28 Books to Read Before They're 2021's Most Popular Movies and TV Shows

Do you insist on reading the book before the movie or TV show adaptation comes out? We do t0o, and come 2021, we'll have a lot of books to read. Adaptations of two of Kristin Hannah's epic and affecting books are coming out—one show, and one movie. Over in the realm of Disney live-action adaptations, Cruella de Ville of 101 Dalmatians, originally a novel by Dodie Smith, is getting her own origin story. And the actors behind The Crown's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, Olivia Colman and Josh O'Connor, will reunite in a quiet drama based on the acclaimed novel Mothering Sunday. David E. Kelley, known for writing The Undoing and Big Little Lies, has a Netflix series on the way. Oh, and speaking of Big Little Lies: Nine Perfect Strangers is based on another one of Liane Moriarty's thrillers.

Of course, release dates are tentative given the pandemic. Some movies may even be pushed back to 2022, or—as with Warner Bros's 2021 slate—will be released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously. Think of this as a living document as we add more adaptations and alter dates throughout the year.

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Movie: The Dig

Real life is often stranger than fiction—and so is this novel that's based on an extraordinary turn events. In England during WWII, a widowed farmer finds a treasure in her backyard: Medieval ruins dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries.

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn

Release Date: January 15, 2021 on Netflix

Thomas Nelson

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Movie: Finding You

Finding You will sweep viewers away to Ireland, where the romance is set (and entirely filmed). On a retreat to an Irish coastal town, violinist Finley Sinclair (Rose Reid) meets a movie star, Beckett Rush (Jedidiah Goodacre), on a shoot. But what happens when the vacation ends?

Starring: Katherine McNamara, Vanessa Redgrave, Tom Everett Scott, Rose Reid, Jedidiah Goodacre

Release Date: January 29, 2021

Ecco Press

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Movie: French Exit

Patrick DeWitt wrote the novel and screenplay for French Exit, an arch comedy about a widow who goes to Paris with her son to spend the rest of her inheritance in style.

The Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges

Release Date: February 12, 2021

St. Martin's Griffin

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Series: Firefly Lane

Firefly Lane is a binge-watch made for streaming with your bestie. Tully and Kate meet as teenagers in the '70s, and become fast friends. They bear witnesses to the drama of each others' lives. Both the Netflix show and novel switch between their childhood, their young adulthood, and the present day, where they're still living out their dreams.

Starring: Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke, Ben Lawson

Release Date: February 1, 2021 on Netflix

Berkley

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Movie: Without Remorse

John Clark is a Navy SEAL whose life changes overnight when his wife is killed by a drug lord. In his quest for retribution, John becomes caught up in a larger conspiracy.

Starring: Jamie Bell, Jodie Turner-Smith, and People's Sexiest Man Alive of 2020, Michael B. Jordan as John Clark

Release Date: February 26, 2021 on Prime Video

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Movie: Cherry

Nico Walker wrote the semi-autobiographical novel Cherry while he was serving prison time for bank robbery. Known for its distinct literary style, Cherry tells the story of how one veteran's struggle with addiction led to crime. In case you're curious, Walker explains the meaning of the title: “Cherry” is army slang for a soldier newly arrived in a combat zone.

Starring: Tom Holland, Forrest Goodluck, and Bill Skarsgård

Release Date: February 26, 2021 in theaters, and March 12, 2021 on Apple TV+.

Warne

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Movie: Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is the sequel to an endearing movie based on Beatrix Potter's children's books. It's incredibly star-packed, meaning that adults are likely to be as amused as the kids.

Starring: Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, David Oyelowo, Elizabeth Debicki, Daisy Ridley, Margot Robbie, and James Corden in the lead role.

Release Date: April 2, 2021

Grand Central Publishing

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Movie: Fatherhood

Matthew Logelin was by his wife, Liz's, side when their daughter was born. Hours later, Liz died of a pulmonary. Paul Weitz directs the adaptation of Matthew's tear-jerker of a memoir.

Starring: Kevin Hart stars as Matthew, a man on an unexpected journey into solo fatherhood. Alfre Woodard, Lil Rey Howery, Anthony Carrigan, and DeWanda Wise co-star.

Release Date: April 16, 2021

Keenspot

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Movie: Marry Me

The stakes are high from the start in Bobby Crosby's graphic novel: Music superstars Kat Valdez and Bastian are supposed to get married before a massive audience. When Kat finds out that he's been cheating on her, she chooses to marry a stranger in the audience instead. Take a sneak peak of Jennifer Lopez's role.

