Fall reading: 10 books being adapted for film, TV
Sept. 20 (UPI) - are being adapted for film and television this fall.
New adaptations will open in theaters and debut on streaming services in September, October, November and early December.
Some big-name stars are attached to movies and TV series based on books. Here's a rundown:
'The Wild Robot'
The 2016 sci-fi novel by author and illustrator Peter Brown is the first book in his trilogy. The series follows Roz, a robot who finds herself on a remote, wild island, where she befriends its animal inhabitants.
DreamWorks Animation is adapting the novel as an animated film written and directed by Chris Sanders, the co-writer and director of .
Lupita Nyong'o voices Roz, with Pedro Pascal as Fink, Kit Connor as Brightbill, Catherine O'Hara as Pinktail, Bill Nighy as Longneck, Stephanie Hsu as Vontra and Mark Hamill as Thorn.
opens in theaters Sept. 27. A trailer released in August features "Kiss the Sky," a song recorded by Maren Morris for the film's soundtrack.
'The Lives of Lee Miller'
The 1985 biography by Antony Penrose explores the life and work of Lee Miller, a model-turned-photographer who was a war correspondent during World War II. Her photographs depicted the horrors of the war.
Kate Winslet plays Miller in the new film , written by Liz Hannah, John Collee and Marion Hume, and directed by Ellen Kuras.
The cast also includes Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg, Noémie Merlant, Josh O'Connor and Alexander Skarsgård.
opens in theaters Sept. 27. Roadside Attractions released a trailer for the movie in August that shows Miller (Winslet) fighting to get to the front lines.
'Salem's Lot'
The 1975 horror novel by Stephen King is one of his best-known works. The book follows Ben Mears, a writer who returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem's Lot, where he discovers the residents are being turned into vampires.
King's novel was previously adapted as a 1979 CBS miniseries starring David Soul and a 2004 TNT miniseries starring Rob Lowe. The book is now being adapted as a new film from Gary Dauberman (
Lewis Pullman stars as Mears, with Makenzie Leigh as Susan Norton, Alfre Woodard as Dr. Cody, Pilou Asbæk as Richard Straker and John Benjamin Hickey as Father Callahan.
premieres Oct. 3 on Max.
'Disclaimer'
The 2015 psychological thriller novel by Renée Knight centers on Catherine Ravenscroft, a documentary filmmaker whose life is upended when she receives a mysterious novel that recounts her darkest secret.
Apple TV+ is adapting the book as a new series written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the filmmaker behind Y tu mamá también.
Cate Blanchett stars as Catherine, with Sacha Baron Cohen as her husband Robert, and Kodi Smit-McPhee as the couple's son Nicholas. The cast also includes Kevin Kline, Louis Partridge, Lesley Manville and Hoyeon.
will have a two-episode premiere Oct. 11 on Apple TV+. A teaser trailer was released in August.
'Rivals'
The 1988 novel by Jilly Cooper is the second book in her series, which takes place in the fictional English county of Rutshire.
The novel is being adapted as a new show set in "the ruthless world of independent television in 1986" and depicts "the backdrop of the drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England."
The cast includes Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black, David Tennant as Lord Tony Baddingham, Aidan Turner as Declan O'Hara and Victoria Smurfit as Maud O'Hara.
starts streaming Oct. 18 on Hulu.
'Conclave'
The 2016 thriller novel by Robert Harris opens with the death of a fictional pope and follows the ensuing papal conclave to elect his successor. The cardinal in charge of the election discovers secrets and finds himself at the center of a conspiracy.
Harris' book is being adapted as a new film written by Peter Straughan () and directed by Edward Berger (, 2022).
Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence, the cardinal in charge of the conclave, with the cast also including Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati and Isabella Rossellini.
opens in theaters Oct. 25.
'The Day of the Jackal'
The 1971 political thriller novel by Frederick Forsyth follows a fictional professional assassin, known as "The Jackal," who is contracted to kill French president Charles de Gaulle in the 1960s.
Forsyth's book was previously adapted as a 1973 film starring Edward Fox and a 1997 movie that reimagines the plot as an assassin (Bruce Willis) hired to kill a prominent American.
The novel is now being adapted as a Peacock series starring Eddie Redmayne as the Jackal and Lashana Lynch as the British intelligence officer who attempts to track him down across Europe.
premieres Nov. 7 on Peacock. A teaser trailer released in July shows Redmayne's Jackal using various disguises.
'Here'
The 2014 Richard Maguire graphic novel depicts the people, creatures and furnishings found at a single location at different points throughout time, from the Ice Age up to a future beyond beyond humans.
Maguire's book is being adapted as a new film written by Robert Zemeckis and Eric Roth and directed by Zemeckis, a filmmaker known for , the trilogy and .
Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Dockery, Gwilym Lee, Ophelia Lovibond and David Fynn star.
Sony Pictures released a trailer in June that features a de-aged Hanks and Wright, who are depicted as teenagers and at different ages, all the way into their 80s. The film is shot at a fixed angle for the entirety of its duration.
opens in theaters Nov. 15.
'Wicked'
The 1995 fantasy novel by Gregory Maguire imagines the origin story of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West from Frank L. Baum's book and its 1939 film adaptation, .
Maguire's novel was previously adapted as a Tony-winning Broadway musical. The book is now being adapted as a two-part musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu (
Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba, with Ariana Grande as Galinda, the future Glinda the Good. The cast also features Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater and Marissa Bode.
In a trailer released in September, Grande's Glinda promises to tell "the whole story" of her friendship and eventual falling-out with Elphaba (Erivo).
opens in theaters Nov. 22, with to follow Nov. 26, 2025.
'Nightbitch'
The 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder follows a dissatisfied stay-at-home mom who becomes increasingly convinced she is turning into a dog. The book explores themes of art, power and womanhood.
Yoder's novel is being adapted as a new film written and directed by Marielle Heller (). Amy Adams stars in the lead role, with other cast members including Scoot McNairy, Zoe Chao, Mary Holland and Ella Thomas.
Searchlight Pictures released a trailer for the movie in September that shows Adams' character growing fur, sharper teeth and embracing her primal side.
opens in theaters Dec. 6.
