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Every 2021 Book to Movie & TV Series Adaptation
Book to Movie (or TV Show) releases for 2021 that will be forging ahead are still being sorted, but here’s what’s on the docket so far. I expect that a lot more will be added as releases get pushed to 2021. Also, when things settle down I assume release schedules will be hammered out and more dates will be confirmed. Stay tuned for more!
The adaptations listed here are all ones with some assurance that they’ll actually come out in 2021. So, a movie or television series with a tentative release date in 2021 or with a producer saying that it’ll be released in 2021 or it’s in the process of filming or something like that.
Which one of these books to movie or tv show adaptations are you looking forward to?
2021 Books to Film / Movies / TV Shows
A Discovery of Witches, Season 2 (IMDB) Release Date: January 9, 2021 (Episode 1)
A Discovery of Witches‘ second season premiered on January 9, 2021. It’s originally based on the very popular “All Souls” fantasy romance series by Deborah Harkness. The show stars Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer as our witch and vampire love birds.
I’ve been watching the show and if you think it sounds interesting, you’ll probably love it. See it on AmazonStream it on Amazon Video
White Tiger (IMDB) Release Date: January 22, 2021
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga won the Booker Prize in 2008 and is being released in a movie adaptation to air on Netflix in January. It’s described as following “a darkly comic Bangalore driver through the poverty and corruption of modern India’s caste society.” Stars Priyanka Chopra. See it on AmazonWatch the Trailer
The Dig is a novel by John Preston that’s being adapted into a movie starring Lily James, Ralph Fiennes, and Carey Mulligan.
From IMDB: “An archaeologist embarks on the historically important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938.”See it on AmazonWatch the Trailer
Firefly Lane (IMDB) Release Date: February 3, 2021 on Netflix
Netflix is adapting Kristin Hannah’s Firefly Lane, starring Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.
From IMDB: The story of Tully and Kate, two unlikely friends from their meeting as tweens in 1974 to the present. Kate, the introvert, and Tully, the coolest girl in school, form a bond that weathers every milestone in their lives, leading up to a tragedy in the present.See it on AmazonWatch the Trailer
The Luminaries (IMDB) Release Date: February 14, 2021
An adaptation of Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries is coming to Starz. Starring Eva Green, The Luminaries is an “adventure mystery set in the midst of New Zealand’s 1860’s gold rush period.” You can expext lots of drama, murder, love and revenge, as men and women travel the world making their fortunes.See it on AmazonWatch the Trailer
To All the Boys 3 / Always and Forever, Lara Jean (IMDB) Release Date: February 2021 (anticipated)
Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky will be back for the third movie, which was shot back to back with the second installment, previously released. It’s likely to come out in February 2021 (basically, a year after the second one). See it on Amazon
Behind Her Eyes (IMDB) Release Date: February 17, 2021 on Netflix
Behind Her Eyes, a limited series coming to Netflix, is based on the twisty psychological thriller by Sarah Pinborough. From IMBD: “It follows Louise, a single mom with a son and a part-time job in a psychiatrist’s office. She begins an affair with her boss and strikes up an unlikely friendship with his wife.”See it on Amazon
Antlers (IMDB) Release Date: February 19, 2021
Antlers, a movie expected in 2021, is an adaptation of a short story by Nick Antosca called “A Quiet Boy”. The movie stars Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons and Jeremy T. Thomas.Watch the Trailer
Cherry by Nico Walker is being adapted into a movie by the Russo Brothers, starring Tom Holland.
From IMDB: “An Army medic suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder becomes a serial bank robber after an addiction to drugs puts him in debt.”See it on Amazon
Without Remorse (IMDB) Release Date: February 26th, 2021
Tom Clancy’s novel Without Remorse is being adapted into a movie starring Michael B. Jordan.
It’s a story about a former Navy SEAL turned CIA operative who seeks revenge after his girlfriend is killed by a drug lord.See it on AmazonWatch the Trailer
Shadow and Bone (IMDB) Release Date: March 2021 (rough estimate) on Netflix
The highly anticipated adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone series is finally arriving on Netflix in 2021.See it on AmazonWatch the Teaser
Chaos Walking (IMDB) Release Date: March 5, 2021
Chaos Walking is an adaptation of Patrick Ness’s The Knife of Never Letting Go which is Book One in his Chaos Walking trilogy. Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland star in the movie.
Chaos Walking has had a very, very difficult time trying to make the jump to film. It was greenlit nearly a decade ago (in 2011), has six different screenwriters credited to it (with the last one being Patrick Ness himself, who has some screenwriting experience), and has cost well over $100 million.
