Books to Movies & TV in 2021: 50+ New & Upcoming Adaptations

A Discovery of Witches, Season 2 (IMDB)
Release Date: January 9, 2021 (Episode 1)

A Discovery of Witches‘ second season premiered on January 9, 2021. It’s originally based on the very popular “All Souls” fantasy romance series by Deborah Harkness. The show stars Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer as our witch and vampire love birds.

I’ve been watching the show and if you think it sounds interesting, you’ll probably love it.

White Tiger (IMDB)
Release Date: January 22, 2021

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga won the Booker Prize in 2008 and is being released in a movie adaptation to air on Netflix in January. It’s described as following “a darkly comic Bangalore driver through the poverty and corruption of modern India’s caste society.” Stars Priyanka Chopra.

The Dig (IMDB)
Release Date: January 29, 2021

The Dig is a novel by John Preston that’s being adapted into a movie starring Lily James, Ralph Fiennes, and Carey Mulligan.

From IMDB: “An archaeologist embarks on the historically important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938.”

Firefly Lane (IMDB)
Release Date: February 3, 2021 on Netflix

Netflix is adapting Kristin Hannah’s Firefly Lane, starring Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.

From IMDB: The story of Tully and Kate, two unlikely friends from their meeting as tweens in 1974 to the present. Kate, the introvert, and Tully, the coolest girl in school, form a bond that weathers every milestone in their lives, leading up to a tragedy in the present.

The Luminaries (IMDB)
Release Date: February 14, 2021

An adaptation of Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries is coming to Starz. Starring Eva Green, The Luminaries is an “adventure mystery set in the midst of New Zealand’s 1860’s gold rush period.” You can expext lots of drama, murder, love and revenge, as men and women travel the world making their fortunes.

To All the Boys 3 / Always and Forever, Lara Jean (IMDB)
Release Date: February 2021 (anticipated)

Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky will be back for the third movie, which was shot back to back with the second installment, previously released. It’s likely to come out in February 2021 (basically, a year after the second one).

Behind Her Eyes (IMDB)
Release Date: February 17, 2021 on Netflix

Behind Her Eyes, a limited series coming to Netflix, is based on the twisty psychological thriller by Sarah Pinborough. From IMBD: “It follows Louise, a single mom with a son and a part-time job in a psychiatrist’s office. She begins an affair with her boss and strikes up an unlikely friendship with his wife.”

Antlers (IMDB)
Release Date: February 19, 2021

Antlers, a movie expected in 2021, is an adaptation of a short story by Nick Antosca called “A Quiet Boy”. The movie stars Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons and Jeremy T. Thomas.

Cherry (IMDB)
Release Date: February 26, 2021

Cherry by Nico Walker is being adapted into a movie by the Russo Brothers, starring Tom Holland.

From IMDB: “An Army medic suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder becomes a serial bank robber after an addiction to drugs puts him in debt.”

Without Remorse (IMDB)
Release Date: February 26th, 2021

Tom Clancy’s novel Without Remorse is being adapted into a movie starring Michael B. Jordan.

It’s a story about a former Navy SEAL turned CIA operative who seeks revenge after his girlfriend is killed by a drug lord.

Shadow and Bone (IMDB)
Release Date: March 2021 (rough estimate) on Netflix

The highly anticipated adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone series is finally arriving on Netflix in 2021.

Chaos Walking (IMDB)
Release Date: March 5, 2021

Chaos Walking is an adaptation of Patrick Ness’s The Knife of Never Letting Go which is Book One in his Chaos Walking trilogy. Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland star in the movie.

Chaos Walking has had a very, very difficult time trying to make the jump to film. It was greenlit nearly a decade ago (in 2011), has six different screenwriters credited to it (with the last one being Patrick Ness himself, who has some screenwriting experience), and has cost well over $100 million.

To make matters worse there’s a nearly two-year-long gap from when the first cut of the film was shot (and deemed unreleasable) and when extensive re-shoots took place. Which means the two stars (Daisy and Tom) may look a little different from scene to scene. Anyway, you can read about all of it here. It’s slated for January 22, 2021, but who knows. I’ll believe it when I see it, since this movie has been delayed so many times.

