Books Being Turned Into TV Shows and Movies in 2024

Brian Tee and Nicole Kidman in 'Expats'

More often than we realize, our favorite TV shows and movies were actually first conceived in book form. Screenwriters take inspiration—loosely or literally—from books all the time, and these days if a book is making waves there’s a good chance it's make its way to a screen.

Last year was a big year for book adaptations, with shows like Lessons in Chemistry and Percy Jackson and the Olympians releasing to much fanfare. Predictably, 2024 will be no different and features a long list of book adaptations that are already generating excitement.

Some of the most anticipated include Dune: Part Two, It Ends With Us and Wicked Part 1, which may be better known for its time on Broadway.

Ahead is the full list of books coming to theaters and televisions, that we can be fairly confident will release in 2024. (Note: The writers’ and actors’ strikes last year delayed many of these productions, so timelines are still changing.)

Books being turned into TV shows in 2024

The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee

• TV show: Expats

• Release date: Jan. 26 on Amazon Prime Video

Fans of Janice Y.K. Lee’s work won’t have to wait long until the series premiere of Expats, based on her 2016 novel of a similar name. It stars Nicole Kidman as part of a group of American expats living in Hong Kong.

Related: Queen of the Prestige Miniseries, Nicole Kidman, Is Back in 'Expats'

The Tiger’s Apprentice by Lauren Yep

• TV show: The Tiger’s Apprentice

• Release date: Feb. 2 on Paramount+

The Tiger’s Apprentice is a wildly popular fantasy book for kids that has been made into an animated show coming to Paramount+. It follows a young Chinese-American boy who learns ancient magic from a tiger as he realizes his destiny. The cast is stacked with voices such as Michelle Yeoh, Lucy Liu and Sandra Oh.

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

• TV show: 3 Body Problem

• Release date: March 21 on Netflix

In 3 Body Problem, the humans living on Earth divide into separate camps based on how they want to deal with an impending alien invasion.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

• TV show: Bridgerton

• Release date: May 16 on Netflix

Bridgerton fans are finally getting their season about Penelope and Colin. The first part drops May 16 and the last batch of episodes drops June 13. According to the official Shondaland website, Season 3 will be dramatic as ever, as Colin ‘mentors’ Penelope to help boost her confidence so she can find a husband.

Related: Everything to Know About 'Bridgerton' Season 3

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

• TV show: The Sympathizer

• Release date: 2024 on Max

This author’s debut novel won a Pulitzer and is now being made into a series starring Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. Set in the 1970s, it tells the story of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, following a North Vietnamese mole who spies from within the South Vietnamese army.

Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippmann

• TV show: Lady in the Lake

• Release date: 2024 on Apple TV+

Apple TV is adapting this crime drama, set in 1960s Baltimore, to star Natalie Portman and David Corenswet. It doesn’t have an exact release date but is expected to come out sometime this year.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

• TV show: A Gentleman in Moscow

• Release date: 2024 on Showtime

Even non-readers may recognize the name of this 2016 novel. It tells the story of a Russian aristocrat who is condemned by communists to live his life in a glamorous hotel. Set in 1922, the show stars Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

• TV show: The Spiderwick Chronicles

• Release date: 2024 on Roku

This popular children’s series has been adapted before, but the show wants to dig deeper than the 2008 movie—and has eight books of material to work with. It was originally produced for Disney+ but will now be released by The Roku Channel. It has no set premiere date.

Books being turned into movies in 2024

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

• Movie: Lisa Frankenstein

• Release date: Feb. 9 in theaters

The classic Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has been adapted countless times and is having another go around with the film Lisa Frankenstein, a comedy-horror starring Kathryn Newton as the daughter of Frankenstein. Oh, and she also happens to be in love with Frankenstein’s monster (played by Cole Sprouse).

Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař

• Movie: Spaceman

• Release date: March 1 on Netflix

The plot of Spaceman involves an astronaut (played by Adam Sandler) who goes on a trip to Venus and discovers a giant, hyper-intelligent spider.

Dune by Frank Herbert

• Movie: Dune: Part Two

• Release date: March 1 in theaters

Dune premiered on Oct. 22, 2021, and the sequel is finally releasing this year. The films are based on the sci-fi classic novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, and feature big-name actors like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler.

Related: Everything to Know About 'Dune: Part Two'

The Watchers by A.M. Shine

• Movie: The Watchers

• Release date: June 7 in theaters

This supernatural horror is directed by Ishana Shyamalan, the daughter of famous director M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Dakota Fanning and follows a group of people trapped inside a bunker while vicious creatures roam the outside world.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

• Movie: It Ends With Us

• Release date: June 21 in theaters

Colleen Hoover is a powerhouse romance author with no shortage of fans, so there’s a lot of hype leading up to the film adaptation of her 2016 bestseller It Ends With Us. The book’s main character, Lily Bloom, will be played by Blake Lively.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

• Movie: Harold and the Purple Crayon

• Release date: Aug. 2 in theaters

This classic kids’ book was released in 1955 but is now being turned into a live-action film starring Zooey Deschanel and Zachary Levi. The story, sure to be a hit with kids and their parents, follows main character Harold on a magical journey with his purple crayon.

Cold Storage by David Koepp

• Movie: Cold Storage

• Release date: Sept. 5 in theaters

Liam Neeson heads the cast of this movie adaptation, about a dangerous fungus that is accidentally released from its storage in a government facility.

Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams by Kerri Strug and John P. Lopez

• Movie: Perfect

• Release date: Sept. 9 in theaters

This book and movie are based on the true story of the Magnificent Seven—the Olympic gymnasts who won in 1996. It stars Thomasin McKenzie as Kerri Strug and Mckenna Grace as Dominique Moceanu.

The Legacy of Mark Rothko by Lee Seldes

• Movie: Rothko

• Release date: Oct. 25 in theaters

This biographical film, based on the novel, stars Aisling Franciosi as the daughter of famous painter Mark Rothko while she fights to honor his legacy. Other stars include Russell Crowe and Aaron Taylor-Johnson

The Amateur by Robert Littel

• Movie: The Amateur

• Release date: Nov. 8 in theaters

In this action-packed adaptation, Rami Malek plays a CIA cryptographer who sets out for revenge against the people who killed his wife.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

• Movie: Wicked Part 1

• Release date: Nov. 27 in theaters

Wicked, a much-beloved Broadway musical, was actually based on a 1995 book series by Gregory Maguire. In it, Maguire reimagines the world of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This new adaptation, the first of two parts, turns the popular musical into a movie, starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

• Movie: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

• Release date: Dec. 13 in theaters

Lord of the Rings fans will be delighted to know that an animated prequel film is set to come out late this year. For those into LOTR lore, it expands on the legendary people of Rohan, the king Helm Hammerhand and their battle with the Dunlendings, set 183 years before the events of the original trilogy.

Related: 'The Lord of the Rings' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

• Movie: Turtles All the Way Down

• Release date: 2024 on Max

John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars was successfully adapted into a movie in 2014, and his book Looking for Alaska was made into a miniseries in 2019. Now, his 2017 YA novel Turtles All the Way Down is set to come out on Max sometime in 2024, following a teen trying to solve the mystery of a missing billionaire.

The Electric State by Simon Stalenhag

• Movie: The Electric State

• Release date: 2024 on Netflix

The Electric State, adapted from the dystopian sci-fi book of the same name, stars Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan and Stanley Tucci. Brown plays the protagonist, a girl named Michelle who travels through a dystopian wasteland alongside a robot. While no release date has been announced, it’s expected to come out this year.

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