SF/F Books and Graphic Novels on the Big Screen in 2016

The 5th Wave (Out now)
This adaption of the first book in writer Rick Yancey’s trilogy follows teenager Cassie Sullivan in the wake of four waves of alien invasion that have devastated the planet.
Cell (February)
John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson reunite for their second Stephen King adaption (following 2007’s 1408). The sci-fi horror premise is that your cell phone can broadcast a signal that turns you into a rampaging animal, instead of just a mindless zombie.
Deadpool (February)
Ryan Reynolds is taking a second swing at Marvel’s mouthiest mercenary, after previously playing the character in the less-than-beloved X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This will be the first of four movies (from two different studios) based on Marvel books that will be out in 2016.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (February)
This one’s adapted from Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2009 novel, which is itself based on the Jane Austen book from 1813. I can imagine a future in which only college professors will remember that the original story didn’t involve zombies.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March)
Like most the other comic-book movies here, this one’s not based on any particular graphic novel. Still, there are strong hints of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns in the tone and in Batman’s Superman-busting exo-armor. They’d better not mess up Wonder Woman.
X-Men: Apocalypse (May)
Bryan Singer’s back in the director’s chair for this follow-up to Days of Future Past, this time set in the 1980s. For a while there, the X-Men movies seemed like poor cousins to the Avengers series from Marvel Studios, but they’ve had a pretty good run for the last few years.

Captain America: Civil War (May)
The sequel to the 2014’s brilliant Winter Soldier is looking a bit like a new Avengers movie, given that almost of the team shows up. If the trailers are any indication, this one draws strongly from the 2006-2007 series of the same name.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (June)
The little indie-comic that could has new comics on the shelves, and a new movie coming, this one a sequel to the Megan Fox-starring 2014 reboot.
The BFG (July)
In gaming, BFG stands for something entirely different, but this one’s adapted from Roald Dahl’s book about a young girl, the Queen of England, and a Big Friendly Giant. That’s much nicer. Steven Spielberg is directing.

Suicide Squad (August)
Jared Leto’s Joker could go either way (brilliant or disaster), but the other big DC movie of 2016’s got an impressive cast lead by Will Smith and Viola Davis. In the comics, the Squad is a team of villains forced to work for the government by the tough and brilliantly manipulative Amanda Waller. Looks like it could be a lot of fun.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (November)
The trilogy of films is based on a very slim “textbook” that J.K. Rowling put out in 2001, but she’s developed these Harry Potter prequels from scratch and has written the screenplays, as well. If anyone can be trusted to expand that universe, it’s Rowling.
Doctor Strange (November)
Benedict is back. The ubiquitous Cumberbatch (also the name of my new band), sorcerer supreme, is joined by a pretty amazing cast that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton. This could be about anything, really, and it would be well worth it for the inevitable showdown between Cumberbatch and Swinton.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (December)
Once you’ve seen Rogue One (2016s new Star Wars movie), you can round out your year with the latest from Tim Burton, based on Ransom Rigg’s series about a young boy who follows clues from his grandfather’s old pictures to an abandoned orphanage. You never know what you’re going to get with modern Burton, but this sounds like it will be right up his alley.
What book are you most excited about seeing on the big screen?