These are the book to screen adaptations I’m really excited for.

A vivid portrait of love and loss during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, Lewis Kennedy’s debut film blends domestic noir with political thriller. Upon its release it became a bestseller and longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, it was soon picked up by Channel Four. The four-part series premiered last month and stars TV royalty Gillian Anderson, Tom Cullen and Lola Petticrew – I’m in two episodes and I’m hooked.

Set in 1970s Belfast, the story follows 24-year-old Cushla, who works as a primary school teacher on the outskirts of Belfast, while working occasional shifts at her family’s pub. It is here that she meets the handsome and married older lawyer Michael Agnew, and she becomes involved in an illicit affair that challenges the rigid boundaries of society, as he is a Protestant and she is a Catholic.

Kennedy effortlessly weaves historical details into each chapter, with the political turmoil brewing in the background of their affair alarmingly visible. Warm, entertaining and tense, it’s a page-turner with depth.

Chances are you’ve seen Frieda McFadden’s thriller, The Housemaid, on your social media feeds and while traveling. The film, to be released in 2023, has already been made into a Hollywood movie starring Sidney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. I haven’t read it, but if TikTok’s hype is anything to go by, the film adaptation is sure to be huge.

The psychological thriller tells the story of a young woman named Milly Calloway, who takes a job as a live-in housemaid to a wealthy family. At first, the job seems perfect, especially considering the luxury accommodations. But, hiding her own criminal past, she soon uncovers family secrets, dark truths and disturbing dynamics. Like all the best thrillers (think gone girl Or girl in the train), the novel is said to be full of twists and turns and tension. The film will be released on December 26, 2025, so you have plenty of time to read the book first.

Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel Hamnet was released in 2020, becoming a bestseller during lockdown when many of us found solace in books. The bestseller has now been adapted for the big screen with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. The beautifully told story reimagines the life of Shakespeare’s son Hamnet, who died at the age of 11. Little is known about his short life, except for the fact that he inspired the play Hamlet.

The story revolves between two timeless events: Hamnet’s sudden illness and death in 1596, and the years before his death when his parents, Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, met and married. A powerful meditation on family, loss, grief and love, it won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020. The film will premiere on 9 January 2026.

Jane Austen’s original romance pride and prejudice Needs little introduction. Published in 1813, this classic follows the witty and independent Elizabeth Bennet as she falls in love with the rich but reserved Mr. Darcy. Set against the backdrop of the Bennet family’s attempt to find husbands for their five daughters, the novel explores the social morals, expectations and class divisions of that era.

It’s been a difficult path adapting it for the screen, ranging from a big-screen film starring Keira Knightley to a BBC series with Colin Firth. Now it’s Netflix’s turn. The streamer has announced a six-part series written by Dolly Alderton (the millennial answer to Nora Ephron) and starring Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden and Olivia Colman. There is no release date yet, but we can expect it in 2026.

Nobel Prize-winning British author Kazuo Ishiguro’s eighth novel is a captivating journey into the mind of Clara, an artificial friend created to keep lonely children company. The sci-fi novel has been adapted into a film by director Taika Waititi, scheduled for release in summer 2026. Starring Jenna Ortega as Clara, the cast also includes Amy Adams and Steve Buscemi.

The dystopian themes of the 2021 novel just grabbed me never let Me GoBut the exploration of AI and human relationships seems more relevant than ever in 2025. In the book, Clara is chosen by Josie, a young girl suffering from a chronic illness. Using Clara’s voice, Ishiguro writes about power, status, and fear among humans in our changing technological landscape.

Partly highlighting the dangers of child fame and partly about his relationship with his mother, i’m glad my mom died secured a place in my review of Best memoirs and autobiographies. The book’s stirring opening finds McCurdy at the hospital bedside of his mother, Debra. She has cancer and is in a coma – to wake her up McCurdy whispers, “Mommy, I’m… so thin right now.” The Nickelodeon star then recalls her dysfunctional childhood with her cruel and narcissistic mother, who was unsuccessful in her acting career.

This might have been a depressingly sad memoir in anyone else’s hands, but McCurdy’s knack for storytelling and dark humor balances the bleakness of his story. Ultimately, it’s about abuse masquerading as love. it has been announced Jennifer Aniston is ready to act in the 10-episode series inspired by the memoir, while Jennette McCurdy will write the series, executive produce and run the show.

romantic comedy Husband Follows Lauren, a single, thirty-year-old woman who returns to her two-bed flat in South London one evening and finds that she has a husband. In an even more surreal twist, she discovers that if she sends her husband into the attic he will be replaced by a new man. With each new husband who descends from the magical attic, Lauren discovers that she has a new life, habits, and sometimes even a career.

Spanning over 200 husbands at a near-daily pace, the book becomes a satirical and smart dissection of swipe-right dating, as Lauren sends the husbands she finds minor flaws into the attic for a fresh start (if only life were that easy). Light-hearted, unique, and hilarious, it’s worth a read. Unsurprisingly, Apple TV+ has announced an eight-episode adaptation starring Juno Temple — I can’t wait.