Starring: Jennifer Lopez and Maluma, actual superstars, co-star in the movie, which also features Owen Wilson, Sarah Silverman, John Bradley, and more.

Release Date: May 14, 2021

Blackstone Publishing

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Movie: Infinite

The Reincarnationist Papers is a book sprung from an imaginative premise: The existence of secret society, called Cognomina, whose members have the ability to remember everything from their past lives. They use that knowledge to enact societal change.

Starring: When Chris Evans had scheduling difficulties and had to leave the project, Mark Wahlberg was cast in the lead. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dylan O'Brien, Jason Mantzoukas, and Rupert Friend are in the movie as well.

Release Date: May 28, 2021

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Movie: Cruella

Don't be fooled by the title: The Dalmatians were never the stars of 101 Dalmatians. The black-and-white-haired villain, Cruella DeVille, was. In a new movie Cruella, the iconic character's origin story will take the spotlight. Dodie Smith (I Capture the Castle) wrote the children's book that started it all.

Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong

Release Date: May 28, 2021

W. W. Norton & Company

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Movie: Deep Water

Deep Water, a movie adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel, is bringing back the era of the erotic thriller. Melinda and Vic Van Allen are an unhappily married couple. When one of Melinda's lovers winds up dead, Vic intimates that he was the killer.

Starring: Real life couple Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck, along with Jacob Elordi and Finn Wittrock.

Release Date: August 13, 2021

Broadway Books

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Movie: The Last Duel

History! Revenge! Duels! Eric Jager's book has more than enough to fuel one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2021. Two best friends become worst enemies over the course of the story.

Starring: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, and Adam Driver star in the Ridley Scott-directed film.

Release Date: October 15, 2021

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Movie: Dune

Dune is set to be one of 2021's most anticipated films. Based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel, Dune takes place in the far future, on a far distant planet, where Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) plans to take his family’s business empire to the next level. Given the rich specificity of Herbert’s world, Dune has proven notoriously difficult to adapt (past movies have been critically panned). Instead of trying to cram all of Dune into one movie, director Denis Villeneuve is going big. He's directing a two-part film series and a companion TV show on HBO called Dune: The Sisterhood.

The Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgärd, Zendaya, and Oscar Isaac

Release Date: October 21, 2020

St. Martin's Griffin

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Movie: The Nightingale

The second of Kristin Hannah's epic, heartfelt novels to be adapted in 2021, The Nightingale is the story of two sisters during the German occupation of France during WWII. Fans of historical fiction should definitely read this bestseller before the movie comes out, if they haven't already.

Starring: Real life sisters Elle and Dakota Fanning star as Isabelle and Vianne Rossignol, with Melanie Laurent directing.

Release Date: December 22, 2021

Atria/Emily Bestler Books

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TV Show: Anatomy of a Scandal

Prestige alert! Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley and former House of Cards showrunner Melissa James Gibson are teaming up for this Netflix anthology series, inspired by Sarah Vaughan's Anatomy of a Scandal. The novel is about a man and two women caught up in a public scandal: James, a barrister in England, is accused of sexual assault; his wife, Sofie, believes he's innocent; and the prosecutor, Kate, is convinced of his guilt. While this story will likely inspire an episode of the show, we don't know about the other episodes.

Starring: Sienna Miller, Rupert Friend, Michelle Dockery

Release Date: TBA

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Movie: The Stars at Noon

Denis Johnson's novel follows an unnamed American woman during Nicaragua's revolution in 1984, as she develops a relationship with an eccentric English businessman and tries to escape the country. We're eager to see how, and if, the movie adapts Johnson's signature stark and fragmentary tone.

Starring: Robert Pattinson in another collaboration with director Claire Denis. Margaret Qualley co-stars.

Release Date: TBA

Vintage

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Movie: Mothering Sunday

March 30th, 1924 proves to be a pivotal day in the life of Jane Fairchild, a servant who would one day become a famous author—thanks to the transformative events depicted in Mothering Sunday. Short and deep, the coming-of-age novel is the kind you can read in a day and feel renewed.

Starring: Olivia Colman and Josh O'Connor, a.k.a. The Crown's Queen and Prince Charles will reunite in this movie, also starring Colin Firth and Odessa Young.

Release Date: TBA

Back Bay Books

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Movie: The Power of the Dog

The key word to remember for The Power of the Dog is tense. The novel opens with the Burbank brothers living on their ranch in 1920s Montana. All is well—until George marries a young widow, and his older brother, Phil, launches a campaign to ruin his life.

