BThis year’s ook-to screen adaptations were big. They provide plenty of material for anyone interested in debating which movie or book is better. From adaptions like, Netflix’s recent Anatomy of a Scandal, based on Sarah Vaughan’s best-selling novel to an upcoming take on Sally Rooney‘s Conversations with Friends on Hulu, readers eager to lay eyes on the characters they’ve only visualized in their heads are sure to be thrilled.
We have 14 screen-to-book books to look forward in 2022.
Anatomy of a Scandal(Netflix April 15, 2007)
Prepare for slow-burning suspense in this #MeToo-era courtroom thriller, which centers on bad behavior among Britain’s elite. James (Rupert Friend), a prominent politician, and his wife, Sophie (Sienna Miller), are seemingly thriving until James is accused of professional misconduct—and then of far worse things. Melissa James Gibson, David E. Kelley, and Melissa James Gibson adapted the 2018 novel to Netflix. This TV series, which consists of six episodes, is timely and examines consent and entitlement.
Heartstopper(Netflix April 22).
Heartstopper, Alice Oseman’s sweet webcomic—which began in 2016 and was eventually published as a series of graphic novels—charts the relationship between Charlie and Nick, two grammar-school boys who unexpectedly fall for each other. The eight-part Netflix series may not be able to break your heart but it might warm it.
Unter dem Banner of Heaven (FX and Hulu: April 28)
Jon Krakauer’s 2003 true-crime bestseller is being adapted into a seven-episode limited series. This series investigates the brutal 1984 murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty, Daisy Edgar-Jones’ infant daughter and Salt Lake City police officer. Andrew Garfield portrays Detective Jeb Pyre, a devout Mormon who has to wrestle with his faith as he untangles the killings—and how they relate back to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Conversations with Friends (Hulu, May 15)
Maybe, you’ve been trying to find another Sally Rooney book since the end of your binging. Normal People. It’s finally here: the Irish author’s debut novel will be reimagined as a 12-episode series starring Alison Oliver, Joe Alwyn, Sasha Lane, and Jemima Kirke. It follows a pair of best friends—Frances and Bobbi—as they become close with an eccentric married couple and explore their sexuality, testing the boundaries of their friendship.
Where the Crawdads Sing(In cinemas July 22).
Delia Owens’ best-selling 2018 novel is finally getting the big-screen treatment. Kya (Daisy Edgar Jones), who was left at an early age, and then raised in North Carolina’s marshes. Years later, the lonely, mysterious girl is accused of murdering town heartthrob Chase (Harris Dickinson), who’d fallen for her but kept their romance secret from his family. Reese Witherspoon is among the movie’s producers, and Olivia Newman is directing. (Taylor Swift recently revealed that she wrote a song for the movie, but she’s faced backlash because of Owens’ controversial involvement with a poaching incident.)
Salem’s Lot(In theatres September 9)
Vampires invade a small New England village Salem’s LotThe latest Stephen King thriller is being made into a film. (The novel—King’s second, published in 1975—was also the inspiration for a 2004 TNT miniseries.) It’s about Ben (Lewis Pullman), a troubled writer who heads home to Jerusalem’s Lot in Maine, where his childhood demons transform into real ones. A group of locals join him to defeat the evil vampires.
She spoke.(In theatres November 18).
New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor won a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for breaking the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal—which helped birth the #MeToo movement. The story of how they got there was chronicled in She spoke.The 2019 book, “The Book of Investigative Reporting”, took readers on a journey behind the scenes to learn more about these investigative reporters. Carey Mulligan (left) and Zoe Kazan (right) will portray journalists in a film adaptation of the case.
Lucky Girl (Netflix, 2022)
Jessica Knoll is the writer of the 2015 thriller Lucky Girl, also penned the screenplay for the movie adaptation, which is due this year—starring and produced by Mila Kunis. The story, which was partly inspired by Knoll’s personal experiences, is about a woman who’s reinvented herself after being raped as a teenager. Years later, she seemingly has it all—until her past comes roaring back, fraying the edges of her carefully constructed life.
Otto, the Man Who Called Himself a ManIn theaters December.
In Swedish author Fredrik Backman’s delightful debut novel, Ove is a Man, the titular curmudgeon has a heart that’s too big—literally, but also, it turns out, metaphorically. The American Academy Award nomination for the Swedish adaptation of the story won it the Academy Award. Ove was renamed Otto, after the Swedish adaptation that won a 2017 Academy Award. Rita Wilson is also a producer.
I Turned Pretty in Summer (Amazon Prime Video, TBD)
Before To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,It was I Turned Pretty in Summer. Jenny Han’s YA romance trilogy, which launched in 2009, is set to premiere as a Prime Video series this year. It’s about Belly (Lola Tung), a teenage girl who gets a crash course in love when she develops a relationship with two boys who fight for her affections. This is a lighthearted, fun story about coming of age that will make you yearn for happy summers on the coast.
The Best Pieces Of Her(Netflix currently available).
What happens when you think you know everything there is to know about your mother—and then find out she specializes in secrets? That question is at the heart of Karin Slaughter’s stirring novel, which was the basis for this eight-episode inaugural season. Andy (Bella Heathcote) and her mother (Toni Collette) are caught up in a shooting at a local diner, which ignites a media firestorm—and forces Andy to realize her mom has an entire shocking history that’s been long concealed.
The Nile: Death at the Crossroads Hulu and HBO Max, Available at the moment)
Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) puts his “little grey cells” to fine use in this movie adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic murder-mystery. The story takes place aboard a luxurious cruise ship that is heading down the Nile River in 1937 as Linnet (Gal Gadot), and Simon (Armie Hammer), celebrate their wedding. Things get complicated when Simon’s scorned ex-girlfriend, Jackie (Emma Mackey), shows up, and even more so when Linnet ends up dead. Even if you know exactly what the brilliant detective Poirot will figure out, it’s fun to watch the puzzle pieces click into place.
You can’t leave(Hulu is currently available).
In this thrilling movie based on the 2017 novel by Taylor Adams, a woman named Darby (Havana Rose Liu) becomes stranded at a rest stop where she’s forced to shelter with a group of strangers. That could be uncomfortable during the best of circumstances, but the tension grows quickly when she discovers a young girl tied up and gagged in one of the stranger’s vans—clearly, a kidnapping in progress. Darby has to figure out who’s responsible and how to save the child, and herself, in this claustrophobic adaptation.
PachinkoApple TV+ currently availble
Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, a sweeping historical fiction novel published in 2017, was beloved by many readers—like Barack Obama, who recommended it for its resilience and compassion. It follows four generations of Korean immigrants through the lives of their family. Apple TV+ launched a multilingual adaptation of this story in March. The eight-part series was rated the best ever. Starring Minha Kim and Jin Ha is the series.
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