15 Great Books That Will Become Movies in 2018
Read them before they hit the multiplex.
It's always a blessing and a curse to see a great book turned into a movie. Most film adaptations never compare to their book predecessors. Yet there's still the thrill of seeing the same story play out in two wildly different mediums. And, of course, it's nice to know a story before you see a movie. This year will see plenty of great movies hit the cinema, but here are 15 anticipated films that you can find in a bookstore first.
Annihilation
The first book in Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation follows a team of women who venture into a somewhat celestial, abandoned area known as Area X. Natalie Portman stars in Alex Garland's film adaptation, which premieres in theaters on February 23.
Red Sparrow
Jennifer Lawrence will star as Dominika Egorova (AKA Red Sparrow), a Russian spy who is tempted by a handsome CIA agent and considers flipping sides in the big-screen version of Jason Matthews's novel, which opens in theaters on March 2.
A Wrinkle in Time
Madeline L'Engle's beloved sci-fi-fantasy hybrid finally sees a big-screen adapation 46 years after its publication. In theaters March 9, the Ava DuVernay-directed film boasts a star-studded cast that includes Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Zach Galifianakis, and Chris Pine.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Becky Albertalli's coming-of-age YA novel will get a slightly different name for its film adaptation, which hits theaters March 16. Starring Nick Robinson as the title character, Love, Simon follows a high school student whose life is turned upside-down when his classmate threatens to out him as gay.
Ready Player One
The dystopian thriller from Ernest Cline will get the splashy Steven Spielberg treatment when the film hits theaters on March 29. Set in the year 2044 and in a virtual reality simulator, Ready Player One offers countless pop-culture references that balance the taut sci-fi elements with sly humor.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Richard Linklater directs Cate Blanchett as the non-conformist Bernadette Branch in the much-anticipated adaptation of Maria Semple's bestselling comic novel, which opens in theaters on May 11.
Crazy Rich Asians
Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel, told through the perspective of five narrators, follows a Chinese-American professor who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend for a lavish wedding—and discovers he is crazy-rich. Constance Wu stars in the big screen adaptation, due out May 11.
The Darkest Monster
Hunger Games star Amandla Stenberg returns to the dystopian genre as a teenager who survives a mysterious disease, gains some superpowers, and joins the resistance against a fascist government. The film version, co-starring Mandy Moore and Gwendoline Christie, opens in theaters September 14.
Boy Erased
Joel Edgerton makes his directorial debut with a film based on Garrard Conley's memoir about his experience in a gay conversion therapy program. In theaters September 28, the film stars Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Cherry Jones, and Flea.
The Girl in the Spider's Web
David Lagercrantz picked up where late writer Steig Larsson left off and continued the story of Lisbeth Salander (introduced in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo). The Crown star Claire Foy replaces Rooney Mara in the role for the upcoming film, which hits theaters on November 9.
The Jungle Book
Think the beloved Disney cartoon and the 2016 live-action remake weren't enough? Andy Serkis directs a new motion-capture-heavy adaptation (and stars as Baloo), this time titled Mowgli. Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto, Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cate Blanchett all lend their talents to the film, in theaters October 19.
Monster
Kevin Harrison Jr. stars as Steve Harmon, a black teenager on trial for murder in New York City, in this Sundance hit based on Walter Dean Myer's bestselling and award-winning young adult novel. (Release date TBA)
Bel Canto
Set in an unknown South American country, Ann Patchett's novel follows a standoff between local authorities and a terrorist organization that has taken siege of the vice president's home, where visiting Japanese businessmen and an American opera singer are attending a party. Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe will star in Paul Weitz's film adaptation. (Release date TBA)
The Bell Jar
Sylvia Plath's celebrated autobiographical novel about a young woman who suffers from clinical depression will serve as actress Kirsten Dunst's directorial debut, featuring Dakota Fanning as the protagonist Esther Greenwood. (Release date TBA)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Shirley Jackson's gothic mystery about a pair of strange sisters who are the two surviving members of their family (after the rest of them die from poisoning) will see a much-anticipated film adaptation starring Taissa Farmiga and Alexandra Daddario. (Release date TBA)
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