The YA dystopian sci-fi novel is about a 12-year-old boy, Todd Hewitt, who is the only boy from a town full of men where everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts. He flees from town with his dog when he realizes something is very wrong with the town and comes across a girl that curiously managed to survive whatever wiped out the female townspeople.

Update: A trailer was released in November 2020, so it looks like this release date might actually stick!

Update 2: Nope. The January 22, 2021 date has been pushed to March 5, 2021, so we’ll see what happens.

Fatherhood / Two Kisses for Maddy (IMDB)
Release Date: April 16, 2021

The memoir Two Kisses for Maddy is being adapted into a movie called Fatherhood, starring Kevin Hart.

It’s a book about love, grief and fatherhood by Matt Logelin. Synopsis: “Matt and Liz Logelin were high school sweethearts. After years of long-distance dating, the pair finally settled together in Los Angeles, and they had it all: a perfect marriage, a gorgeous new home, and a baby girl on the way. Liz’s pregnancy was rocky, but they welcomed Madeline, beautiful and healthy, into the world. Just twenty-seven hours later, Liz suffered a pulmonary embolism and died instantly, without ever holding the daughter whose arrival she had so eagerly awaited.

Though confronted with devastating grief and the responsibilities of a new and single father, Matt did not surrender to devastation; he chose to keep moving forward-to make a life for Maddy.”

Peter Rabbit 2 (IMDB)
Release Date: April 21, 2021

There’s a sequel to 2018’s Peter Rabbit adaptation coming out in February. Stars Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson and James Corden.

Infinite / The Reincarnationist Papers (IMDB)
Release Date: May 28, 2021

Infinite is an upcoming sci-fi movie based on a little known sci-fi book series called The Reincarnationist Papers by D. Eric Maikranz. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Dylan O’Brien and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

From IMDB: “A man discovers that his hallucinations are actually visions from past lives.”

Cruella (IMDB)
Release Date: May 28, 2021

A live-action prequel to 101 Dalmations is being produced by Disney. It’ll star Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, and the story follows the life of Cruella de Vil.

101 Dalmations is actually based on a book by Dodie Smith (who wrote I Capture the Castle).

Fear Street (Trilogy) (IMDB)
Release Date: Summer 2021

The Fear Street book series created by R.L. Stine is headed for a feature adaptation as a movie trilogy. The trilogy is set to be released on Netflix in 2021, each one a month apart during the summer.

The horror series almost always involves teenagers getting caught up in horrific plots, so we can probably expect more of the same from a movie adaptation of it.

Anatomy of a Scandal (IMDB)
Release Date: Fall 2021

The Netflix series adaptation of Anatomy of a Scandal will star Michelle Dockery, Rupert Friend and Sienna Miller.

The Last Duel (IMDB)
Release Date: October 15, 2021

The Last Duel is an adaptation of Eric Jager’s book The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France.

From IMDB: “King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire by challenging him to a duel.”

Directed by Ridley Scott and with a screenplay written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, the movie stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer.

Dune (IMDB)
Release Date: October 21, 2021

You’ve probably already heard about this one (and if you haven’t, I’m sure you’ll be seeing it around everywhere quite soon), but the movie adaptation of Dune is to be released on October 21, 2021. Stars lots of famous people including Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Timothée Chalamet.

Nightmare Alley (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021 (maybe)

Nightmare Alley is a thriller that was released back in 1946. There’s no release date for the movie adaptation set yet, but it’s currently filming. Guillermo del Toro directs a star-studded cast, including Cate Blanchett, Bradley Cooper, Toni Collette, Rooney Mara and Willem Dafoe.

From IMDB: “An ambitious young carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.”

Blonde (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Joyce Carol Oates’s Blonde, a fictionalized recounting of Marilyn Monroe’s life, is being adapted into a movie to be released in 2021. Ana de Armas (depicted above) will play Marilyn Monroe. Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale will star as well.

The Pursuit of Love (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford is a comedic romance that is being adapted into a three-part BBC series. It looks like it’ll be airing in 2021. Stars include Emily Beecham, Lily James, Dominic West, and Emily Mortimer. If you love period romance, I’m guessing this adaptation should be on your radar.

