the journey.
Societal shifts take center stage in The Leopard, the highly acclaimed historical fiction written by a bona fide Sicilian prince that describes the unification of Italy in the 1860s. Now a Netflix miniseries, Il Gattopardo tells the story of a decadent and declining aristocracy that find themselves sidelined by revolution and democracy. A scene-stealing dinner party and ball provide a taste of the world to come, where beautiful new faces effortlessly replace Palermo’s old-world order.
Small-time dope thieves pick the wrong mark in Dennis Tafoya’s debut crime thriller. Ray and Manny become fast friends in juvie and partners in crime posing as phony DEA agents where they rob minor-league drug dealers in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It’s the perfect life of crime until they hit a heist way over their heads and must reckon with a dealer willing to kill to settle the score. A score for streamers, Dope Thief premieres on Apple TV+ this March.
The final book of the critically acclaimed Thomas Cromwell trilogy, Mantel’s flawless historical fiction traces the rise of Cromwell from obscurity to key adviser of Henry VIII and one of the most influential figures in British history. The Mirror & the Light follows Man Booker Prize–winning novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Between politics, religion, and all those wives, Cromwell’s history seems ready-made for TV. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light premieres on PBS on March 23.
The subtitle says it all. Limonov: The Outrageous Adventures of the Radical Soviet Poet Who Became a Bum in New York, a Sensation in France, and a Political Antihero in Russia is a biography by French writer and journalist Emmanuel Carrère. In what she calls “an ambiguous life and a real adventure novel,” the book has been adapted into a film and tells the story of the magnetic underground artist and poet. Limonov: The Ballad had a limited release in 2024 and hit theaters in February.
Mary Shelley’s timeless monster-and-mad-scientist face-off has inspired comic books, television shows, spin-off sequels, a bride, and more movies. This year, Frankenstein fans will get two additional tellings of Shelley’s original 1818 Gothic masterpiece. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride is slated for a September release, while Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix adaptation arrives in November. The monster is, indeed, alive and well.
It’s 2025. The economy is in shambles, crime is rampant, and survival is a spectator sport. Or at least it is for Ben Richards, who volunteers to be a contestant on the reality show The Running Man, where he must outmaneuver Hunters for 30 days to win $1 billion. Of course, if he loses, he pays the ultimate price—with his life, on live TV. The book was written by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger brought this dystopian thriller to the big screen in the ’80s. Now, it’s back and ready to run in theaters on November 21.
Apple Cider Vinegar, a narrative Netflix series based on the nonfiction book The Woman Who Fooled the World by journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, follows the rise and fall of Australian wellness influencer Belle Gibson. A fraud of the Elizabeth Holmes and Anna Delvey variety, 23-year-old Gibson rose to fame by claiming a healthy diet cured her of terminal brain cancer. The hitch? Gibson was never sick.
The first of the Murderbot Diaries, Alexander Skarsgård brings sizzle to the cyborg security agent in this Apple TV+ sci-fi series that premieres on May 16. Self-identified as Murderbot, it's hacked his internal systems to control itself. And like most machines that become self-aware, Murderbot wants to be alone, watch soap operas, and make diary updates. Over time, it develops compassion for the scientists he serves and realizes the mission they are on is being compromised by an EvilSurvey team, plotting to reprogram Murderbot and kill them all.
Based on the popular book series, The Housemaid is a psychological thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried and will be released just in time for the holidays. In this twisted tale of control and desire, Millie is an ex-con with a past who comes to the Winchesters' house as a live-in housekeeper but finds that some messes can’t be cleaned. Millie and Nina, the lady of the house who may or may not be recovering from a psychotic break, narrate this mind-bending thriller where both women are pushed to the brink.
Never one to shy away from difficult subjects, Goodreads favorite Colleen Hoover dives into the difficult relationships between mothers and daughters in Regretting You. Morgan and her teenage daughter, Clara, can barely relate and are pushed farther apart when an accident kills their husband and father. Back on the big screen with the adaptation of Regretting You, Hoover tackles family secrets, betrayals, and having the courage to face the truth.
Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro’s futuristic novel asks what it means to be human through the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend powered by the sun who serves as a companion to Josie, a genetically enhanced 14-year-old. As she navigates the world and tries to help her ailing human, Klara also bargains with her life force—the sun—to help Josie survive in this bittersweet story of love and connection. Known for her quirky characters, Jenna Ortega stars as Klara in the film adaptation out this year.
A nod to Nora Ephron’s When Harry Met Sally, People We Meet on Vacation similarly tackles the question can men and women just be friends? Poppy and Alex have a friendship of the opposites-attract variety. But the two share a spirit of adventure, and we learn their backstory through trips that crisscross the globe and chapters that travel through time. After a falling-out and years of not talking, Poppy reaches out to Alex to mend the friendship, and possibly more, on one final trip. Now a rom-com in its own right, People We Meet on Vacation hits Netflix this year.
