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37 Massively Popular Books Becoming Movies This Year

The Best Books Being Made Into Movies | 2019

37 Massively Popular Books Becoming Movies This Year

The Best Books Being Made Into Movies | 2019
Image Source: amazon.com

Hollywood loves to find inspiration in a good book, and that doesn't appear to be changing any time soon. The 2019 slate of movies has been full of some of the most gripping stories from the most popular novels and memoirs being adapted for the big screen. That means it's time to finally dig into titles like Call of the Wild and A Million Little Things, because they'll be headed to a theater near you soon. A good portion of these adaptations have already been released, but there are still a few to come. Take a look!

— Additional reporting by Lauren Harano

Related:
Amazon's List of the Best Books of the Year 2019
Amazon Shares Its List of the Top 20 Books of the Year — Have You Read Them All?

1 A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron

A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron
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2 Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet by Joanne Proulx

Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet by Joanne Proulx
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  • What it's about: When Luke foresees the death of his best friend, he starts being dubbed as "The Prophet of Death," and ultimately the freak of his entire town.
  • Who's starring: Cameron Monaghan, Grayson Gabriel, Peyton List, and Juliette Lewis
  • Watch the trailer for Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet.
  • Read Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet.
  • Release date: Jan. 11
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3 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
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  • What it's about: Based on a true story, this film depicts the life of William Kamkwamba, a 13-year-old Malawian boy who teaches himself how to build a windmill to save his community from starvation.
  • Who's starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Maxwell Simba, and Lily Banda
  • Watch the trailer for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
  • Read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
  • Release date: March 1
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4 Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
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  • What it's about: Two teens suffering from cystic fibrosis find comfort in one another, but in order to stay safe they have to keep at least six feet of distance between them at all times.
  • Who's starring: Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson
  • Watch the trailer for Five Feet Apart.
  • Read Five Feet Apart.
  • Release date: March 15
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5 The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook

The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook
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6 The Dirt by Mötley Crüe

The Dirt by Mötley Crüe
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  • What it's about: An autobiography of the notorious rock group's rise to international success.
  • Who's starring: Douglas Booth, Iwan Rheon, Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly), and Daniel Webber
  • Watch the trailer for The Dirt.
  • Read The Dirt.
  • Release date: March 18
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7 Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: Louis Creed moves his family of four to a rural forest town with a secret.
  • Who's starring: Jason Clarke, John Lithgow, and Amy Seimetz
  • Watch the trailer for Pet Sematary.
  • Read Pet Sematary.
  • Release date: April 5
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8 The Best of Enemies by Osha Gray Davidson

The Best of Enemies by Osha Gray Davidson
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: The true story of the friendship between Ann Atwater, a single black mother, and C. P. Ellis, a Ku Klux Klan member, in 1960s-era North Carolina.
  • Who's starring: Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell, and Wes Bentley
  • Watch the trailer for The Best of Enemies.
  • Read The Best of Enemies.
  • Release date: April 5
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9 Native Son by Richard Wright

Native Son by Richard Wright
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  • What it's about: Written in the 1940s, this book follows a young Black boy whose life spirals after he kills a white woman. With social commentary intertwined, Native Son is extremely eye-opening.
  • Who's starring: Ashton Sanders, Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, KiKi Layne, Bill Camp, and Sanaa Lathan
  • Watch the trailer for Native Son.
  • Read Native Son.
  • Release date: April 6
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10 After by Anna Todd

After by Anna Todd
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  • What it's about: A girl falls hard with a guy who is harboring a dark secret. Originally based on One Direction fan fiction, this YA movie has been the subject of quite a bit of drama.
  • Who's starring: Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Selma Blair, and Jennifer Beals
  • Read After.
  • Release date: April 12
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11 The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
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12 We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: Two sisters who live a secluded life in their family home have their world rocked by the arrival of a suspicious cousin. If you liked The Haunting of Hill House, put this on your list — it's written by the same author.
  • Who's starring: Taissa Farmiga, Alexandra Daddario, and Sebastian Stan
  • Watch the trailer for We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
  • Read We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
  • Release date: May 17
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13 The Kitchen by Ollie Masters

The Kitchen by Ollie Masters
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: In this crime film, three wives of mob members (Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss) decide to partake in criminal work after their husbands are sent to prison for being involved with the mob.
  • Who's starring: Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale, Brian d'Arcy James, Jeremy Bobb, Margo Martindale, and Bill Camp
  • Watch the trailer for The Kitchen.
  • Read The Kitchen.
  • Release date: Aug. 8
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14 The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
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15 Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
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16 Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
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17 Three Seconds by Roslund and Hellstrom

Three Seconds by Roslund and Hellstrom
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  • What it's about: An ex-con goes undercover in prison to infiltrate the mob. The film version is titled The Informer.
  • Who's starring: Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, and Clive Owen
  • Watch the trailer for The Informer.
  • Read Three Seconds.
  • Release date: Aug. 16
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18 Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: This suspenseful novel follows Lionel Essrog, an orphan who works for a detective agency in Brooklyn run by neighborhood mobster Frank Minna. When Frank gets murdered, Lionel must take his place and ultimately inherit his power.
  • Who's starring: Edward Norton stars as Lionel; the cast also includes Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bobby Cannavale, Cherry Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Willem Dafoe
  • Watch the trailer for Motherless Brooklyn.
  • Read Motherless Brooklyn.
  • Release date: Aug. 30
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19 The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War by Marcia and Thomas Mitchell

