Of the many movies coming out this Fall [1], lots of them are based on books, proving once again that Hollywood's best material comes from the page. There are always a ton of great books in the process of being adapted, so for the new season upon us, we have a brand-new reading list with titles that are becoming movies very soon or which were recently optioned or in the development stage. Either way, get your page-turning fingers ready!
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
- What it's about: A visiting American grad student falls for the son of the professor he's working for during one Summer in the '80s in this dreamy romance [4].
- Who's starring: Armie Hammer plays Oliver [5], the grad student, and Timothée Chalamet [6] plays Elio, his younger paramour.
- Watch the trailer for Call Me by Your Name [7].
- Release date: Nov. 24
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 [9], Russell Crowe [10], and Joel Edgerton are starring.
- Release date: 2018
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 organization called the Spider Society.
- Who's starring: Claire Foy is playing [11] Lisbeth Salander, taking over from Rooney Mara.
- Release date: Oct. 19, 2018
Victoria & Abdul by Shrabani Basu
- What it's about: In her later years, Queen Victoria gets close to an Indian clerk who becomes a close confidante and dear friend.
- Who's starring: Judi Dench plays Queen Victoria and Ali Fazal plays Abdul.
- Watch the trailer for Victoria & Abdul [13].
- Release date: Sept. 22
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
- What it's about: A secret haunts the residents of a black community in a Southern California town.
- Who's starring: Kerry Washington [14] will produce with no word on whether or not she will also star.
- Release date: TBD
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 [15] including Constance Wu and Ken Jeong. Jon Chu is directing.
- Release date: TBD
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
- What it's about: In the May 2017 novel from the writer of The Girl on the Train, the bodies of a woman and that of a teenage girl are found at the bottom of the same river in a small town.
- Who's starring: The novel was optioned in February by Dreamworks, but no one has been cast yet.
- Release date: TBD
The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
- What it's about: In the 1960s, single Kitty owns a bookshop but dreams of a life where she's married with children — and she starts to blur the lines between reality and fantasy.
- Who's starring: Julia Roberts [16] will play Kitty.
- Release date: TBD
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 [17]'s Katherine Langford will play the female lead, Leah, and Everything, Everything's Nick Robinson will play Simon. Greg Berlanti will direct.
- Release date: March 16, 2018
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
- What it's about: A glamorous 20-something New Yorker hides a dark secret in her past.
- Who's starring: No one has been cast yet, but Reese Witherspoon [18] is producing the movie.
- Release date: TBD
The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook
- What it's about: In a war-torn post-WWII Germany, a British colonel moves into Hamburg to rebuild the city with his wife. They move into the home of a German man and his daughter, which has deep consequences for all of them.
- Who's starring: Jason Clarke is playing the colonel, Keira Knightley [19] is starring as his wife, and Alexander Skarsgard is playing their German host.
- Release date: TBD
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
- What it's about: Writer Nora attends the bachelorette [20] party of a friend she hasn't seen in 10 years, and on the weekend away, things go from drinks and fun to heart-pounding mystery.
- Who's starring: No one has been cast yet, but Reese Witherspoon [21] is producing and screenwriter Natalie Krinsky is adapting the screenplay.
- Release date: TBD
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
- What it's about: Wonder tells the story of Auggie Pullman, a boy who is born with a facial deformity, and his struggle to fit in at a new school.
- Who's starring: Room's Jacob Tremblay is playing Auggie and Julia Roberts [22] will play his mother.
- Watch the trailer for Wonder [23].
- Release date: Nov. 17
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 [24] will direct the adaptation, and the three Mrs. have been cast: Reese Witherspoon [25] will play Mrs. Whatsit, Mindy Kaling will play Mrs. Who, and Oprah Winfrey [26] will play Mrs. Which. See the whole cast [27] here.
- Release date: March 9, 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 [29].
- Release date: March 30, 2018
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 [30] 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: May 11, 2018
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 [32] fill the shoes of Christian and Ana again, while newcomers like Arielle Kebbel will join the franchise. Here is the Fifty Shades Freed cast [33] so far and all the details [34] we have.
- Watch the trailer for Fifty Shades Freed [35].
- Release date: Feb. 9, 2018
The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison
- What it's about: The book changes perspectives between a couple who has been together for 20 years while she takes care of him and he cheats on her.
- Who's starring: Nicole Kidman [37] will produce and star in the adaptation as the wife.
- Release date: TBD
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
- What it's about: In this young-adult romance, a girl named Violet falls for Finch, a boy who is intent on ending his life.
- Who's starring: Elle Fanning is starring, and Miguel Arteta is directing.
- Release date: TBD
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
Witness For the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
- What it's about: The short story follows a courtroom drama of a murder case with lots of twists, turns, and marital intrigue.
- Who's starring: Ben Affleck [38] will direct and star in the movie.
- Release date: 2019
Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household
- What it's about: The classic British novel follows a man who attempts to assassinate a dictator who is hunted by authorities himself after he fails.
- Who's starring: Benedict Cumberbatch will produce and star.
- Release date: TBD
The Son by Jo Nesbo
- What it's about: A young man is in prison because he has confessed to the crimes of others, but he breaks out to avenge his murdered father.
- Who's starring: Jake Gyllenhaal [39] will star with his Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve at the helm.
