Must-Read Books Coming to a Screen Near You in 2022

This bestselling phenomenon has sold over 10 million copies worldwide and is adored by every person that reads it. It is a murder mystery, a coming-of-age tale, and a hauntingly beautiful celebration of nature. To say fans have been eagerly awaiting this adaptation is an understatement. Produced by Hello Sunshine and starring Harris Dickinson, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and David Strathairn, this film will be released in the summer of 2022.

A story that will make you reflect on past and current history, The Nightingale is an unforgettable novel of love, strength, and survival in the face of war. This is one of those novels you can devour in one sitting – but it’s so good you won’t want it to end. Fans have had this one on their “film adaptation wish list” for quite some time, and with real-life sisters, Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning set to star, we have a feeling this movie will not disappoint. This heart-pounding story should be released in December of 2022.

Set in the American Old West during the California Gold Rush, Redeeming Love is a powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love. This Christian romance is a classic and just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Starring Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis, Nina Dobrev, and Logan Marshall-Green, this film will release in January of 2022.

A heartbreaking and critically acclaimed work of narrative nonfiction. David Grann’s writing reads like a novel. However, make no mistake — the history here is very real and Grann sets the bar high in bringing these events to light. This chilling tale of one of the most monstrous crimes in American history was a National Book Award finalist and is now the latest Martin Scorsese film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro set to star.

If you loved Normal People — or just watched the Hulu series based on the book (no judgment!) — consider this your next obsessive read. Conversations with Friends is a sharp and thought-provoking novel that explores the messy edges of female friendship. Hulu is set to release this limited series in 2022, and with Sally Rooney’s newly released novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You, this is definitely the year to jump on the Sally Rooney bandwagon.

A peek into the life of icon Marilyn Monroe, who to this day captivates audiences and readers alike. A mesmerizing and moving portrait into the imagined reality of her life and thoughts, from celebrated author Joyce Carol Oates. Ana de Armas will play the spirited Norma Jeane Baker with Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale starring as well. Rumor has it that Blonde will be coming to Netflix in early 2022.

Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley isn’t the only character who gets into trouble. There is as much darkness in the village of Little Wesley as in the Italy of The Talented Mr. Ripley. This erotic psychological thriller looks beyond the facade of American suburban life and stars former real-life flames, Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck. If you have already read Ripley — it is time for another journey with Deep Water. This chilling adaptation is expected to be released in early 2022.

To read Agatha Christie is to get to know Hercule Poirot. The most famous mystery author puts one of the most famous detectives in literary history on a cruise ship down the Nile. A sweeping tale of love, jealousy, betrayal — and murder (of course)! Kenneth Branagh is once again in the director’s chair and reprises his role as Hercule Poirot in this latest film adaptation coming to theaters in January of 2022.

Considered the greatest war novel of all time, All Quiet on the Western Front is a masterpiece of the German experience during World War I. Written by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I, this book was later banned and burned in Nazi Germany. This book has already been adapted twice before. The first, in 1930 winning the Academy Award for Best Picture, the second in 1979 for CBS Television. This latest adaptation starring Daniel Brühl will be released via streaming on Netflix in 2022.

A true story of the most successful — and certainly the strangest — deception carried out in World War II. This remarkable bestseller recounts how a mad scheme involving a dead man and a briefcase containing false intelligence documents changed the course of the war. This adaptation starring Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, and Kelly Macdonald hits theaters in January.

From Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, She Said is the untold story of their investigation of Harvey Weinstein and its consequences for the #MeToo movement. Now, 4 years after this shocking piece of investigative journalism rocked Hollywood and a nation, Hollywood is ready to tell the story of how these two reporters persevered. Expected to release in late 2022 with Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan to star as Twohey and Kantor.

Based on the short story “The Black Phone” in a collection originally published as 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. After getting abducted by a sadistic killer and held captive in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts to receive phone calls from a disconnected phone … from the killers’ previous victims. This supernatural horror adaptation stars newcomer Mason Thames, and Ethan Hawke. It has been held back a few times and is now set to release this summer.

While we patiently await The Winds of Winter, the planned sixth novel in the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, we can return to Westeros in HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, which is based around Fire & Blood and the bloody reign of House Targaryen. If you want to start at the beginning, immerse yourself in a time when dragons ruled the skies, this is the perfect book and series for you. “Dracarys!”

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. This sweet coming-of-age YA graphic novel series is just as heartwarming as the title suggests. Heartstopper explores fledgling love, friendship, coming out, and all the High School drama along the way. Emotional but uplifting, this new series — that Oseman also write the screenplay for — is expected to land on Netflix globally in 2022.

Take an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one. This enchanting Young Reader series is complete with magic, humor, action, and romance. The School for Good and Evil will soon be a major motion picture from Netflix — starring Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Sofia Wylie, Sophie Anne Caruso, Jamie Flatters, Earl Cave, Kit Young, and more!