The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War by Marcia and Thomas Mitchell
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: Renamed Official Secrets for the big screen, this intense political movie is about the trial of British whistleblower Katharine Gun, who leaked information to the media about an illegal operation that was put in place to influence the beginning of the Iraq war.
  • Who's starring: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, Adam Bakri, Indira Varma, and Ralph Fiennes
  • Watch the trailer for Official Secrets.
  • Read The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War.
  • Release date: Aug. 30
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20 It by Stephen King

It by Stephen King
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: In the second chapter of It, the now-adult Losers Club find themselves drawn back to their creepy hometown to face their fears once and for all.
  • Who's starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Isaiah Mustafa, and Bill Skarsgård
  • Watch the trailer for It.
  • Read It.
  • Release date: Sept. 6
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21 The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
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22 I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt

I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt
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  • What it's about: An epic crime film, Netflix adapted I Heard You Paint Houses into The Irishman, which tells the story of how a truck driver by the name of Frank Sheeran became a hitman for a mob and got intertwined with things he never saw coming.
  • Who's starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, with Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jesse Plemons, and Harvey Keitel
  • Watch the trailer for The Irishman.
  • Read I Heard You Paint Houses.
  • Release date: Sept. 27
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23 The Visible Filth by Nathan Ballingrud

The Visible Filth by Nathan Ballingrud
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: The film has been retitled Wounds, and follows a New Orleans bartender who begins to experience bizarre things after picking up a phone left at his bar.
  • Who's starring: Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson, and Zazie Beetz
  • Watch the trailer for Wounds.
  • Read The Visible Filth.
  • Release date: Oct. 18
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24 Caging Skies by Christine Leunens

Caging Skies by Christine Leunens
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: This World War II satire, renamed JoJo Rabbit for the big screen, follows a young German boy training to be a Nazi whose world is turned upside down when he discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic.
  • Who's starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, and Taika Waititi
  • Watch the trailer for JoJo Rabbit.
  • Read Caging Skies.
  • Release date: Oct. 18
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25 Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault

Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault
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  • What it's about: The sequel to the 2014 movie Maleficent, this dark fantasy renamed Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, explores the villain's life and her relationship with her goddaughter Aurora.
  • Who's starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville
  • Watch the trailer for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
  • Read Sleeping Beauty.
  • Release date: Oct. 18
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26 Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
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  • What it's about: Doctor Sleep is King's followup to The Shining. The story follows the adult Dan Torrance as he meets a young girl who possesses an even more powerful gift than his own.
  • Who's starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Emily Alyn Lind
  • Watch the trailer for Doctor Sleep.
  • Read Doctor Sleep.
  • Release date: Nov. 8
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27 The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle

The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle
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  • What it's about: An aging conman sees an opportunity to pull off his final con when he meets a wealthy woman, but she's not exactly as she seems.
  • Who's starring: Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen
  • Watch the trailer for The Good Liar.
  • Read The Good Liar.
  • Release date: Nov. 15
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28 The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones

The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: Lucy moves to Tokyo to escape her checkered past and soon strikes up an intense friendship with another expat in the city, Lily, who goes missing. Is Lucy responsible? And how does her obsessive boyfriend factor into things?
  • Who's starring: Alicia Vikander and Riley Keough
  • Watch the trailer for The Earthquake Bird.
  • Read The Earthquake Bird.
  • Release date: Nov. 15
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29 The Rhythm Section by Mark Burnell

The Rhythm Section by Mark Burnell
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30 A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
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31 The Cruelest Miles by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury

The Cruelest Miles by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury
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  • What it's about: This nonfiction account of sled dog Togo, who led the 1925 serum run, but was considered by most to be too small and weak to lead such an intense race, has inspired an upcoming Disney film starring Willem Dafoe. Keep an eye out for the movie, aptly titled Togo, on Disney+ in December!
  • Who's starring: Willem Dafoe and Christopher Heyerdahl
  • Read The Cruelest Miles.
  • Release date: Dec. 13
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32 Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot
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33 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
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34 The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion

The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion
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  • What it's about: This thriller has a political spin that involves a journalist who leaves her job to care for her father. She ends up taking over her father's position in the government and becomes the new arms dealer for the US Government in Central America.
  • Who's starring: Anne Hathaway, Willem Dafoe, Ben Affleck, Toby Jones, and Rosie Perez
  • Read The Last Thing He Wanted.
  • Original release date: 2019
  • Delayed to: Jan 1, 2020
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35 Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
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  • What it's about: Artemis is a master thief who will do anything to find his father, including kidnapping the fairy LEPrecon officer Holly Short.
  • Who's starring: Ferdia Shaw, Judi Dench, Josh Gad, and more
  • Watch the trailer for Artemis Fowl.
  • Read Artemis Fowl.
  • Release date: Aug. 9
  • Delayed to: Feb. 21, 2020
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36 The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Image Source: amazon.com
  • What it's about: An agoraphobic New Yorker spends her time watching her neighbors, until she sees more than she expected.
  • Who's starring: Amy Adams stars as Anna Fox. The cast also includes Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, and Wyatt Russell
  • Watch the trailer for The Woman in the Window
  • Read The Woman in the Window.
  • Release date: Oct. 4
  • Delayed to: May 15, 2020
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37 The Call of the Wild by Jack London

The Call of the Wild by Jack London
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  • What it's about: This live-action/CGI animated hybrid film will tell the classic tale of a sled dog's quest for survival.
  • Who's starring: Karen Gillan, Dan Stevens, and Harrison Ford
  • Read The Call of the Wild.
  • Original release date: Dec. 25
  • Delayed to: May 29, 2020
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