This Year's Most Anticipated Book To Screen Adaptations
From The Housemaid to The Running Man, here’s what’s being adapted, who’s starring, and why you’ll want to read (or re-read) them
There’s something undeniably satisfying about watching the pages you once dog-eared and devoured get the full screen treatment (unless, of course, you ruin it. I’m still mad about All The Light We Cannot See.)
In 2025, the alchemy, however, is happening at full tilt. From literary thrillers and romantic slow burns to dystopian horrors and Broadway-born blockbusters, the pipeline from publishing house to production studio is officially wide open.
But this isn’t just a victory lap for the usual bestseller suspects. Alongside the inevitable Colleen Hoover adaptation (Regretting You), we’re getting Guillermo del Toro’s vision of Frankenstein, a star-studded Thursday Murder Club led by Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan, and a fresh Stephen King double feature—including The Running Man, reimagined by Edgar Wright. Whether you’re drawn to page-turning pulp or Pulitzer-adjacent prose, this year’s adaptations list is fully stacked with maybe a few favourites – and possibly a few flops (but let’s hope for the best).
But anyway, here’s a laid-back rundown of the buzziest books heading to the screen—and what to know before you hit play.
The Housemaid
Based on “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden
Release Date: December 25, 2025
With a stacked cast consisting of Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, and Brandon Skylenar, Paul Feig’s take on Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid already has the makings of a holiday binge hit. Sweeney plays Millie, who lands a gig working for a glamorous couple (Seyfried and Sklenar) in their jaw-dropping home. But this isn’t your average domestic thriller—there’s manipulation, mind games, and Michele Morrone lurking around. With a script by The Boys and The Vampire Diaries alum Rebecca Sonnenshine, this one’s got all the tension and psychological chaos we crave on Christmas.
The Woman in Cabin 10
Based on “The Woman in Cabin 10” by Ruth Ware
Streaming: Netflix
Ruth Ware’s bestselling cruise-gone-wrong is finally getting the screen treatment, with Keira Knightley leading the pack as Lo Blacklock, a journalist who swears she saw a woman thrown overboard. Trouble is, the cruise manifest doesn’t list any missing passengers and she’s told that she imagined it. Directed by Simon Stone and co-written with the screenwriting duo behind Rebecca (Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse), this adaptation leans into the gaslighting and the claustrophobia of being at sea with secrets. Expect paranoia, a stacked cast (Guy Pearce, Hannah Waddingham, Gugu Mbatha-Raw), and serious Gone Girl energy.
PS. If you really want to know more, Ware recently published a sequel, “The Woman in Suite 11”
People We Meet on Vacation
Based on “People We Meet On Vacation” by Emily Henry
Streaming: Netflix | Release Date: January 9, 2026
Every year Emily Henry strikes back and fills our hearts – and summers – with the best romance stories. And now, finally, her adaptations are having a moment, and People We Meet on Vacation is her next rom-com novel headed to the screen. Emily Bader and Tom Blyth play Poppy and Alex—best friends who’ve taken an annual vacation for a decade, until a mysterious fallout leaves them estranged. When Poppy suggests one final trip to rekindle their bond, unspoken feelings rise to the surface. Directed by Brett Haley with a script by Emily in Paris writer Yulin Kuang, this is the sun-drenched, slow-burn romance you’ll want to watch on a Sunday with wine.
Regretting You
Based on “Regretting You” by Colleen Hoover
Production: Constantin Film / Release Date TBA
Colleen Hoover is back, and no, it’s not It Ends With Us 2. Instead, we’re getting Regretting You, a mother-daughter drama led by Allison Williams and McKenna Grace, with Dave Franco adding romantic tension. The story hinges on loss, betrayal, and navigating grief after the sudden death of a husband/father. Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) directs from a script by Susan McMartin, so expect emotional gut punches, slow-motion crying, and possibly the return of the sad indie soundtrack moment.
