In anticipation of Bong Joon-Ho’s new film Mickey 17, his long awaited follow-up to the modern masterpiece Parasite, book-to-screen adaptations have captured the attention of bookworms and film enthusiasts alike. Based on the 2022 science fiction novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton, Mickey 17 ups the stakes. More Robert Pattinson? I don’t hear anyone complaining. As more filmmakers are turning towards the literary world for inspiration, there’s no time like the present to watch our favourite characters and stories unfold on the big screen.
While the common perception may be that the book is always better, some adaptations certainly have given the original a run for its money. Take the 2005 rendition of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen for instance, or more recently the BBC series based on Sally Rooney’s Normal People that catapulted Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones straight into the limelight.
Mind-boggling science fiction, chilling horror dramas and cosy beach reads, this year’s book adaptation lineup sure runs the gamut. From director Guillermo del Toro comes the umpteenth take on the classical story of Frankenstein. The upcoming film promises a more authentic retelling of the creature’s story, as there’s still something new to be brought to life, no pun intended.
Look out for a selection of modern classics being brought to the screen as well, including Kazuo Ishiguro’s dystopian novel Klara and the Sun and Maggie O’Farrell’s fictional account of Shakespeare’s personal life in Hamnet. Books that captured the hearts of hopeless romantics on BookTok are also set to pitch in, take Emily Henry’s heart-fluttering People We Meet on Vacation for one.
Whether you’re a staunch believer of reading the book before watching the film, or simply looking for the next title to add to your bookshelf, find the full list of our favourite novels being brought to the screen below.
1 / 9
Mickey7
Mickey Barnes, a.k.a. Mickey7, is an expendable. On the near-uninhabitable ice world of Niflheim, expendables are human clones utilised for dangerous work on space exploration missions and recycled into new iterations if and when the current host dies. But when Mickey7 is incorrectly presumed dead, he meets his next generation Mickey8, with neither clone willing to recycle themselves. Mickey is faced with bigger issues when his mistrust of the colony begins to mount, forcing him to question his moral and mortal existence, over and over again. Starring Robert Pattinson in his undeniable second renaissance and directed by Oscar-winning director of Parasite Bong Joon-Ho, this adaptation is certainly one we can’t wait to watch.
2 / 9
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is no stranger to being adapted. First brought to the screen in 1931, this 1818 novel follows the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature though an unorthodox scientific experiment. This upcoming adaptation, by acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro and starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, promises a unique retelling of Shelly’s classic story, and undoubtedly in del Toro’s trademark gothic and dark fantasy style.
3 / 9
Klara and the Sun
Written by winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun is a dystopian science fiction story set in an unspecified future. Told from the point of view of Klara, an Artificial Friend who is exceptionally intelligent and observational but has a limited understanding of the world around her, Ishiguro explores a fundamental question: what does it mean to love? An ambitious adaptation, Jenna Ortega takes on the titular character of Klara with Taika Waititi set to direct. How will their vision of Klara come to life? We’ll just have to wait and see.
4 / 9
People We Meet on Vacation
Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation took BookTok by storm. Following best friends Poppy and Alex, the novel explores an unlikely friendship between two people who seemingly have nothing in common. Every summer the two of them go on a week long vacation together, until one trip two years ago causes them to stop speaking. A feel-good beach read that will give you all the butterflies, the adaptation stars Tom Blyth and Emily Bader, set to premiere on Netflix in 2025.
5 / 9
Hamnet
Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet is a fictional account of William Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, who died at the age of 11 in 1596. A luminescent portrait of marriage, of which at the heart lies the loss of a child, the novel illustrates O’Farrell’s long-term fascination with the connection between Shakespeare’s little-known personal life and his theatrical masterpieces. Starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley and directed by Academy Award-winning Chloé Zhao, Hamnet is set to hit the big screen this year.
6 / 9
Hot Milk
Single mother Rose and her daughter Sofia embark on an expedition to an enigmatic Spanish clinic in search of a medical cure for Rose’s paralysis. Deborah Levy’s short but heartfelt novel delves into the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship, portraying a journey of self-discovery set against the sun-drenched Spanish town of Almería. The film, starring Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw, recently premiered at Berlinale and is slated to be released in cinemas this May.
7 / 9
The Running Man
Originally published in 1982, this Stephen King thriller novel is set in a dystopian United States during the year 2025, in which the nation’s economy is in ruins and world violence is on the rise. The story follows Ben Richards, an out-of-work father who is desperate to provide medical aid to his eighteen-month-old daughter. Down on his luck, Richards becomes a contestant in a reality show, where all he has to do is survive a team of murderous hunters determined to take his life. Starring the internet’s latest man crush Glen Powell, the film is set to be released theatrically in November this year.
8 / 9
The Housemaid
Millie, a recent parolee who lost her home and her job, secures a position as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family. As she gets more involved, Millie soon notices unsettling dynamics within the household, as the portrait of a happy family on the outside is not all that it seems. This twisted novel will leave you squirming in your seat as you desperately turn the next page. Prepare for a chilly holiday season as the film, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, is scheduled to be released this winter.
9 / 9
Die, My Love
In a dilapidated patch of land in the French countryside, a new mother battles with her inner demons as her marriage and postpartum depression slowly sinks her into psychosis. Translated from Spanish, this novel explores motherhood, womanhood, the banality of love and the terrors of desire. It’s not a question of if a breaking point will be reached, but rather when. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, this upcoming coupling is surely one to look out for this year.