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, and married couple Kristen Dunst and Jesse Plemons. Jane Campion (The Piano, Bright Star) writes and directs.

Release Date: TBA, but will stream on Netflix

Amistad Press

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Movie: All Rise

Winning the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, and other accolades, Walter Dean Myers's novel Monster is a classic of children's literature. It tells the story of a 16-year-old teenager incarcerated for a murder charge. Years after its 1999 publication, Monster's movie adaptation premiered at Sundance in 2018, but was acquired by Netflix in 2020, per Shadow and Act.

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr. of The High Note leads the cast which includes When They See Us's Jharrel Jerome, John David Washington, Jennifer Hudson, Tim Blake Nelson, Nas and A$AP Rocky.

Release Date: TBA, on Netflix

Ecco Press

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Movie: Blonde

Years after her tragic death, Marilyn Monroe remains a fixture of pop culture fixation. But behind the image we know so well, who was Monroe, really? With Blonde, Joyce Carol Oates gives interiority to a woman that has been scrutinized by pop culture for decades. The movie adapted from the book will likely do the same.

Starring: Ana De Armas as Marilyn Monroe herself, along with Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale and Julianne Nicholson

Release Date: TBA

Flatiron Books

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TV Show: Nine Perfect Strangers

Nine Perfect Strangers could very well be your Big Little Lies substitute of 2021. Both are adapted from books by Liane Moriarty. Nine Perfect Strangers is set in a health and wellness center, where something is deeply wrong behind the beautiful exterior.

Starring: Some of the "nine perfect strangers" included are played by Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans, and Hollywood's Samara Weaving.

Release Date: TBA, but will stream on Hulu

Hogarth

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TV Show: Conversations With Friends

After 2020's Normal People adaptation, 2021 will bring another adaptation of a Sally Rooney novel. Whereas Normal People is a romance, Conversations With Friends is about an... entanglement. Bobbi and Frances are exes-turned-best friends who get involved with a married couple, leading to a quadrangle of relationships.

Starring: The cast hasn't been announced, but Lenny Abrahamson, who directed Normal People, will helm this series as well.

Release Date: TBA

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Movie: Always and Forever, Lara Jean

The final installment in Jenny Han's much-beloved YA trilogy is coming some time in 2021. Get ready to send Lara Jean (Lana Condor) off to college, and find out how the series's many love triangles resolve themselves. Don't be sad it's over: You can always watch it again.

The Cast: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, John Corbett

Release Date: TBA, but will premiere on Netflix

Candlewick

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Movie: The Knife of Never Letting Go

Chaos Walking, Patrick Ness's best-selling YA trilogy, has a grim premise: A virus kills all the women on a colony planet, and drives all the men mad with the ability to hear each other's thoughts. This is the only world Todd Hewitt (Tom Holland) has known. Then, Todd stumbles upon Viola (Daisy Ridley), the first girl he's ever met who is evidently still alive. After years of setbacks, Chaos Walking is finally slated to hit screens some time in 2021. The movie is specifically based on The Knife of Never Letting Go, the trilogy's first installment.

The Cast: Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Nick Jonas, Mads Mikkelsen

Release Date: TBA

Back Bay Books

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Movie: Those Who Wish Me Dead

After witnessing a murder, a 14-year-old is issued a false identity and has to hide in the woods. The bad guys, of course, remain hot on the trail.

The Cast: The one and only Angelina Jolie stars in the gritty thriller, directed by Taylor Sheridan (Sicario).

Release Date: TBA

Square Fish

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TV Show: Shadow and Bone

YA legend Leigh Bardugo's many books, all set in the same universe (called the Grishaverse), collide in this highly anticipated Netflix series. Fans of Netflix's gripping Money Heist will appreciate the heist elements borrowed from Bardugo's Six of Crows duology, one of two series included in the show.

Starring: Ben Barnes, Jessie Mei Li, Freddy Carter, Danielle Galligan, and Kit Young

Release Date: TBA, but will stream on Netflix

Penguin Books

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Movie: The Last Letter From Your Lover

Jojo Moyes's 2008 romance novel is about a hidden Hollywood affair, and a journalist who discovers evidence of it 40 years later. She becomes consumed with finding out how it ended.

The Cast: Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley, Callum Turner, and Joe Alwyn star in the movie directed by Augustine Frizzell.

Release Date: TBA, but will premiere on Netflix