Task #10 of the 2026 Read Harder Challenge is “Read a book recently adapted for film, TV, or musical,” and it’s one of the easiest on the list: we’re in a golden age of adaptations. Books are getting optioned left and right for TV or film, and some of the most popular movies and TV shows of the moment had their start on the page, from Margo’s Got Money Troubles to the upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey.
In case you want a jumping off point, I’ve gathered together eight book-to-screen (or stage) adaptations out this year. Thanks to our resident adaptation expert, Emily Martin, for writing up many of these for the Book Radar newsletter.
You don’t have to limit yourself to just the buzziest adaptations, though: if your local theater or high school drama department is putting on a production based on a book, that’s fair game, too!
The Count of Monte Cristo (PBS, March 22)
PBS’s Masterpiece adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo stars Sam Claflin as Edmond Dantès, a sailor who is falsely imprisoned and escapes on a mission to exact revenge on those who betrayed him. Ana Girardot will play Dantès’ fiancée Mercedes, Jeremy Irons will play Abbé Faria, and Blake Ritson will play Danglars. The series is directed by two-time Palme d’Or and Oscar-winner Bille August. —Emily Martin
Remarkably Bright Creatures (Netflix, May 8)
The adaptation of Shelby van Pelt’s 2022 novel about the friendship between an octopus and a human came out on Netflix in early May. Sally Field plays Tova Sullivan, a widow who is a night cleaner at the aquarium, who befriends an octopus named Marcellus (Alfred Molina). Lewis Pullman plays Cameron, a 30-year-old maintenance worker who also befriends Tova. Oliva Newman (First Match, Where the Crawdad Sings) directs from a script written by her and John Whittington (The Lego Batman Movie). —Emily Martin
All Access members, read on for six more adaptations.
The House of Spirits (Prime Video, April 29)
This is the first-ever Spanish-language adaptation of Isabel Allende’s classic magical realist novel The House of the Spirits. The series is produced by FilmNation Entertainment (Anora, Conclave) and stars Alfonso Herrera, Dolores Fonzi, and Nicole Wallace. Allende, Eva Longoria, and Courtney Saladino serve as executive producers. Francisca Alegría (The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future), Fernanda Urrejola (Cry Macho), and Andrés Wood (News of a Kidnapping) are the showrunners. The series will consist of eight episodes. —Emily Martin
Beaches (Broadway, April 22)
I wanted to at least one musical adaptation on this list, so here is one that came to Broadway in April! Beaches is best known for the 1988 movie starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, but it began as the 1985 novel by Iris Rainer Dart. This isn’t the first time it has made its musical debut: there was a 2014 adaptation with music by David Austin. This time around, the music by Mike Stoller, and it’s co-directed by Lonny Price and Matt Cowart. —Danika Ellis
Project Hail Mary (Theatrical Release, March 20)
This science fiction film is based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, author of The Martian. This film will follow the story of astronaut Ryland Grace (played by Ryan Gosling) as he wakes up in a spacecraft with no memory of how he got there or what his mission is. And as he slowly pieces the details together, he realizes that he is the last remaining member of a crew on a mission to save the world. The film is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. —Emily Martin
All You Need is Kill (Theatrical Release, January 16)
This anime feature film is based on the Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, illustrated by Yoshitoshi Abe. Think Groundhog Day, but make it a sci-fi action movie. This story follows a soldier who is fighting an alien invasion and finds himself caught in a time loop. If that story sounds familiar to you, it’s because the film Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, is also based on Sakurazaka’s novel. —Emily Martin
Practical Magic 2 (Theatrical Release, September 11)
The 1998 movie Practical Magic, based on the novel by Alice Hoffman, is a cult classic. This year, we’re getting a sequel, based on The Book of Magic. It’s produced by Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and Denise Di Novi; and it has Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman reprising their roles as the Owens sisters. The trailer is out now (though, oddly, not the poster.) Mark your calendars to gather your witchy and bookish friends in theaters in September! —Danika Ellis
Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama (CrunchyRoll, April 6)
Coco wants nothing more than to be a witch. Unfortunately for her, only those who are born with the ability to use magic can be witches, and Coco was not born with that ability. As Coco is about to accept her fate and give up on her dream, she meets the mysterious Qifrey, a traveling magician who practices rune magic. Unlike any other type of magic she ever knew about before, Coco discovers that there may be a chance for her to achieve her dream after all. —Patricia Thang
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