7 Stories From Books That Will Dominate 2026 Screens

I’ve said it before, and I will probably keep saying it—book adaptations make the best films and TV series. The reason is fairly obvious. Books that are famous enough to be picked up by a production company are chosen because the story is genuinely that good. Sure, it also opens the door for dedicated fans to flood the theatre and spike the watch count, but that’s a minor portion. The larger portion is the crowd that has never heard of the book—and might not even know what they’re watching is an adaptation—but falls in love with it anyway.

That said, I’m the type of person who wants to know it’s a book adaptation before its release: one, so I can make sure to watch it, and two, to probably read the book beforehand. There is something magical about falling in love with a story whose characters only exist on paper and in your imagination, and then getting to fall in love with it again with those characters on screen. So if you’re like me and want to mark your calendars for the upcoming adaptations, this list is for you.

TV Series

Little House on the Prairie — July 9, 2026

A book series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder in the 1930s about her family’s journey from Wisconsin to Kansas in 1869 is first up on my watchlist. Typically, an autobiography set in the 1800s wouldn’t be a book I’d seek out (not enough dragons), and since middle school already gave me a nice preview, I’ll probably skip the reread on this one. I will, however, give this new Netflix version a watch.

The primary reason for my interest is showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine, best known for her work on The Boys and The Vampire Diaries (arguably the best TV series of all time). If Sonnenshine has already been behind two massively well-liked series, I have a feeling she can turn this less-than-intriguing story into something with enough drama to keep us hooked.

Lucky — July 15, 2026

Based on Marissa Stapley’s crime novel, Lucky follows a woman raised in a life of crime who ends up caught in a heist-gone-wrong type of situation. The lead is played by Anya Taylor-Joy, whom I loved in the niche romance sci-fi The Gorge. Combine that with Reese Witherspoon’s company producing it, and I’m already totally sold. If the story was good enough for Elle Woods to turn into a TV series, it’s good enough for me.

It will be a limited series with seven episodes total, streaming on Apple TV+. The first two episodes drop July 15, with the rest releasing weekly until the finale on August 19.

Harry Potter — December 25, 2026

This Christmas, we have much more to look forward to than presents. This year, we finally get to return to Hogwarts and experience J.K. Rowling’s series all over again with a brand new cast—courtesy of HBO. The show is planned to run for ten years, with each season covering one book. The first season will be a total of eight episodes titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (yes, that is the actual title of the first book; it was changed to Sorcerer’s Stone in the US to sound less academic).

Our favorite trio will be played by newcomers: Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), Arabella Stanton (Hermione), and Alastair Stout (Ron). As for the rest of the cast, they opted for a bit more seasoned actors, with John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, and Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy. The one familiar face from the original films is Warwick Davis, reprising his role as Flitwick.

Click here for a more in-depth look at this magical new series.

Fourth Wing — TBA

Michael B. Jordan has stepped up and done something romantasy fans have been praying for since 2023—he’s bringing the Empyrean Series to the big screen (or, I suppose…whatever size screen you stream on). In May, Prime Video gave the official “we are working on it” at their 2026 Upfronts presentation, with Jordan and Rebecca Yarros on stage together.

Unfortunately, that’s really all we have so far. No official cast, though fans have been quick to speculate—especially when it comes to Xaden Riorson. Josh Heuston, best known for Dune: Prophecy, is at the top of the fan-cast list, but every time he’s asked, he neither confirms nor denies. I take that as a good sign.

How long will fans be waiting? My guess is at least a year, but likely two or more—unless Prime Video and Jordan dedicate themselves fully and get to filming soon.

Films

The Odyssey — July 17, 2026

I know what you’re thinking: does this really count as a book adaptation? This ancient Greek poem by Homer is technically one of the texts that helped define Western literature and henceforth—it totally counts. Although I have a feeling that watching this film will probably be far more enjoyable than deciphering Homer’s original.

Honestly, this will probably be the biggest movie of the entire summer. I know, I know—Spider-Man releases just shortly after, and that’s some pretty big competition. But I just can’t ignore how epic this movie looks and how stacked the cast list is…and let’s not forget it’s Christopher Nolan’s first film since Oppenheimer broke the box office. Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Robert Pattinson in the same movie? This is pretty much the Greek Spider-Man, Batman, and Catwoman crossover we never knew we needed.

My only concern is Nolan’s insistence that all actors use American accents, despite many of the cast naturally having European accents that would seem more fitting. But he has created some masterpieces, so who am I to question such a creative genius? 

Verity — October 2, 2026

Colleen Hoover’s psychological thriller is making its box office debut with Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett. The premise is a little unconventional; it follows author Verity Crawford (Hathaway) and her ghostwriter (Johnson), the latter of whom slowly unravels after reading Crawford’s disturbing autobiography.

The fact that it’s a Colleen Hoover adaptation and she has already had three successful adaptations was already enough to put it on my list.  But the fact that it has these three epic leads makes it even more of a must-watch.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping — November 20, 2026

Did I save the best for last? Absolutely. Hitting theatres just before Thanksgiving, this Hunger Games prequel follows a young Haymitch during the Quarter Quell. And somehow, Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta) make an appearance—despite the events of the novel taking place long before their characters were born.

But they aren’t the only part of the cast I am excited to see; joining them will be Joseph Zada as our young Haymitch, Elle Fanning as young Effie Trinket, and Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow. That means Fiennes will have now played both Voldemort and Snow—two of the greatest villains in book adaptation history. But it also means that he will probably do an amazing job.

What was impressive about this adaptation is the fact that the book was released on March 18, 2025, and the film hits theatres just a year and a half later. I suppose we can attribute that to the hard work of director Francis Lawrence and screenwriter Billy Ray, both of whom were involved with the majority of the original films in the franchise.

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It seems like it’s the year for book adaptations—and most definitely a year for Anne Hathaway fans, too.

I wish I knew which of these I was most excited for, but it is so difficult to say when so many of my favourite franchises have adaptations on the way. All I know is I’ll be subscribing to more streaming platforms than I probably need—and I’m certain it’ll be worth it.