- Release date: TBD
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- What it's about: Two sisters in France end up in different positions during WWII; one fights with the resistance and one becomes a prisoner.
- Who's starring: Sam Claflin is starring, and Michelle MacLaren will direct.
- Release date: Jan. 25, 2019
The Game by Neil Strauss
- What it's about: Former self-described AFC (average frustrated chump) Neil Strauss got fed up with being a mediocre dater and infiltrated an underground society of pick-up gurus. The book is part memoir, part how-to guide.
- Who's starring: James Franco [40] will both produce and star in the film as pick-up artist Mystery.
- Release date: TBD
The Black Hand by Stephan Talty
- What it's about: Set in the the Summer of 1903, a detective investigates a crime outbreak that has ties the beginnings of the mafia in America.
- Who's starring: Leonardo DiCaprio [41] will star in and produce the adaptation.
- Release date: 2018
The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
- What it's about: Two strangers on a charter plane crash in the wilderness and have to depend on each other to survive.
- Who's starring: Idris Elba is playing the male lead opposite Kate Winslet [42]; here they are, kissing on the set [43].
- Watch the trailer for The Mountain Between Us [44].
- Release date: Oct. 20
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
- What it's about: In the first novel of the Chaos Walking series, Todd Hewitt and Viola Eade, two teens living on an Earth-like planet, are affected by a plague called The Noise but discover a way to control it. The movie adaptation is being called Chaos Walking.
- Who's starring: Daisy Ridley is playing Viola, and Tom Holland [45] will star as Todd.
- Release date: 2019
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
- What it's about: The classic mystery follows fictional detective Hercule Poirot as he pursues a murder on a famous train.
- Who's starring: Kenneth Branagh is directing and will play Poirot alongside Johnny Depp [46], Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer [47], and Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. Here's the whole cast [48].
- Watch the trailer for Murder on the Orient Express [49].
- Release date: Nov. 22
Dune by Frank Herbert
- What it's about: The cult-classic novel weaves an interstellar epic in a not-too-distant future.
- Who's starring: Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve will direct the adaptation, which hasn't been cast yet.
- Release date: TBD
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 [51], Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez, and Tessa Thompson will costar. Oscar Isaac also joined the cast [52] of the film, which will be directed by Ex Machina's Alex Garland.
- Release date: Feb. 23, 2018
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
- What it's about: Spanning decades, the book kicks off in 1962 on the Italian coast, following the ups and downs of a love affair that ends in Hollywood years later.
- Who's starring: Imogen Poots will play Dee Moray, and Sam Mendes will produce and potentially direct the film adaptation.
- Release date: TBD
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- What it's about: This coming-of-age tale tells the story of a boy and his fascination with a tiny but special painting.
- Who's starring: John Crowley will direct, and though the adaptation has not been cast yet, we have many ideas about who should star [53].
- Release date: TBD
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
- What it's about: After WWII has come to an end, while London writer Juliet Ashton is looking for inspiration for her next book, 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. The movie will simply be called Guernsey.
- Who's starring: Michiel Huisman, Lily James [55], and Glen Powell will costar in the adaptation.
- Release date: 2018
The Darkest Minds
- 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 [56] will play a doctor.
- Release date: 2018
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
- What it's about: An awkward genetics professor falls for a woman who does not fit into his ascribed criteria, the titular Rosie.
- Who's starring: Ryan Reynolds [57] is attached to potentially star.
- Release date: 2019
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 organization WICKED.
- Who's starring: Dylan O'Brien is reprising his role as Thomas with much of the same cast returning.
- Release date: Jan. 26, 2018
Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
- What it's about: A suburban couple attend a disastrous barbecue in this mystery.
- Who's starring: Nicole Kidman [58] and Reese Witherspoon [59] (who both star in another Moriarty adaptation, Big Little Lies) will produce the adaptation, though there is no news yet on whether either actress will star.
- Release date: TBD
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
- What it's about: This classic kids' book follows the young man who has an adventure on a very large piece of fruit.
- Who's starring: No one has been cast yet, and though Sam Mendes was originally slated to direct the live-action adaptation, he has since dropped out.
- Release date: TBD
Love May Fail by Matthew Quick
- What it's about: A woman dealing with the breakup of her marriage heads back to her hometown to clear the name of a former teacher.
- Who's starring: Emma Stone will star [61] in the movie, which is being adapted by Mike White.
- Release date: TBD
The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson
- What it's about: The unbelievable true story of Daniel Burnham, the architect responsible for the construction of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who used the fair to lure victims to his own "World's Fair Hotel" — and to their deaths.
- Who's starring: Leonardo DiCaprio will play the sick-minded Holmes [62], though there's no word yet on who will step in as Burnham. Martin Scorsese [63] will direct.
- Release date: TBD
Thank You For Your Service by David Finkel
- What it's about: This nonfiction book follows the lives of soldiers who have come back from overseas and the PTSD, sympathy, and life they face back at home.
- Who's starring: Amy Schumer and Miles Teller are starring.
- Release date: Oct. 27
The November Criminals by Sam Munson
- What it's about: A misbehaving high-school senior investigates the death of his classmate.
- Who's starring: Ansel Elgort and Chloë Grace Moretz will star. Catherine Keener also has a supporting role.
- Watch the trailer for The November Criminals [64].
- Release date: Dec. 8