To read or not to read? Where literary adaptations are concerned, that is the eternal question. If you land firmly in the “read the book first” camp, then now is the perfect time to dive into the source material for some of this year’s most anticipated series and films. Here are some of the thrillers, romances, sci-fi page turners and detective novels coming soon to a screen near you.
This is a running list. Check back for more updates as the year goes on.
January
His & Hers
by Alice Feeney
“There are two sides to every story,” the villain of Feeney’s twisty thriller says. “Yours and mine. Ours and theirs. His and hers. Which means someone is always lying.” In this case, “his” refers to a small-town British detective (played by Jon Bernthal in the new Netflix series), while the “her” (Tessa Thompson) is an alcoholic news anchor — who happens to be his ex. When a woman is brutally murdered, the pair find themselves in a breakneck race to find the killer. Read our review.
“His & Hers” premieres on Netflix on Jan. 8.
People We Meet on Vacation
by Emily Henry
Henry is the reigning queen of literary rom-coms, and the charming story of Poppy and Alex, polar opposite best friends and travel buddies who fall for each other, is the first of her best-selling novels to make it to the screen. Fans of the book’s crackling banter and tender chemistry will be watching closely to see how Emily Bader and Tom Blyth bring the duo’s globe-trotting love story to life.
“People We Meet on Vacation” premieres on Netflix on Jan. 9.
The Seven Dials Mystery
by Agatha Christie
It’s hard to talk about adaptations without mentioning Christie, whose many mysteries have been brought to life onscreen many times. The latest entry in this canon takes place at a party at a country manor where a practical joke goes terribly wrong. The novel got a chilly reception when it arrived in 1929 — The Times called the mystery’s solution “utterly preposterous” and declared the book “far below the standard set by Agatha Christie’s earlier stories” — but the mini-series may have better luck.
“The Seven Dials Mystery” premieres on Netflix on Jan. 15.
The Beauty
by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley
What lengths would you go to for physical perfection? What if all it took was a single shot, but it came with a terrible price? These questions are at the heart of Haun and Hurley’s gritty sci-fi comic series, which predates the Ozempic era by several years. The soapy horror master Ryan Murphy gives it the TV treatment.
“The Beauty” premieres on FX on Jan. 21.
Finding Her Edge
by Jennifer Iacopelli
Just in time for the Winter Olympics, Iacopelli’s Y.A. twist on Jane Austen’s “Persuasion,” set in the world of figure skating, hits the screen. The new series, like the book, focuses on Adriana Russo, an ice dancer from a skating dynasty who finds herself juggling the pressures of her parents’ legacy, a fake relationship and the tender heartbreak of her former partner, and first love, who is suddenly back in her life as she vies for a spot at the Junior Olympic Games.
“Finding Her Edge” premieres on Netflix on Jan. 22.
H Is for Hawk
by Helen Macdonald
Macdonald’s memoir about training a goshawk while grieving her father was named one of our 100 Best Books of the 21st Century; Tara Westover, the author of “Educated,” called it “a book supposedly about training a hawk named Mabel but really about wonder and loss, discovery and death.” The English actress Claire Foy plays Helen in the film; it took five birds to tackle the role of Mabel. Read our review.
“H Is for Hawk” premieres in theaters on Jan. 23.
An Offer From a Gentleman
by Julia Quinn
For its fourth season, Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut turns its attention to the second eldest Bridgerton brother. While the showrunners have been known to take liberties with the source material, if they follow Quinn’s novel then its dearest gentle readers can expect a Cinderella retelling starring the artistic Benedict and Sophie, a servant girl with a secret past.
Season 4 of “Bridgerton” premieres on Netflix on Jan. 29.
February
Box Hill
by Adam Mars-Jones
Mars-Jones’s “story of low self-esteem” is a kinky yet tender coming-of-age story about Colin, a shy young British man who meets an assured older biker, Ray, and tumbles into an eye-opening love affair with the leather-clad dom. For the film adaptation, “Pillion,” Harry Melling plays the wide-eyed Colin while Alexander Skarsgard, as Ray, shows him the (literal and figurative) ropes.
“Pillion” premieres in theaters on Feb. 6.
Broken
by Don Winslow
From the Bifrost Bridge to the Pacific Coast Highway: Chris Hemsworth takes on the role of Mike Davis, the jewel thief protagonist of “Crime 101,” whose heists occur along the California thoroughfare. The movie is based on a novella (published in the 2020 collection “Broken”) by the crime fiction master Winslow about a burglar looking for one last score and the detective hot on his trail; our critic called it “an elegantly choreographed pas de deux.” Read our review.
“Crime 101” premieres in theaters on Feb. 13.
Wuthering Heights
by Emily Brontë
Brontë fans may have been puzzled by the trailer for Emerald Fennell’s forthcoming adaptation of “Wuthering Heights,” which bills the film as “inspired by the greatest love story of all time.” The tragic novel teems with passion, yes, but also with cruelty, obsession, classism and revenge — and of course those mists that roll across the moors, cloaking this Gothic masterpiece in an otherworldly aura.
“Wuthering Heights” premieres in theaters on Feb. 14.
March
Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley
If you didn’t read (or reread) Shelley’s groundbreaking science fiction novel before Guillermo del Toro’s film came out last fall, it’s not too late! Maggie Gyllenhaal takes her own crack at the monster myth this spring, but shifts the focus from the monster to his bride (Jessie Buckley).
“The Bride!” premieres in theaters on March 6.
Postmortem
by Patricia Cornwell
Cornwell’s medical examiner turned forensic consultant Kay Scarpetta is the latest literary sleuth to get the TV treatment. There are many Scarpetta novels to choose from — Cornwell published her 29th this year — but if you want to start from the beginning, pick up “Postmortem,” in which Kay (soon to be played by Nicole Kidman) uses her scientific acumen to nab a serial killer terrorizing Richmond, Va.
“Scarpetta” premieres on Amazon Prime Video on March 11.
Reminders of Him
by Colleen Hoover
In the latest Hoover rom-dram to hit the big screen, Kenna Rowan attempts to rebuild her life after spending five years in prison for the accidental death of her boyfriend. She hopes to reconnect with the daughter she left behind, but nobody from her life will let her in — except for her boyfriend’s bartender best friend, who can’t seem to turn Kenna away.
“Reminders of Him” premieres in theaters on March 13.
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
Weir’s 2021 sci-fi thriller opens with a terrifying premise: A man wakes up on a spaceship, alone, with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Our reviewer called it “an engaging space odyssey” that nonetheless never quite achieves the sense of awe he hopes for from the best hard science fiction, writing, “For a sense of wonder, we can wait for the movie.” That wait is now over, and Ryan Gosling stars as the amnesiac hero. Read our review.
“Project Hail Mary” premieres in theaters on March 20.
Jennifer Harlan is an editor at the New York Times Book Review.
The post Read These Books Before They Hit Your Screens in 2026 appeared first on New York Times.
