If there’s one thing we never get tired of, it’s watching our favourite reads take on a second life. And 2026 is shaping up to be another stacked year for book lovers, with both film and television turning to novels old and new for their next big stories.

From modern cult favourites to classic literature with a twist, these are the book-to-screen adaptations set to define the next year. Consider this your reminder to get reading.

1. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Release date: 9 January 2026

Emily Henry’s cult-favourite friends-to-lovers romance has officially received the Netflix treatment. The story centres on Poppy and Alex, two opposites who are somehow best friends — until a disastrous holiday ended their annual summer trips. Two years later, Poppy convinces Alex to give it one more go, hoping the getaway will fix whatever broke between them. Emily Bader stars as Poppy, with Tom Blyth as Alex, joined by Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Molly Shannon and Lukas Gage.

2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Release date: 14 February, 2026

Emerald Fennell's take Brontë’s stormiest masterpiece, with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi cast as Catherine and Heathcliff, has been arguably one of the most talked-about films of the year. Produced by Robbie's company LuckyChap, the film is a modern, sensorial take on the doomed lovers who haunt the Yorkshire moors – just listen to Charli XCX's original score for proof.

3. Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

Release date: September 11, 2026

A new generation is getting its own Sense & Sensibility. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles and George MacKay, this adaptation promises a sharper, more youthful lens on Austen’s story of love, restraint and social pressure – particularly considering the screenplay was written by Australia's own Diana Reid (who we had sit down with us for our March Book Club to talk all things Austen). We can't wait to be re-introduced to the Dashwood sisters.

4. Verity by Colleen Hoover

Release date: 2 October 2026

Colleen Hoover’s psychological thriller is stepping into the spotlight at last. Verity is heading to the big screen with Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, and Josh Hartnett in the lead roles — perfect casting for this twisted trio, if we do say so ourselves. The plot centres on Lowen, a struggling writer hired to complete a bestselling author’s unfinished novels, only to uncover something darker in the family home. Expect a twisty adaptation that leans into the book’s most unsettling turns.

5. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Release date: 20 November 2026

The Hunger Games is looking back — this time through the eyes of a young Haymitch Abernathy. Suzanne Collins’ newest prequel traces the brutal events of the 50th Hunger Games, long before Katniss ever stepped into the arena. With a teaser trailer already here, expect a darker, more political origin story that deepens the mythology of Panem.

6. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

Release date: 26 November 2026

Greta Gerwig’s next major literary adaptation is a return to Narnia — but not the version we’ve seen on screen before. The Magician’s Nephew, the origin story of the entire Chronicles, follows the creation of Narnia, the first appearance of the White Witch, and the earliest magic that shaped the world. With Netflix backing it and a late-2026 release planned, it’s set to be one of the year’s biggest fantasy events.

7. Heartstopper Forever by Alice Oseman

Release date: 17 July 2026

Nick and Charlie’s story isn’t ending quietly. The final instalment of Alice Oseman’s graphic-novel series is being adapted as a feature-length film, set to close the Heartstopper universe with one last chapter in 2026. Expect a heartfelt send-off to one of the most beloved queer love stories of the decade.

8. Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Release date: 15 April 2026

Rufi Thorpe’s novel is heading to television with an A-list cast to match. The series follows Margo Millet — a young single mum trying to stay afloat after dropping out of college — who turns to OnlyFans as a last-ditch attempt to make rent. When her estranged father, a washed-up pro wrestler, reappears, Margo’s life becomes even more chaotic (and unexpectedly funny). Elle Fanning leads the series, with Michelle Pfeiffer playing her mother and Nicole Kidman attached as a former pro wrestler (yes, really).

9. Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

Release date: 11 March 2026

Another Nicole Kidman-centric masterpiece, though this one falls into the crime thriller category. Scarpetta borrows its plot from Patricia Cornwell's novels, charting the highly skilled Dr. Kay Scarpetta (played by Kidman), who resolves to uncover the identity of a serial killer, while at the same time proving her career-making case from 28 years prior isn’t also her undoing. There are some equally big names rounding out the cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, and Bobby Cannavale.

10. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Release date: TBC

This New York Times best seller is heading to Netflix as a series, with Maya Hawke and Kerry Condon starring. It's described as "a multi-generational drama series set in the Adirondacks, exploring the Van Laar family’s dark secrets, class tensions, and the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of 13 year old Barbara Van Laar from her family’s summer camp – in the wake of an earlier family tragedy that may be related. As the past and present collide, the Van Laars’ wealth and influence unravel, revealing the damaging consequences of privilege and the abuse of power.” We're listening.

11. Off Campus by Elle Kennedy

Release date: 13 May 2026

Sports romances are on a record run after the success of Heated Rivalry – and next off the block is Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus TV series adaptation, premiering on Prime Video on 13 May 2026. It's slated as a romantic "college soap" type series, set at Briar University. The first season will adapt the first book, The Deal, which centres on Hannah tutoring Garrett to keep his grades up in exchange for him pretending to be her boyfriend to make her crush, Justin (played by our digital cover star Josh Heuston), jealous.

12. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Release date: 20 March 2026

Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary film adaptation is a sci-fi film epic starring Ryan Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace, a molecular biologist turned school teacher. The film amassed massive critical and box office success, grossing over $600 million worldwide and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year.

13. Dune: Messiah by Frank Herbert

Release date: 18 December 2026

The final instalment of Denis Villeneuve's Dune trilogy will make its way to theatres at the tail-end of this year, with the full cast attached to reprise their roles (from Timothee Chalamet to Zendaya and Florence Pugh – even Robert Pattinson has been newly added). The film will follow Frank Herbert's Dune: Messiah plotline as Paul Atreides struggles 12 years after his ascension.

14. The Odyssey by Homer

Release date: 17 July 2026

Homer's The Odyssey is larger than life, but if there's anyone who could do an adaptation justice it's Christopher Nolan. Nolan has assembled his team of all-stars: Elliot Page, Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Mia Goth and more for the mammoth retelling, which will be hitting cinemas on 17 July.

Feature image from La Délicatesse, via Pinterest.