To make matters worse there’s a nearly two-year-long gap from when the first cut of the film was shot (and deemed unreleasable) and when extensive re-shoots took place. Which means the two stars (Daisy and Tom) may look a little different from scene to scene. Anyway, you can read about all of it here. It’s slated for January 22, 2021, but who knows. I’ll believe it when I see it, since this movie has been delayed so many times.
The YA dystopian sci-fi novel is about a 12-year-old boy, Todd Hewitt, who is the only boy from a town full of men where everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts. He flees from town with his dog when he realizes something is very wrong with the town and comes across a girl that curiously managed to survive whatever wiped out the female townspeople.
Update: A trailer was released in November 2020, so it looks like this release date might actually stick!
Update 2: Nope. The January 22, 2021 date has been pushed to March 5, 2021, so we’ll see what happens.See it on AmazonWatch the Trailer
Fatherhood / Two Kisses for Maddy (IMDB) Release Date: April 16, 2021
The memoir Two Kisses for Maddy is being adapted into a movie called Fatherhood, starring Kevin Hart.
It’s a book about love, grief and fatherhood by Matt Logelin. Synopsis: “Matt and Liz Logelin were high school sweethearts. After years of long-distance dating, the pair finally settled together in Los Angeles, and they had it all: a perfect marriage, a gorgeous new home, and a baby girl on the way. Liz’s pregnancy was rocky, but they welcomed Madeline, beautiful and healthy, into the world. Just twenty-seven hours later, Liz suffered a pulmonary embolism and died instantly, without ever holding the daughter whose arrival she had so eagerly awaited.
Though confronted with devastating grief and the responsibilities of a new and single father, Matt did not surrender to devastation; he chose to keep moving forward-to make a life for Maddy.”See it on Amazon
Peter Rabbit 2 (IMDB) Release Date: April 21, 2021
There’s a sequel to 2018’s Peter Rabbit adaptation coming out in February. Stars Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson and James Corden. See it on AmazonWatch the Trailer
Infinite / The Reincarnationist Papers (IMDB) Release Date: May 28, 2021
Infinite is an upcoming sci-fi movie based on a little known sci-fi book series called The Reincarnationist Papers by D. Eric Maikranz. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Dylan O’Brien and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
From IMDB: “A man discovers that his hallucinations are actually visions from past lives.”See it on Amazon
A live-action prequel to 101 Dalmations is being produced by Disney. It’ll star Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, and the story follows the life of Cruella de Vil.
101 Dalmations is actually based on a book by Dodie Smith (who wrote I Capture the Castle). See it on Amazon
Fear Street (Trilogy) (IMDB) Release Date: Summer 2021
The Fear Street book series created by R.L. Stine is headed for a feature adaptation as a movie trilogy. The trilogy is set to be released on Netflix in 2021, each one a month apart during the summer.
The horror series almost always involves teenagers getting caught up in horrific plots, so we can probably expect more of the same from a movie adaptation of it. Fear Street on Amazon
Anatomy of a Scandal (IMDB) Release Date: Fall 2021
The Netflix series adaptation of Anatomy of a Scandal will star Michelle Dockery, Rupert Friend and Sienna Miller.See it on Amazon
The Last Duel (IMDB) Release Date: October 15, 2021
The Last Duel is an adaptation of Eric Jager’s book The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France.
From IMDB: “King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire by challenging him to a duel.”
Directed by Ridley Scott and with a screenplay written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, the movie stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer.See it on Amazon
You’ve probably already heard about this one (and if you haven’t, I’m sure you’ll be seeing it around everywhere quite soon), but the movie adaptation of Dune is to be released on October 21, 2021. Stars lots of famous people including Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Timothée Chalamet.See it on AmazonWatch the Trailer
Nightmare Alley (IMDB) Release Date: 2021 (maybe)
Nightmare Alley is a thriller that was released back in 1946. There’s no release date for the movie adaptation set yet, but it’s currently filming. Guillermo del Toro directs a star-studded cast, including Cate Blanchett, Bradley Cooper, Toni Collette, Rooney Mara and Willem Dafoe.
From IMDB: “An ambitious young carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.”See it on Amazon
Joyce Carol Oates’s Blonde, a fictionalized recounting of Marilyn Monroe’s life, is being adapted into a movie to be released in 2021. Ana de Armas (depicted above) will play Marilyn Monroe. Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale will star as well.See it on Amazon
The Pursuit of Love (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford is a comedic romance that is being adapted into a three-part BBC series. It looks like it’ll be airing in 2021. Stars include Emily Beecham, Lily James, Dominic West, and Emily Mortimer. If you love period romance, I’m guessing this adaptation should be on your radar. See it on Amazon
Mothering Sunday (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift is being adapted into a movie starrinf Olivia Coleman, Colin Firth and Josh O’Connor.
