New and Upcoming Movies, TV Shows Based on Books 2026

Releasing on Netflix on Jan. 9.

Tom Blyth and Emily Bader star in the feature adaptation of one of Emily Henry’s bestsellers People We Meet on Vacation. My Lady Jane star Bader will portray Poppy, while The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Blyth will star as Alex. The story follows longtime best friends who took one week of every summer vacation together. However, things changed when they stopped speaking for two years. When Poppy reaches out and convinces Alex to take one more vacation together, she sees it as her time to fix their broken relationship. But there’s one unspoken truth they have yet to confront: Are they really just friends or is there more to their relationship? Brett Haley directs, with Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon and Nunzio Randazzo penning the screenplay. Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey and Isaac Klausner produce. Temple Hill’s Laura Quicksilver and Erin Siminoff oversaw the project for 3000 Pictures.

Releasing in theaters on Feb. 13, 2026.

The passionate and destructive relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw from Emily Brontë’s classic 1847 gothic drama novel has been reimagined by director Emerald Fennell. The film marks the director’s third following Promising Young Woman and Saltburn. In addition to Robbie and Elordi, the cast also includes Alison Oliver, Owen Cooper and Hong Chau. The soundtrack will feature original music by Charli XCX.

Releasing in theaters on Nov. 20, 2026.

Following the Songbirds and Snakes prequel, which explored the early life and rise of villainous tyrant President Coriolanus Snow, Lionsgate will now chronicle fan favorite Haymitch (previously portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the films), who later acted as a mentor in the Hunger Games to heroine Katniss Everdeen, in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Francis Lawrence will return to direct the adaptation for Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson’s Color Force banner. Billy Ray is writing the screenplay. Lawrence, screenwriter Michael Arndt and producer Jacobson previously teamed with Lionsgate on four film adaptations of Collins’ Hunger Games books — The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. The film stars Joseph Zada as Haymitch with another star-studded cast including Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin and Glenn Close. Original franchise stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson will reprise their roles as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, with the pair likely appearing in a flash-forward. 

Releasing in theaters on Oct. 2, 2026.

Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett star in the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller Verity. The story follows Lowen Ashleigh (Johnson), who is hired by Jeremy Crawford (Hartnett) to ghostwrite novels for his bestselling author wife Verity (Hathaway), who’s unable to finish after an accident. However, while residing at the Crawfords’ home to work on the book, Lowen begins to realize not everything is as it seems and uncovers Verity’s disturbing truths. Michael Showalter directs with Nick Antosca writing the script following the previous work of scribes Hillary Seitz, Angela LaManna and the team of Will Honley and April Maguire. Producers include Hathaway, Hoover, Showalter, Antosca, Alex Hedlund, Stacey Sher and Jordana Mollick. Hoover’s works are hot properties in Hollywood following the success of It Ends With Us — which adapted the author’s novel with stars Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni and Brandon Sklenar — and Regretting You.

Releasing in theaters on July 17.

Christopher Nolan’s latest epic is an adaptation of the ancient Greek epic poem, The Odyssey. The film, Nolan’s first since his Oscar-winning 2023 blockbuster Oppenheimer, stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal and Mia Goth. Homer’s poem is centered on Greek hero King Odysseus, being played by Damon in Nolan’s telling, and his tortuous, 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. The story also involves Odysseus’ wife and grown son, who must contend with aggressive suitors who have designs on the throne.

Releasing on Apple TV on April 15, 2026.

Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer star in Apple TV’s series adaptation based on Rufi Thorpe’s bestselling novel of the same name. The story follows a young mother who after struggling to make ends meet, starts an OnlyFans account using her estranged father’s advice from pro wrestling. The eight-episode Apple Original series cast also includes Nick Offerman and Thaddea Graham with Nicole Kidman, who also serves as an executive producer. The series hails from A24 and multi-Emmy Award winner David E. Kelley, who serves as showrunner and writer, and executive produces alongside Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning and Brittany Kahan Ward for Lewellen Pictures; Kidman and Per Saari of Blossom Films; and Matthew Tinker for David E. Kelley Productions. Pfeiffer, Thorpe, Eva Anderson and Boo Killebrew also executive produce.