In Orwell’s timeless allegory, horses, pigs, dogs, and donkeys live in peace and prosperity after they overthrow their farmer and gain control of the farm. But the ambitions and selfish nature of a pig called Napolean upend brief, bucolic bliss. What begins as dream of escaping tyranny shows how revolutions go awry, even among the animals. Directed by Andy Serkis, and with Keiran Culkin and Kathleen Turner, look for the third and latest adaptation of Animal Farm this summer.
Serial killers aren’t the only things that come back to life in a good horror. Duncan’s 1970s thriller was resurrected for audiences with the hit 1990s film, and this year brings a fresh retelling of the slasher story. Four teenagers kill a boy on his bicycle in a hit-and-run accident after a party. They make a pact to never mention their involvement in his death, but someone knows what they did and is going to make them pay. Franchise favorites Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt are back for the new movie release, just in time for summer.
It’s time for the second act. Wicked: For Good, the movie and second part of the musical that cemented Gregory Maguire’s place in popular culture, lands in theaters this November. If you’ve just crawled out from under a house, Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West fills in the backstory for the L. Frank Baum classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Thanks to Maguire, we learn that the green-skinned girl, Elphaba, isn’t wicked at all in this illuminating and imaginative fantasy.
Even in the dystopian future, people travel to California looking for a better life—or long-lost brother. This is a futuristic story inspired by Nirvana and the idea of Kurt Cobain going on a road trip, and Swedish author Simon Stålenhag visually shows a future specked with nostalgia after the country is destroyed by a clone war, with copy blocks and artwork. The third in the Tales from the Loop series, The Electric State is being adapted into a Netflix movie starring Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things and Chris Pratt. It is set to release on March 14.
When Charlie Heller’s fiancée is held hostage and killed by terrorists, he decides to take the matter of revenge into his own hands. A plot-driven spy thriller, The Amateur takes Charlie behind the Iron Curtain and to the underbelly of the CIA, where a double agent wants him dead. Made into a movie starring Christopher Plummer in 1981, the second adaptation starring Rami Malek and Slow Horses director James Hawes will be released in April.
David Koepp is the most famous writer you’ve never heard of. He wrote the movies Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, and Mission: Impossible, but Cold Storage is his first fiction. It’s everything a sci-fi thriller should be—gross, funny, captivating, and clever. A parasitic fungus accidentally escapes its container, and all of humanity is at risk for extinction. Pentagon bioterror operative Roberto Diaz is sent to stop it, but how? And is he too late? The film adaptation—also written by Koepp—stars Liam Neeson and is out this summer.
An improbable, epic adventure, Washington Black follows field-turned-house slave “Wash” through life and its incredible journey. Wash gets his freedom early on but lives with the echoes of slavery. He’s the likely culprit for the death of a man, and flees Barbados with his master’s brother in a hot-air balloon. Tracked by a bounty hunter and never fully free, Esi Edugyan’s third book explores the tension between slavery and freedom, oppression and possibility. The series based on the book comes to Hulu in 2025.
Which book-to-screen adaptations are you looking forward to? Let's talk books in the comments!
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TheDameIntl
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Mar 04, 2025 12:31PM
Apparently The Night Circus is also being made into a movie or series, altho not sure on release.
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This all seems… just alright? I wish there was more fantasy, romantasy, even good romance on this list. There are only a couple books here that I’m excited about the adaptations for, which is wild because there’s so many good books in these genre’s that would make amazing adaptations.
The longest walk is one of my faaaavorite books. I can’t wait to see the screen adaptation.
Running Man, The Housemaid, and Animal Farm?? I needed good news this year
The night circus was a truly enjoyable book. And that’s coming from an adult male. I’m fearful that as a common with most movie translations, it will result in a disaster.
Having just finished The Housemaid, I'm looking forward to the movie version. Just hope they don't ruin it the way a lot of books have been ruined when made into a movie.
The Housemaid finally becoming a movie?! This is what the people have been wanting!
Really looking forward to Murderbot… the books are awesome.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is going to be a series!
I have read The People You Meet on Vacation and will watch that, but I'm really looking forward to The Black Dagger Brotherhood coming to Passionflix in June
Netflix released that they will be working on a Forgotten Realms series. I think it comes out next year. I heard they are working on a series for Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series. I've been hearing rumors about a Deathlands series for a while now, hopefully they go through with that oneWe definitely need more fantasy and Sci-Fi shows
Ya'll I'm SOOOO excited for the Murderbot series. May can't come soon enough. Lowkey excited for what Alexander Skarsgård has in store.