From IMDB: A maid living in post-World War I England secretly plans to meet with the man she loves before he leaves to marry another woman.See it on Amazon
The Power of the Dog (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage is being adapted into a movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst. Jane Campion is directing.
From IMDB: “A pair of brothers who own a large ranch in Montana are pitted against each other when one of them gets married.”See it on Amazon
Last Letter from Your Lover (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
From author Jojo Moyes, Last Letter from Your Lover is about “a young journalist in London becomes obsessed with a series of letters she discovers that recounts an intense star-crossed love affair from the 1960s” (from IMDB).
The Netflix movie will star Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley and Joe Alwyn.See it on Amazon
The Woman in the Window (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn was a surprise hit with a huge bidding war. It’s a solid thriller about a woman who believes she sees a crime being committed through the window in a house across the way. The book includes a number of homages to Hitchhock’s Rear Window, so I’m curious if the movie will do the same.
I thought the book was pretty good, and Amy Adams is starring in the movie, so I’d be surprised if the movie doesn’t turn out well.
Update #1: This movie is being pushed to 2020 (originally set for Oct. 4, 2019) due to test audiences being confused by the original cut of the film. They’ll be doing reshoots and re-cutting it. The film was originally a Fox 2000 property, but now is a Disney property due to their acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Disney has been reviewing and retooling their new acquisitions, and it looks like this was one they wanted to make some changes on.
Update #2: Looks like this movie is being delayed yet again since Netflix is finalizing a deal to acquire it as of August 2020. It might still come out in 2020, but we’ll see. The good news is that it seems to be pretty much done, so it’s likely we’ll see it at some point, it’s just a question of when. Woman in the Window on AmazonWatch the Trailer
The Underground Railroad (IMDB) Release Date: Q2-Q3 2021 (Rumored)
A limited series adaption of Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad is rumored to be expecting a release in early-mid 2021. From IMDB: “A young woman named Cora makes an amazing discovery during her attempt to break free from slavery in the deep south.”
Stars Chase W. Dillon, Joel Edgerton and Amber Gray. Directed by Barry Jenkins.See it on AmazonWatch the Trailer
Killers of the Flower Moon (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann is a non-fictional book. From IMDB: “Osage tribe in the United States are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s sparking a major F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover.”
The movie adaptation has been in the works for some time. Martin Scorsese is directing , with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro starring. See it on Amazon
The adaptation of Passing by Nella Larson will be directed by Rebecca Hall. Set to star Alexander Skarsgård, Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, and André Holland.See it on Amazon
Andy Weir’s Artemis has had a movie adaptation in development for a while. Weir’s novel The Martian was adapted with great success. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will be directing the Artemis movie.
Artemis by Andy Weir is a science fiction novel set on the moon about Jazz, “a porter and part-time smuggler in the lunar city of Artemis. Trying to make a little extra money, she accepts a less than legal job but ends up involved in a much bigger crime” (from IMDB).
True Things About Me (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
True Things About Me by Deborah Kay Davies “follows a young woman living on the fringes of society who becomes intoxicated by a stranger who overwhelms her quiet life” (from IMDB). Stars Ruth Wilson, Robert Goodman, Nathan Ampofo.See it on Amazon
Guillermo del Toro‘s spin on the classic tale of Pinnochio (originally authored by Carlo Collodi in 1883) is expected to hit theaters in 2021. Note that the original Pinnochio story is quite different from the Disney version, so I would expect something a little darker than the story you may be familiar with.
See the link below for a first look at this stop-motion animated film. See it on Amazon
Wicked the Musical is getting a film treatment, finally! I love this musical so much. It’s originally based on the book Wicked by Gregory Maguire. It’s a retelling of Wizard of Oz to explain the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West. See it on Amazon
Redeeming Love (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is being adapted into a movie starring Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis and Famke Janssen.See it on Amazon
Across the Rivers and Into the Trees (IMDB) Release Date: 2021 (maybe)
Across the Rivers and Into the Trees, by Ernest Hemingway, is being adapted into a movie starring Liev Schreiber. The book is about an American soldier falling in love with a young Italian countess in Venice.
As of Sepember 2020, it hasn’t been formally announced as a 2021 release, but it’s filming in Venice in October 2020, but it seems like a safe bet. See it on Amazon
Dear Zoe by Phillip Beard is a “coming-of-age dramedy in which teenage Tess enlists her biological father – a lovable slacker from the wrong side- of the tracks – and the charming juvenile delinquent next door to help her come to grips with the death of her little sister.” (from IMDB).