Releasing in theaters on March 20, 2026.

Amazon MGM Studios adapt author Andy Weir’s 2021 novel of the same name for a feature film starring Ryan Gosling. The film, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, follows Gosling as middle school teacher Ryland Grace, who finds himself on a spaceship with no memory of his past or how he ended up there. His interstellar mission, which must be successfully completed in order to save Earth from a potential disaster, leads him to meet a mysterious alien who also seeks to save his own species. Sandra Hüller and Milana Vayntrub also star. Lord and Miller helmed the film from a script by Drew Goddard. Gosling, Weir, Lord, Miller, Amy Pascal, Aditya Sood and Rachel O’Connor produce. Project Hail Mary marks Lord and Miller’s first release as directors since 2014’s 22 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.

Releasing in theaters on Oct. 3, 2026.

Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan joined forces on a supernatural love story that will be a feature film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor. Sparks wrote the companion novel. The story centers on New York architect Tate Donovan (Gyllenhaal) who is eager for a fresh start after losing his sister and travels to Cape Cod to design his best friend’s summer home. However when he takes up residence at a bed-and-breakfast, “he encounters a beautiful young woman named Wren (Dynevor) who will challenge every assumption he has about his logical and controlled world.” Forging an immediate connection, the two begin learning about each other while helping free themselves from the darkness that has impacted their lives. “We agreed to meet on the condition that each of us would come to that meeting with an original story that would work for both of our genres,” Sparks told THR of how his collaboration with the director came to be. “It was both of us taking that original story we first conceived at the very first meeting, and then he worked in his medium, and I worked in mine. I gave him a real long leash on his medium, and he gave me a real long leash on mine.”

Releasing on Netflix on Jan. 8, 2026.

Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson star in Netflix‘s psychological thriller, His & Hers, adapted from Alice Feeney’s 2020 novel of the same name. From Dee Johnson, the story centers on Anna (Thompson), a news anchor living in haunted reclusion. After hearing talk about a murder in Dahlonega — the Georgia town where she grew up — Anna is determined to search for answers. However, Detective Jack Harper (Bernthal) is suspicious of her involvement while he investigates. Pablo Schreiber, Crystal Fox, Sunita Mani, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Marin Ireland and Poppy Liu also star. Dee Johnson serves as showrunner, executive producer and writer. William Oldroyd directs the first episode and is also an executive producer and writer. Bill Dubuque is a writer and executive producer. Executive producers also include Kristen Campo for Campout Productions, Jessica Chastain and Kelly Carmichael for Freckle Films and Kishori Rajan for Viva Maude. Fifth Season participates as the studio.

Releasing on Netflix on Jan. 15, 2026.

Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, Netflix will premiere a three-part series written by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall (Doctor Who). Mia McKenna-Bruce leads the cast as Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, a young, determined sleuth. Netflix describes the series as one happening at “a lavish country house party” when “a practical joke appears to have gone horribly, murderously wrong. It will be up to the unlikeliest of sleuths — the fizzingly inquisitive Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent — to unravel a chilling plot that will change her life, cracking wide open the country house mystery.” Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman, Corey Mylchreest, Ed Bluemel and Nabhaan Rizwan also star. Chibnall will executive produce the series through his company Imaginary Friends. Suzanne Mackie (The Crown), Chris Sussman (Good Omens) and Chris Sweeney (The Tourist, Back to Life), who directed all three parts as well, exec produce.

Season 4 part one premieres on Netflix on Jan. 29, 2026, with part two on Feb. 26, 2026.

Bridgerton returns for season four, and this time it’s Benedict’s turn for his love story to unfold. The fourth season is based on author Julia Quinn’s third Bridgerton book, An Offer From a Gentlemen. The sight-episode season follows Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), who doesn’t necessarily have plans to settle down. But things change when a woman captures Benedict’s attention at Violet Bridgerton’s (Ruth Gemmell) masquerade ball. “While Benedict knows his love interest as only the Lady in Silver, she’s actually Sophie (Yerin Ha), a resourceful maid with her own secrets and dreams,” the streamer teases. Jess Brownell is the showrunner and executive producer of Bridgerton season 4. Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Tom Verica and Chris Van Dusen executive produce.