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: January 9, 2026

Emily Henry’s cult-favourite friends-to-lovers romance is officially getting 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

Oh we've been waiting for this one. Emerald Fennell is taking on Brontë’s stormiest masterpiece, with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi cast as Catherine and Heathcliff. Produced by Robbie's company LuckyChap, the film promises a modern, sensorial take on the doomed lovers who haunt the Yorkshire moors – just listen to Charli XCX's original score for proof. If Fennell’s track record (Saltburn, Promising Young Woman, the list goes on) means anything, this will be lush, provocative, and rich in symbolism.

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. We can't wait to be re-introduced to the Dashwood sisters.

4. Verity by Colleen Hoover

Release date: October 2, 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: November 20, 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: November 26, 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: TBC

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 tenderness, growing pains and 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: TBC

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 is set to lead the series, with Michelle Pfeiffer playing her mother and Nicole Kidman attached in a still-unknown role.

Feature image from La Délicatesse, via Pinterest.