2018 is the release year for a lot of book-to-movie adaptations [1], and there are a ton of novels we loved that will make it onto the big screen. Highly anticipated films include Mary, Queen of Scots and Where'd You Go, Bernadette! Until these are out, check out what books got adapted in 2017 [2]. For now, you have plenty of time to read the following books before they're big movies!
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
- What it's about: Russian prima ballerina Dominika turns spy after her ballet career ends.
- Who's starring: Jennifer Lawrence plays Dominika [3] in the adaptation. Joel Edgerton and Charlotte Rampling also star.
- Watch the trailer for Red Sparrow [4].
- Release date: March 2
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
- What it's about: Fourteen-year-old Meg Murry's father goes missing after working on a government project, setting off Meg's fantastical journey through space and time.
- Who's starring: Ava DuVernay [5] will direct the adaptation, and the three Mrs. have been cast: Reese Witherspoon [6] will play Mrs. Whatsit, Mindy Kaling will play Mrs. Who, and Oprah Winfrey [7] will play Mrs. Which. See the whole cast [8] here.
- Watch the trailer for A Wrinkle in Time [9].
- Release date: March 9
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertelli
- What it's about: In this coming-of-age novel, high school junior Simon hasn't come out yet, but he's forced to do so when a classmate finds out.
- Who's starring: 13 Reasons Why [10]'s Katherine Langford will play the female lead, Leah, and Everything, Everything's Nick Robinson will play Simon. Greg Berlanti will direct.
- Watch the trailer for Love, Simon [11].
- Release date: March 16
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
- What it's about: A young couple dates and marries in quick succession, but immediately runs into trouble on their honeymoon night.
- Who's starring: Saoirse Ronan (who was nominated for an Oscar for her last Ian McEwan adaptation, Atonement) plays lead character Florence, opposite Billy Howle as her husband, Edward.
- Watch the trailer for On Chesil Beach [12].
- Release date: May 18, 2018
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
- What it's about: Teenager Wade Watts gets sucked into a virtual universe in a dystopian future society in 2044.
- Who's starring: Tye Sheridan will play Wade, Olivia Cooke will play his love interest, and Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, and Simon Pegg will costar in the sci-fi flick, which is being directed by Steven Spielberg [13].
- Release date: March 30
The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni
- What it's about: The coming-of-tale follows two teen boys, one of whom who lives in a geodesic dome where he's been homeschooled by his eccentric grandmother.
- Who's starring: Asa Butterfield and Alex Wolff will costar, along with Nick Offerman and Michaela Watkins.
- Release date: April 20
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
- What it's about: New York-based Nick brings his girlfriend, Rachel, home for a wedding in Singapore, where she discovers he's vastly wealthy — and that she may not fit into that world.
- Who's starring: The movie adaptation has a huge, well-known cast [14] including Constance Wu and Ken Jeong. Jon Chu is directing.
- Release date: Aug. 17
The Seconds by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellström
- What it's about: A convict works undercover for the FBI infiltrating the mob's drug trade in NY.
- Who's starring: Rosamund Pike, Clive Owen [15], Ana de Armas, and Joel Kinnaman are starring.
- Release date: Aug. 17
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
- What it's about: In this ominous haunted house tale, a doctor visits a patient at Hundreds Hall, a place where the way of life is dying — but something wicked also lurks.
- Who's starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter, and Charlotte Rampling all star.
- Release date: Aug. 31
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
- What it's about: In the futuristic YA novel, the government tries to intern and suppress young people with special abilities, including 16-year-old Ruby.
- Who's starring: Amandla Stenberg will play Ruby, and Mandy Moore [16] will play a doctor.
- Release date: Sept. 14
Boy Erased by Garrard Conley
- What it's about: A young gay Baptist is forced to go to a conversion program put on by his church.
- Who's starring: Nicole Kidman [17], Russell Crowe [18], and Joel Edgerton are starring.
- Release date: Sept. 28
First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen
- What it's about: The life of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.
- Who's starring: Ryan Gosling [19] is playing Neil Armstrong in the biopic, which reunites him with La La Land director Damien Chazelle. Claire Foy is playing his wife, Janet, and Jon Bernthal also costars.
- Release date: Oct. 12
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
- What it's about: After her mom, Bernadette, disappears, 15-year-old Bee dives into emails, documents, and secret correspondence to find her.
- Who's starring: Richard Linklater is set to direct the film, and Cate Blanchett has been cast [20] as Bernadette. Kristen Wiig, Billy Crudup, and Judy Greer are also set to star. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber — the writers behind (500) Days of Summer — are writing the screenplay.
