Some people prefer books, some people prefer movies. But we say, why do we have to pick? Every time we hear a beloved novel is getting its own screen adaptation, we get the warm fuzzies inside. And sure, it could just be acid reflux, or maybe even allergies, but we prefer to think it’s something a lot nicer than a health issue.
Seeing books get made into movies is what we live for, whether it’s a classic literary icon or a fairly recent best-seller. Gather round, fellow book lovers, and hang onto your hats! Here are ten book-to-movie adaptations coming up in 2019 to get excited about!
10. Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
We love comedy and we love drama, and that’s why we know we’re going to love Where’d You Go, Bernadette? twice as much as a film that’s just a comedy or just a drama. Based on the novel by Maria Semple, this movie stars Cate Blanchett (Thor: Ragnarok, Ocean’s 8) as Bernadette, a woman who hates people and is riddled with anxiety, and who disappears just before a family vacation.
With her family left behind, it’s up to Bernadette’s 15-year-old daughter, Bee (Emma Nelson), to track her down again. During the course of her investigation, however, Bee uncovers her mother’s troubled past. Where’d You Go, Bernadette? hits theaters on March 22, 2019.
9. A Dog’s Way Home
What’s that you say? A movie about a dog? Ha! Well, say no more, friend, we’re in! Based on the book by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog’s Way Home tells the story of an adorable dog who travels more than 400 miles to track down her owner, and if that synopsis doesn’t immediately make your heart warm and fill you up with pure, unbridled squee, then we just don’t know what to tell you.
Starring Ashley Judd (Berlin Station), Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) and Alexandra Shipp (Love, Simon), everybody will (puppy) love this adorable family film, which hits theaters on January 11, 2019.
8. The Rhythm Section
Based on Mark Burnell’s novel of the same name, The Rhythm Section stars Blake Lively as Stephanie Patrick, a woman on a quest to uncover the truth behind the plane crash that killed her family. Stephanie soon learns that the crash was not accidental, and aims to track down the perpetrators by assuming the identity of an assassin.
Set to premiere in theaters on February 22, 2019, The Rhythm Section also stars Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Max Casella (Boardwalk Empire) and Daniel Mays (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and is directed by Reed Morano (The Handmaid’s Tale, Billions).
7. Five Feet Apart
Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) has cystic fibrosis, so she spends most of her time in the hospital receiving treatment. It’s necessary, but it’s not exactly a teenager’s idea of a normal life. But everything changes for the better when Stella meets Will (Cole Sprouse), a charismatic patient, with whom she has an instant connection.
The hospital’s restrictions require Stella and Will to stay apart. Five feet apart, as it happens, which does make sense now that we think about it. But as they get to know each other, will the temptation to break that rule get the better of them? Check this film out on March 22, 2019 to find out!
6. The Woman in the Window
Starring Amy Adams as Dr. Anna Fox, The Woman in the Window is based on the novel of the same name by A. J. Finn, and tells the story of an agoraphobic child psychologist who witnesses a crime after spying on her neighbors—hey, who hasn’t been in that position, right? Anyway, being an agoraphobe, Dr. Fox must decide whether or not to go to the police to report the crime.
Also starring Gary Oldman and Julianne Moore, this thriller, directed by Joe Wright, is set to hit theaters in August of 2019, so clear your schedules, people. This here’s one of those “must see” movies.
5. Pet Sematary
Some books get all the luck! Stephen King’s famous novel, Pet Sematary, was already made into a film back in 1989, but people are still so crazy about it that it’s getting another movie adaptation. Starring Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz and John Lithgow, if you head to the movies to check this one out in theaters on April 5, 2019, you should probably bring a change of pants, just in case.
After a doctor moves his family from the city to the country, he learns that beneath the nearby pet cemetery is an ancient burial ground, and it’s there that he takes his son after he’s struck dead by a car in order to resurrect him. Wow, the synopsis alone is enough to make us want to hide behind the couch.
4. The Aftermath
If 1940’s post-war Germany is your thing, then we bet you’re gonna love Anna Waterhouse’s novel, The Aftermath. We also bet you’ll be happy to hear that this story is getting its very own movie, scheduled for release on March 15, 2019.
In the winter of 1946, Rachael Morgan (Keira Knightley) travels to Hamburg, now in ruins, to be with her husband, Lewis (Jason Clarke), a British colonel in charge of rebuilding the city. Rachael is thrown for a loop when she learns that they’ll be sharing their new home with its former owner, a German widower (Alexander Skarsgård), and his daughter. Drama ensues. Bring plenty of popcorn, ‘cause this one’s gonna be good!
3. Artemis Fowl
Ever read Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer? The book came out in 2001, and it was a favorite among many book fair and/or library-loving kiddos back in the early ’00s, which is why we’re sure those now young adults will be stoked to learn that this delightful story is getting its own film adaptation.
A Disney film directed by Kenneth Branagh, Artemis Fowl follows Artemis Fowl II (Ferdia Shaw) who, with help from his bodyguard, Domovoi Butler (Nonso Anozie) must prove the existence of fairies and rob them in order to save his criminal dad and restore the family fortune.
2. Little Women
Still riding off the high of her successful 2017 film, Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig will be giving us her take on Louisa Mae Alcott’s beloved classic novel, Little Women. The story tells the tale of the four March sisters, Meg (Emma Watson), Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Beth (Eliza Scanlen) and Amy (Florence Pugh), as they help their mother, Marmee, keep the household up and running while their father is away during the Civil War.
Also starring Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet and Laura Dern, we’re sitting on pins and needles over here in anticipation! We can’t wait to check out this book-to-movie adaptation, which is set to be released on December 25, 2019.
1. Good Omens
Based on the 1990 novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Good Omens stars Michael Sheen and David Tennant as an angel and a demon, respectively. Crowley (Tennant) is a demon, the snake who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, and Aziraphale (Sheen) is an angel who has been roaming the earth just as long as Crowley, and has been tasked with guarding the gates of paradise.
