10 Books to Read Before You Watch in 2026

With the May release of Remarkably Bright Creatures on Netflix, we are worked into a frenzy over which of our favorite books are being made into movies or tv shows in 2026. After all, most of us here working at the library read Remarkably Bright Creatures and watched the movie the minute it came out. We love being able to compare what was similar and different within the pages of the book versus the big screen. 

Here are some other movies to be on the lookout for that you can read before watching:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Release Date: May 2026

Platform: Netflix

Remarkably Bright Creatures has been one of our most talked about books since it was released in 2022. Not many books are told from the point of view of an octopus named Marcellus, but this one is one you won't easily forget. 

A heartwarming (and heartbreaking) story about family, grief, and community, we recommend you watch Remarkably Bright Creatures with your loved ones. Sally Field and Lewis Pullman lead the cast and do a phenomenal job bringing the story to life. 

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Release Date: June 2026

Platform: Amazon Prime

Every Summer After (retitled Every Year After as a show), premiers in June on Amazon Prime. Fresh off the popularity of other book to tv show adaptations like We Were Liars, or The Summer I Turned Pretty, society can't seem to get enough of these first-love dramatic stories. 

This one is likely to continue in those footsteps. After spending 16 weeks on the New York Times Best-Seller list and selling over 1 million copies, Every Summer After is poised to be a huge hit. 

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

Release Date: July 2026

Platform: Peacock

Often considered the queen of Summer beach reads, Elin Hilderbrand's The Five-Star Weekend is sure to be a summertime hit. 

Starring Jennifer Garner and Regina Hall, The Five-Star Weekend is a perfect blend of a Nancy Meyer's movie, and Big Little Lies. A perfect excuse to get your friends together for a weekly tv night!

The Odyssey by Homer

Release Date: July 2026

Platform: Theaters & IMAX 

Shot on IMAX film, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is generating a lot of (positive and negative) buzz. Nolan has always been an ambitious filmmaker, and his follow-up to his Oscar winning Oppenheimer is no exception. 

Telling a Greek myth sounds right up Nolan's alley to be honest, and with an amazing ensemble cast featuring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, John Leguizamo and Lupita Nyong'o, this film, which was shot in six different countries is sure to be a feast for the eyes. 

Lucky by Marissa Stapley

Release Date: July 2026

Platform: Apple TV+

As part of Reese Witherspoon's book club, and produced by Reese herself Lucky is sure to be a hit. The story follows Lucky, a troubled con-artist (played by Anya-Taylor Joy), who is on the run from the FBI and a ruthless crime boss. 

Being made into a 7-episode miniseries, Apple TV+ subscribers will get to spend the summer with a weekly episode sure to get your heart pumping. 

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Release Date: August 2026

Platform: Theaters

You'd think that in a post-Covid world we would be sick of post-apocalyptic films where illness has devastated the population. 

However, Ridley Scott is a great director to helm a take on this critically acclaimed best-seller by Peter Heller. Starring the "it" actors of the moment, Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley, (backed by veterans Allison Janney, Guy Pearce, and Josh Brolin), The Dog Stars has the ability to bring in a wide audience, we'll see if Scott's $110 million dollar gamble pays off! 

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Release Date: October 2026

Platform: Theaters

The past couple of years have been filled with book-to-screen adaptations based on Colleen Hoover books. While most of her books tend to focus on romantic, yet tragic stories, none are quite like Verity. 

Starring Josh Hartnett, Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, this thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's great for fans of Frieda McFadden and Gillian Flynn.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Release Date: Late 2026

Platform: Amazon

The Love Hypothesis which was released in 2021, gained notoriety on BookTok which launched it into the stratosphere and helped it become a New York Times best-seller. 

Starring Lili Reinhart (who is also executive producing), the "fake turned real" relationship trope will delight fans of books by Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, and others. 

Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan

Release Date: February 2027

Platform: Theaters

Truth be told, seeing a book with the names Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shymalan seemed a bit confusing initially, but capitalizing off Nicholas Sparks previous success, it quickly became a best-seller. Shymalan and Sparks worked together to develop the characters with Shymalan writing the respective screenplay simultaneously as Sparks wrote the book.

With those two names behind it, this supernatural love story being released near Valentine's Day is sure to become a box-office success as well! 

