If you like your stories twice loved, first on the page and then on the screen, 2026 is about to spoil you rotten. The year ahead is stacked with adaptations that span genres, moods and emotional damage levels, from gothic obsession and quiet heartbreak to sci-fi spectacle, sharp comedy and a surprisingly philosophical octopus. Whether you’re the kind of reader who camps out at midnight screenings or insists on rereading the book first, these are the adaptations worth circling on your calendar.
Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights storms back into theaters on February 13, reminding us why this single, ferocious novel has endured for nearly two centuries. Heathcliff and Catherine’s love story remains one of literature’s most volatile, a tangle of longing, cruelty and devotion that refuses to soften with age. With Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi stepping into these infamous roles, expect a version that leans hard into the emotional extremity, the wild moors and the kind of romance that ruins everyone involved.
March 13 brings Reminders of Him, another Colleen Hoover adaptation poised to break hearts and dominate group chats. The story follows Kenna Rowan, newly released from prison and desperate to rebuild a relationship with the daughter she left behind. Her connection with Ledger Ward, a guarded local bar owner, complicates everything in the way Hoover does best. It’s messy, emotional and deeply romantic, which means fans of her signature blend of pain and passion will feel right at home.
Sci-fi lovers get their turn a week later with Project Hail Mary, landing in theaters on March 20. Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a reluctant hero who wakes up alone on a spaceship with one impossible mission, save Earth from a dying sun. Andy Weir’s novel balances real science with humor and heart and if the film captures even half of that charm, it’s going to be a standout of the year.
April 15 shifts the tone with Margo’s Got Money Troubles, a delightfully chaotic Apple TV adaptation starring Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman. At its center is Margo, a young single mother scrambling to make ends meet through an OnlyFans account, questionable life advice and the unexpected reappearance of her estranged father. Rufi Thorpe’s story is sharp, funny and unexpectedly tender and the screen version looks ready to embrace all of its absurd humanity.
Fashion fans can mark May 1 in bold ink. The screen version of Lauren Weisberger’s Revenge Wears Prada finally arrives, reuniting Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in a sequel many thought would never happen. Andy Sachs has long since left Runway behind, but the fashion world, it turns out, is not finished with her. Glamorous, cutthroat and dripping with unresolved tension, this sequel promises to revisit everything that made The Devil Wears Prada iconic, with a few new knives hidden in designer sleeves.
A very different kind of magic arrives on May 8 with Remarkably Bright Creatures. Sally Field stars as Tova, a woman quietly unraveling under the weight of long-held grief, while her unlikely confidant is Marcellus, a brilliant and deeply unimpressed octopus at a small aquarium. Shelby Van Pelt’s novel became a beloved sleeper hit for good reason … the adaptation looks poised to deliver the same gentle wonder and emotional payoff. Want to learn more? Read our review!
Fall leans fully into enchantment with The Book of Magic on September 18. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock return to the Owens family saga, revisiting curses, sisterhood and the dangerous cost of love. Alice Hoffman’s writing has always felt cinematic, lush and atmospheric, and this continuation of the Practical Magic universe is perfectly timed for cozy nights and spellbound audiences.
The year closes with a bang on November 20 as Sunrise on the Reaping brings Hunger Games fans back to Panem. This long-awaited prequel to Suzanne Collins‘ original series follows a young Haymitch Abernathy during the brutal Quarter Quell, offering new insight into a character shaped by survival and loss. Expect spectacle, tension and the kind of moral complexity that made the original series impossible to put down. If you haven’t read the book yet, and you still need some convincing, check out our review.
From gothic heartbreak and futuristic heroics to laugh-out-loud chaos and inherited curses, 2026’s book-to-screen lineup proves that great stories don’t lose their power when they change form. They just find new ways to pull us in. So, grab your popcorn, dust off your favorite paperbacks and get ready to watch your reading life come alive!