The Lost Daughter (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021
Format: Movie

The novel The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante is being adapted into a movie starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.

Mothering Sunday (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift is being adapted into a movie starrinf Olivia Coleman, Colin Firth and Josh O’Connor.

From IMDB: A maid living in post-World War I England secretly plans to meet with the man she loves before he leaves to marry another woman.

The Power of the Dog (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage is being adapted into a movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst. Jane Campion is directing.

From IMDB: “A pair of brothers who own a large ranch in Montana are pitted against each other when one of them gets married.”

Last Letter from Your Lover (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

From author Jojo Moyes, Last Letter from Your Lover is about “a young journalist in London becomes obsessed with a series of letters she discovers that recounts an intense star-crossed love affair from the 1960s” (from IMDB).

The Netflix movie will star Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley and Joe Alwyn.

The Underground Railroad (IMDB)
Release Date: Q2-Q3 2021 (Rumored)

A limited series adaption of Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad is rumored to be expecting a release in early-mid 2021. From IMDB: “A young woman named Cora makes an amazing discovery during her attempt to break free from slavery in the deep south.”

Stars Chase W. Dillon, Joel Edgerton and Amber Gray. Directed by Barry Jenkins.

Killers of the Flower Moon (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann is a non-fictional book. From IMDB: “Osage tribe in the United States are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s sparking a major F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover.”

The movie adaptation has been in the works for some time. Martin Scorsese is directing , with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro starring.

Passing (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

The adaptation of Passing by Nella Larson will be directed by Rebecca Hall. Set to star Alexander Skarsgård, Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, and André Holland.

Artemis (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Andy Weir’s Artemis has had a movie adaptation in development for a while. Weir’s novel The Martian was adapted with great success. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will be directing the Artemis movie.

Artemis by Andy Weir is a science fiction novel set on the moon about Jazz, “a porter and part-time smuggler in the lunar city of Artemis. Trying to make a little extra money, she accepts a less than legal job but ends up involved in a much bigger crime” (from IMDB).

(Also see Everything We Know about the Artemis Movie)

True Things About Me (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

True Things About Me by Deborah Kay Davies “follows a young woman living on the fringes of society who becomes intoxicated by a stranger who overwhelms her quiet life” (from IMDB). Stars Ruth Wilson, Robert Goodman, Nathan Ampofo.

Pinnochio (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Guillermo del Toro‘s spin on the classic tale of Pinnochio (originally authored by Carlo Collodi in 1883) is expected to hit theaters in 2021. Note that the original Pinnochio story is quite different from the Disney version, so I would expect something a little darker than the story you may be familiar with.

See the link below for a first look at this stop-motion animated film.

Wicked (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Wicked the Musical is getting a film treatment, finally! I love this musical so much. It’s originally based on the book Wicked by Gregory Maguire. It’s a retelling of Wizard of Oz to explain the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Redeeming Love (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is being adapted into a movie starring Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis and Famke Janssen.

Across the Rivers and Into the Trees (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021 (maybe)

Across the Rivers and Into the Trees, by Ernest Hemingway, is being adapted into a movie starring Liev Schreiber. The book is about an American soldier falling in love with a young Italian countess in Venice.

As of Sepember 2020, it hasn’t been formally announced as a 2021 release, but it’s filming in Venice in October 2020, but it seems like a safe bet.

Dear Zoe (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Dear Zoe by Phillip Beard is a “coming-of-age dramedy in which teenage Tess enlists her biological father – a lovable slacker from the wrong side- of the tracks – and the charming juvenile delinquent next door to help her come to grips with the death of her little sister.” (from IMDB).

It’s being adapted into a movie starring Sadie Sink (from Stranger Things), Jessica Capshaw and Theo Rossi.

Macbeth (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Joel Coen is directing an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. To star Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, and Brendan Gleeson.