The Running Man
Based on the novel by Stephen King
Production: Paramount Pictures
Edgar Wright takes on Stephen King’s dystopian “The Running Man” with Glen Powell stepping into the lead role of Ben Richards, a man forced to survive a brutal reality TV show in a totalitarian America (circa 2025, fittingly). Originally published under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, the novel is getting an update with a cast that includes William H. Macy, Josh Brolin, and Emilia Jones. If Wright delivers even half the bite he brought to Baby Driver, this might be one of the most relevant (and fun) sci-fi thrillers of the year.
Wicked: For Good
Loosely based on “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire
Release: November 21, 2025
Glinda and Elphaba are back. The second part of Jon M. Chu’s big-budget musical spectacle continues the Wicked saga with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo reprising their roles. This chapter picks up post- “Defying Gravity,” diving into Elphaba’s rise and Glinda’s reckonings. With Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum and Bowen Yang rounding out the glittering cast, Wicked: For Good promises sweeping visuals, Broadway nods, and reportedly a brand-new ballad co-written by Erivo herself.
Frankenstein
Based on the novel by Mary Shelley
Streaming: Netflix
Guillermo del Toro takes on Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece with Jacob Elordi as the misunderstood monster and Oscar Isaac as Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Add Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz to the mix, and this adaptation instantly levels up. This version won’t be your average horror film—it’s del Toro, after all—so expect gorgeous design, unexpected empathy, and a fair bit of existential dread. This will be del Toro’s second adaptation for Netflix, following Pinocchio, for which he won the Oscar for best animated picture in 2023.
Kill Your Darlings
Based on the novel by Peter Swanson
In Development
Julia Roberts producing and starring in a juicy marriage-with-secrets thriller? Say less. Kill Your Darlings, adapted from Peter Swanson’s novel, reunites Roberts with director James Gray (Ad Astra) and pairs her with a high-stakes domestic mystery. The story follows a seemingly perfect couple, married for 25 years, hiding a deadly secret behind the white picket facade. It’s still early days, but with Roberts back in Homecoming-era serious mode, this could be a prestige crowd-pleaser come awards season.
Maxton Hall (Season 2)
Based on the books “Save Me” by Mona Kasten
Streaming: Prime Video
If you haven’t yet been sucked into Maxton Hall: The World Between Us, think Gossip Girl meets Elite, with German accents and really good chemistry. Based on Mona Kasten’s “Save Me” trilogy, season one followed Ruby, a scholarship student, and James, a rebellious heir, as they fought feelings and social hierarchies. Season two dives deeper into messy family drama, secret pasts, and steamy betrayals. Harriet Herbig-Matten and Damian Hardung return, and with the English translations of the books dropping soon, this could go full global phenomenon.
My Oxford Year
Based on the book by Julia Whelan
Streaming: Netflix | Release Date: August 1, 2025
Netflix is clearly feeling bookish this year, and My Oxford Year is one of its most anticipated romantic dramas. Sofia Carson stars as Anna De La Vega, an ambitious American student who arrives at Oxford with a Goldman Sachs gig already lined up. But a fling with poetry professor Jamie Davenport (Corey Mylchreest, fresh off Queen Charlotte) threatens to rewrite her carefully plotted future. Think Emily in Europe with a Shakespearean twist.
The Thursday Murder Club
Based on the book by Richard Osman
Release Date 28 August, 2025
Four retirees solving murders in a quiet English village? Sounds like a cozy crime story, until you see the cast. Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie lead this adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestseller, directed by Chris Columbus. When a real murder disrupts their regular sleuthing sessions, the Thursday Murder Club swings into full investigative gear. It’s charming, clever, and winks at the genre just enough to win over fans and skeptics alike. Produced by Steven Spielberg, so you know it’s got heart.
The Long Walk
Based on the book by Stephen King
In Development
Before The Hunger Games, Stephen King’s “The Long Walk” envisioned a brutal endurance competition where teenage boys must walk without stopping—ever. Fall behind the pace, and you’re eliminated, permanently. Directed by Francis Lawrence (Mockingjay), the adaptation stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, and Mark Hamill, and promises psychological dread over flashy violence. It’s bleak, horrifying, and disturbingly timely.