- Release date: Oct. 19
The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz
- What it's about: In the first book since David Lagercrantz took over the Millennium trilogy from the late Stieg Larsson, Lisbeth investigates an organisation called the Spider Society.
- Who's starring: Claire Foy is playing [21] Lisbeth Salander, taking over for Rooney Mara.
- Release date: Oct. 19
My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots by John Guy
- What it's about: Following the life of young Queen Mary after she is widowed at age 18, the biopic focuses on her relationship with rival Queen Elizabeth.
- Who's starring: Saoirse Ronan is starring as Mary Stuart opposite Margot Robbie as Queen Elizabeth I. Joe Alwyn and Guy Pearce also costar.
- Release date: Dec. 7th
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
- What it's about: In a post-apocalyptic world, London has now become a giant machine that has to eat other cities to survive.
- Who's starring: Hugo Weaving, Jihae, and Robert Sheehan star in Peter Jackson's adaptation.
- Watch the trailer for Mortal Engines [22].
- Release date: Dec. 14
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
- What it's about: Roxane, an American soprano, travels to South America to perform a private concert, which is then crashed by guerrilla forces.
- Who's starring: Julianne Moore will star as Roxane alongside Ken Watanabe and Demián Bichir. Paul Weitz will direct.
- Release date: 2018
The Black Hand by Stephan Talty
- What it's about: Set in the Summer of 1903, a detective investigates a crime outbreak that has ties to the beginnings of the mafia in America.
- Who's starring: Leonardo DiCaprio [23] will star in and produce the adaptation.
- Release date: 2018
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
- What it's about: Following the end of World War II, London writer Juliet Ashton is looking for inspiration for her next book when she becomes acquainted with a wild crew on Guernsey Island after receiving a letter. She becomes drawn into the world of the man who wrote to her and his friends under Nazi occupation.
- Who's starring: Michiel Huisman, Lily James [24], and Glen Powell will costar in the adaptation.
- Release date: 2018
Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin
- What it's about: A country singer returns home to the girl he left behind — and finds that he left behind a lot more than he knew.
- Who's starring: Alex Roe is playing Liam and Jessica Rothe is playing Josie.
- Watch the trailer for Forever My Girl [25].
- Release date: Jan. 19
Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
- What it's about: It's the true story of a special forces mission into Afghanistan after the 9/11 attack.
- Who's starring: Chris Hemsworth, his wife Elsa Pataky [26], and Moonlight's Trevante Rhodes star in the adaptation, retitled 12 Strong.
- Watch the trailer for 12 Strong [27].
- Release date: Jan. 19
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
- What it's about: In this thriller, a biologist sets out on an expedition to a mysterious area to find out what killed her husband there.
- Who's starring: Natalie Portman [28], Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez, and Tessa Thompson will costar. Oscar Isaac also joined the cast [29] of the film, which will be directed by Ex Machina's Alex Garland.
- Watch the trailer for Annihilation [30].
- Release date: Feb. 23
Every Day by David Levithan
- What it's about: Sixteen-year-old Rhiannon has fallen in love — with a soul that goes by the name "A" and which inhabits a different body every single day.
- Who's starring: Angourie Rice plays Rhiannon; Maria Bello and Justice Smith also star.
- Watch the Every Day trailer [31].
- Release date: Feb. 23
The Death Cure by James Dashner
- What it's about: In the final book in the Maze Runner series, Thomas finally attempts to take down the organisation WICKED.
- Who's starring: Dylan O'Brien is reprising his role as Thomas, with much of the same cast returning.
- Watch the trailer for The Death Cure [32].
- Release date: Jan. 26
Fifty Shades Freed by EL James
- What it's about: In the final book in the Fifty Shades saga, Christian and Ana navigate their most dangerous, treacherous relationship yet: marriage.
- Who's starring: Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson [33] fill the shoes of Christian and Ana again, while newcomers like Arielle Kebbel will join the franchise. Here is the Fifty Shades Freed cast [34] so far and all the details [35] we have.
- Watch the trailer for Fifty Shades Freed [36].
- Release date: Feb. 9
The War With Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith
- What it's about: A young boy has to give up his room for his grandpa's use, so he devises a series of pranks to drive him out.
- Who's starring: Robert De Niro [37] plays the titular grandpa; Uma Thurman [38] and Christopher Walken [39] costar.
- Release date: Feb. 23