A Spark of Light (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

A Spark of Light, by Jodi Picoult, is being adapted into a limited series starring Joey King, set to air in 2021.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Hulu is taking a swing at adapting Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as a series, and as of August 2020, it’s even been renewed for a second season. That’s not a typo — they’re gearing up not one, but two seasons of the show. Season One is expected to air in 2021.

No word yet who is in the cast, but the show began development at Hulu in July 2019.

Daisy Jones & The Six (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021 (maybe)

Daisy Jones & the Six is being turned into an Amazon series with original music to be released on Amazon as well. It’ll star Sam Claflin and Riley Keough as the two main characters.

In Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones is young, beautiful, talented and just beginning her ascent into music stardom when a producer pairs her up with The Six, an up-and-coming blues-rock band.

The book tells their story in all its unruly, sex-crazed, drug-fueled glory. Daisy is blessed in every way — looks, money, talent — but is also wild, reckless and filled with hubris. Meanwhile, Billy, the de facto leader of The Six, is capable but controlling and struggling to manage the temptations of the rock and roll lifestyle. When they meet, stars align and legends are born.

See the full summary and review of Daisy Jones & the Six on the Bibliofile.

Americanah (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Americanah is planned as a 10-episode limited series to be aired on HBO Max. Lupita Nyong’o is set to star, and Danai Gurira will showrun and write the series.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is about two young Nigerians, Ifemelu and Obinze, who meet as teenagers and fall in love. Ifemelu immigrates to the United States to attend university, while Obinze becomes an undocumented immigrant in London after post-9/11 restrictions prevent him from following Ifemelu to the States. The story follows their lives across years and continents, telling a profound story about love and race.

Shadow and Bone (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021 (likely)

Shadow and Bone, Netflix’s Grishaverse adaptation, will begin airing soon. It went into post-production (so, it’s done filming) Spring of 2020, but doesn’t have a scheduled air date yet as we approach Winter 2020, so it looks like 2021 will be the likely air date for this series.

Foundation (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021 on Apple TV+

Foundation is based on the Issac Asimov novel of the same name. Stars Lee Pace, Cassian Bilton, Laura Birn, Jared Harris.

Nine Perfect Strangers (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty is being adapted into a limited series to air on Hulu. The show is being produced by and will star Nicole Kidman.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty is about nine people who gather at a resort for a 10-day wellness retreat. The resort is run by a former businesswoman named Masha. While these strangers get to know each other and grapple with each of their personal issues, they come to find that the resorts policies and practices are a little unconventional and start to have questions about what exactly is going on at this retreat.

See the review and summary of Nine Perfect Strangers on the Bibliofile.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is getting a new adaptation. It’ll be on Disney+.

The Witcher, Season 2 (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021 (possibly Q1)

The Witcher will be back on Netflix for Season 2. Actor Henry Cavill has stated that the show could potentially be released in early 2021, but no sooner than that. The plan is to resume filming in August 2020.

Based off of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher Saga series of books, the fantasy series stars Henry Cavill as the titular Witcher of the series. He’s basically a dude that goes around hunting monsters.

The Witcher books are a collection of eight books of stories, but I recommend starting with The Last Wish or the Sword of Destiny if you want to read the material that the show is adapting. Season 1 contained parts of these books, and Season 2 will continue adapting them.

You, Season 3 (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

Caroline Kepnes’s You was adapted into a surprisingly popular show starring Penn Badgley. The sequel, Hidden Bodies, was adapted into its second season in late 2019.

Kepnes in the process of writing books 3 and 4. Book 3 will be adapted into Season 3 of You, to be aired in 2021.

The Shining Girls (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes is being adapted into a series to be aired on Aplpe+ starring Elizabeth Moss.

From IMDB: A serial killer in Chicago during the 1930s stumbles upon a time traveling device.

The Player’s Table / They Wish They Were Us (IMDB)
Release Date: 2021

The Player’s Table is being adapted into a TV series based on Jessica Goodman’s YA novel, They Wish They Were Us. Halsey and Sydney Sweeney will star.

The Wheel of Time, Season 1 | IMDB
Release Date: 2021

Amazon is adapting Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time fantasy series into a TV show. Apparently, they’re hoping it’ll be the next Game of Thrones, but we’ll see.