It’s being adapted into a movie starring Sadie Sink (from Stranger Things), Jessica Capshaw and Theo Rossi.See it on Amazon
Joel Coen is directing an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. To star Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, and Brendan Gleeson.See it on Amazon
A Spark of Light (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
A Spark of Light, by Jodi Picoult, is being adapted into a limited series starring Joey King, set to air in 2021. See it on Amazon
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
Hulu is taking a swing at adapting Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as a series, and as of August 2020, it’s even been renewed for a second season. That’s not a typo — they’re gearing up not one, but two seasons of the show. Season One is expected to air in 2021.
No word yet who is in the cast, but the show began development at Hulu in July 2019. See it on Amazon
Daisy Jones & The Six (IMDB) Release Date: 2021 (maybe)
Daisy Jones & the Six is being turned into an Amazon series with original music to be released on Amazon as well. It’ll star Sam Claflin and Riley Keough as the two main characters.
In Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones is young, beautiful, talented and just beginning her ascent into music stardom when a producer pairs her up with The Six, an up-and-coming blues-rock band.
The book tells their story in all its unruly, sex-crazed, drug-fueled glory. Daisy is blessed in every way — looks, money, talent — but is also wild, reckless and filled with hubris. Meanwhile, Billy, the de facto leader of The Six, is capable but controlling and struggling to manage the temptations of the rock and roll lifestyle. When they meet, stars align and legends are born.
Americanah (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
Americanah is planned as a 10-episode limited series to be aired on HBO Max. Lupita Nyong’o is set to star, and Danai Gurira will showrun and write the series.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is about two young Nigerians, Ifemelu and Obinze, who meet as teenagers and fall in love. Ifemelu immigrates to the United States to attend university, while Obinze becomes an undocumented immigrant in London after post-9/11 restrictions prevent him from following Ifemelu to the States. The story follows their lives across years and continents, telling a profound story about love and race.See it on Amazon
Shadow and Bone (IMDB) Release Date: 2021 (likely)
Shadow and Bone, Netflix’s Grishaverse adaptation, will begin airing soon. It went into post-production (so, it’s done filming) Spring of 2020, but doesn’t have a scheduled air date yet as we approach Winter 2020, so it looks like 2021 will be the likely air date for this series. See it on Amazon
Foundation (IMDB) Release Date: 2021 on Apple TV+
Foundation is based on the Issac Asimov novel of the same name. Stars Lee Pace, Cassian Bilton, Laura Birn, Jared Harris.
Nine Perfect Strangers (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty is being adapted into a limited series to air on Hulu. The show is being produced by and will star Nicole Kidman.
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty is about nine people who gather at a resort for a 10-day wellness retreat. The resort is run by a former businesswoman named Masha. While these strangers get to know each other and grapple with each of their personal issues, they come to find that the resorts policies and practices are a little unconventional and start to have questions about what exactly is going on at this retreat.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is getting a new adaptation. It’ll be on Disney+.
The Witcher, Season 2 (IMDB) Release Date: 2021 (possibly Q1)
The Witcher will be back on Netflix for Season 2. Actor Henry Cavill has stated that the show could potentially be released in early 2021, but no sooner than that. The plan is to resume filming in August 2020.
Based off of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher Saga series of books, the fantasy series stars Henry Cavill as the titular Witcher of the series. He’s basically a dude that goes around hunting monsters.
The Witcher books are a collection of eight books of stories, but I recommend starting with The Last Wish or the Sword of Destiny if you want to read the material that the show is adapting. Season 1 contained parts of these books, and Season 2 will continue adapting them. See it on AmazonStream it on Netflix
You, Season 3 (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
Caroline Kepnes’s You was adapted into a surprisingly popular show starring Penn Badgley. The sequel, Hidden Bodies, was adapted into its second season in late 2019.
Kepnes in the process of writing books 3 and 4. Book 3 will be adapted into Season 3 of You, to be aired in 2021.
The Shining Girls (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes is being adapted into a series to be aired on Aplpe+ starring Elizabeth Moss.
From IMDB: A serial killer in Chicago during the 1930s stumbles upon a time traveling device.
The Player’s Table / They Wish They Were Us (IMDB) Release Date: 2021
The Player’s Table is being adapted into a TV series based on Jessica Goodman’s YA novel, They Wish They Were Us. Halsey and Sydney Sweeney will star.
The Wheel of Time, Season 1 | IMDB Release Date: 2021
Amazon is adapting Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time fantasy series into a TV show. Apparently, they’re hoping it’ll be the next Game of Thrones, but we’ll see.