Shelby Van Pelt announced tonight at a writer's event in Cleveland that the REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES movie started production yesterday with Sally Field starring as Tova. I think she will be perfect in the role!
Love Murderbot! Just FYI, Murderbot doesn't refer to itself as 'he'. MB isn't a human and doesn't identify as any gender label we humans use.
Layla wrote: "This all seems… just alright? I wish there was more fantasy, romantasy, even good romance on this list. There are only a couple books here that I’m excited about the adaptations for, which is wild ..."If you don’t like all the adaptations that’s okay. That’s your own negative opinion.
One Hundred Years of Solitude on Netflix!
Had no idea Cold Storage was getting adapted! Super excited about that one!
Super disappointed Murderbot cast a male actor (I've always imagined them as female-presenting or androgynous) but still going to check out the show. Wells' The Death of the Necromancer would be another great candidate for an adaptation.
Drew wrote: "Ya'll I'm SOOOO excited for the Murderbot series. May can't come soon enough. Lowkey excited for what Alexander Skarsgård has in store."And once again, an agender robot is played by a very much male actor. Horrid casting.
Murderbot goes by Murderbot or it as its pronouns.
TheDameIntl wrote: "Apparently The Night Circus is also being made into a movie or series, altho not sure on release."This is more exciting than all of the annoucements above! OMG!!!
TheDameIntl wrote: "Apparently The Night Circus is also being made into a movie or series, altho not sure on release."That would be a dream
QueenofApology wrote: "Had no idea Cold Storage was getting adapted! Super excited about that one!"Me too! It was such a fun read and I love Liam Neeson so I know it's gonna be great.
Emilia wrote: "Super disappointed Murderbot cast a male actor (I've always imagined them as female-presenting or androgynous) but still going to check out the show. Wells' The Death of the Necromancer would be an..."Interesting, I've always imagined Murderbot as more male presenting, but like a Ken doll, without the bits.
Had no idea The Running Man was going to be remade. I really need to rewatch the original at some point also, then try the new one later.
TheDameIntl wrote: "Apparently The Night Circus is also being made into a movie or series, altho not sure on release."Omg!
TheDameIntl wrote: "Apparently The Night Circus is also being made into a movie or series, altho not sure on release."That project stalled over a decade ago.
The Muderbot series I doubt it will play out like the novel, as much of it is formulated in thought.
Whoever wrote this article, please fix Murderbot's pronouns, please. Murderbot goes by it/its.
I loved Klara and the Sun. Hope they do it justice. Although, there are so many intricacies with the plot, it will be difficult.
Roz wrote: "The Thursday Murder Club????"Right?!? Can't wait for that one!
TheDameIntl wrote: "Apparently The Night Circus is also being made into a movie or series, altho not sure on release."This is so exciting I love this book so much and hope they would follow with the Starless Sea, I could see The Night Circus developing well as a mini series, the way the book was broken up would do well with that format
Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "Had no idea The Running Man was going to be remade. I really need to rewatch the original at some point also, then try the new one later."FYI the remake is going to be more faithful to the original novella which is bleak as *hell*. If bleak isn't your flavor it's best to stick to Ahnold's version.
Be careful what you wish for 🫤 Movie adaptations are usually pretty bad, especially considering Hollywood is just re-doing A LOT of old stuff. I’m not holding my breath, truthfully. (Makes me seem evil, which I’m not, just hard to impress.)
I have been on the list for this book for over 3 months with my local library. I am still 891 in line.
I am new here please and I am also an author can I bring my books for reading free of charge?
TheDameIntl wrote: "Apparently The Night Circus is also being made into a movie or series, altho not sure on release."That's really exciting - I LOVED that book...one of my all time favourites
To whoever changed HALF of the pronouns in the Murderbot description it/its, I mean, you tried. I can't fault you for trying. But you did miss a few. Going from 0% to 50% is a great improvement, but it's still an F. Please, just do one more small edit. You can do this. I believe in you!
Bisong wrote: "I am new here please and I am also an author can I bring my books for reading free of charge?"I'm an author too, writing my first novel at the moment. Think you need to contact Goodreads directly about promoting you books on here
Tricia wrote: "I have been on the list for this book for over 3 months with my local library. I am still 891 in line."which book is it?
Lou wrote: "TheDameIntl wrote: "Apparently The Night Circus is also being made into a movie or series, altho not sure on release."This is so exciting I love this book so much and hope they would follow with t..."
The Night Circus is one of my favourite books too...so am very excited if they make it into a film...haven't read starless sea yet, but will do when I next use my kindle, as that's where it is!
The woman who fooled the world docu was wiiiilllldddddd. Probably an amazing read. I had no idea or I’d have read it first.