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

Release Date: February 2027

Platform: Theaters & IMAX

Greta Gerwig's first film since 2023's smash-hit, Barbie, Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, is the first Netflix original movie to receive theater distribution!

A reboot of the previous Narnia movie series, it stars Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Craig and Emma Mackay. This multi-million dollar adaptation is certain be fun for the whole family with amazing effects and visuals! 

The Most Anticipated Book-to-Screen Adaptations of 2025

There have been some fantastic book-to-screen adaptations of 2025 so far. From Bong Joon Ho's Mickey 17 (based on the novel Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton) to the newest installment of the Bridget Jones franchise, Mad About the Boy, Hollywood is working overtime to bring some of our favorite novels to life. 

Here are some of the most highly anticipated book-to-film adaptations we still have to look forward to in 2025:

The Running Man by Stephen King

Starring Glenn Powell and directed by Edgar Wright, this latest adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 novel is set to release in November. 

Set in a distant dystopian future (*ahem* 2025), The Running Man tells the story of Ben Richards as he participates in the reality show The Running Man, in which a contestant can win money by evading hit men sent to kill them. 

Originally released as one of King's The Bachman Books, this was also made into a 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

The Long Walk by Stephen King

Speaking of The Bachman Books, Stephen King's The Long Walk is finally being made into a feature film. This has been a long time coming as they initially green-lit the film in 1988 with George Romero attached to direct!

Set to release in September and starring Mark Hamill, The Long Walk is one of King's lesser-known novels, but truly horrifying. 

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Freida McFadden's breakthrough novel, The Housemaid, spent 60 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller and 82 weeks on the Amazon Bestseller lists. 

Selling over 2 million copies worldwide, this psychological thriller is set to be released in theaters on December 25, 2025. Starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, The Housemaid is not for the faint of heart! 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club is the introductory book in a fun series about four friends living in a retirement community who get together to investigate unsolved murders. 

Coming to Netflix as an original series, the production pulled out all the stops when it came to casting. Starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley, the series is sure to be a fun experience! 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Although Frankenstein is not new to screen adaptations, get ready to see a couple different versions in the next two years. 

First up, is Guillermo del Toro's version coming to Netflix this fall and starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth. Over a decade in the making, del Toro is fulfilling a lifelong dream in the creation of this movie.

Next year, Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride, will also be released. Set in the 1930s, this alternative take on the novel stars Christian Bale, Penelope Cruz, and Annette Benning. 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Based on Ruth Ware's bestselling novel, The Woman in Cabin 10 is set to release on Netflix this fall. 

This psychological thriller starring Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce tells the story of a journalist who upon seeing someone go overboard during the night on a luxury cruise is told that she must have imagined it. 

With themes of trauma, and gaslighting, this classic whodunnit is a fun ride! 

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

2025 feels like the year of dystopian book-to-screen adaptations, and with a rise in our current technology it's easy to see why. 

Klara (played by Jenna Ortega) is an Artificial Friend in a world where students are "lifted" for enhanced academic ability, at a cost. 

Directed by Taika Waititi, with an all-star cast including Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi, and Natasha Lyonne, this Ishiguro novel is full of haunting prose and the movie is sure to tug at your heart strings. 

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

After last year's release of It Ends With Us, we can expect to see a lot of Colleen Hoover adaptations hitting the big screen. 

Regretting You, slated to be released on October 24th, may be one of Hoover's lesser known books, but is sure to garner a lot of publicity. 

The story explores themes of first love, loss, mother/daughter relationships and more. 

Cold Storage by David Koepp

If you're a fan of science-fiction and end-of-the world scenarios, this lesser known title may be for you!

After a deadly, mutating fungus escapes a deep underground storage facility, two security guards and the operative who initially found and contained the fungus 30 years earlier must race against the clock to contain it. 

Starring Liam Neeson, Vanessa Redgrave, and Joe Keery (of Stranger Things fame), this is sure to be a thrilling ride! 

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Wicked: For Good the second chapter of Wicked (based on the 2002 stage play) will be released on November 21, 2025. 

The first part of the film made of $756 million dollars worldwide and received 10 Oscar nominations (and 2 wins).

What are some of your favorite book to movie or tv show adaptations? Any that you're particularly excited about seeing this year?