14 Books That Are Being Adapted For the Small Screen in 2018

By Shannon Vestal Robson

Updated on 9/25/2018 at 9:25 AM

Hear that? It's the sound of the land of make-believe providing us with some much-needed respite from the horrors of the real world in the form of movies and TV. Books, long the safe place for your brain, are also inspiring some of 2018's most exciting movies and TV shows. Last year's book-to-TV adaptations included Big Little Lies, 13 Reasons Why, and The Handmaid's Tale, so 2018 had some big shoes to fill. Fortunately plenty of them have already delivered (looking at you, Sharp Objects). Take a glance at all the shows that have come out already this year, as well as a handful of titles that we're still waiting on!

01
Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History by Maureen Orth

Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History by Maureen Orth

  • What it's about: The real-life 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace at the hands of serial murderer Andrew Cunanan.
  • Who's starring: Edgar Ramirez plays Gianni Versace, Darren Criss is Cunanan, and Penelope Cruz stars as Gianni's sister Donatella. Here's the full cast.
  • The premiere date: Jan. 17 on FX
02
The Dangerous Book For Boys by Hal Iggulden

The Dangerous Book For Boys by Hal Iggulden

  • What it's about: After the McKenna siblings lose their father, they get absorbed in the titular book he leaves behind to have a new spate of adventures.
  • Who's starring: Chris Diamantopoulos plays Patrick and his twin brother Terry, Erinn Hayes plays McKenna matriarch Beth, and Gabriel Bateman plays Wyatt.
  • The premiere date: March 30 on Amazon
03
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

  • What it's about: Over 300 years in the future, death is no longer permanent now that it's possible to download human consciousness into various bodies. The sci-fi series focuses on Takeshi Kovacs, a former super-soldier who's forced to help with an investigation into the murder of wealthy businessman Laurens Bancroft.
  • Who's starring: You can see Joel Kinnaman, James Purefoy, and Martha Higareda leading this intergalactic drama.
  • Watch the trailer for Altered Carbon.
  • The premiere date: Feb. 2 on Netflix
04
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

  • What it's about: In the distant future, people burn books instead of reading them under the regime of an oppressive new American society.
  • Who's starring: Michael B. Jordan, Michael Shannon, and Sofia Boutella make up the main cast.
  • Watch the trailer for Fahrenheit 451.
  • The premiere date: May 19 on HBO
05
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

  • What it's about: Young NY newbie Tess gets a job at a high-profile restaurant, only to have her career expectations, palate, and love life expanded.
  • Who's starring: British actress Ella Purnell plays Tess.
  • Watch the trailer for Sweetbitter.
  • The premiere date: May 6 on Starz
06
Dietland by Sarai Walker

Dietland by Sarai Walker

  • What it's about: Our society's fixation on impossible beauty standards gets skewered in this TV adaptation, in which magazine writer Plum is recruited into an underground feminist organization.
  • Who's starring: Julianna Margulies plays high-strung magazine editor Kitty Montgomery, while Joy Nash plays Plum Kettle.
  • Watch the trailer for Dietland.
  • The premiere date: June 4 on AMC
07
The Alienist by Caleb Carr

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

  • What it's about: A psychological thriller exploring the vast wealth and extreme poverty present in 1896 New York, which is where a ritualistic killer begins gruesomely murdering boy prostitutes.
  • Who's starring: Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans, and Daniel Brühl lead the cast of the 11-episode series.
  • Watch the trailer for Dietland.
  • The premiere date: Jan. 22 on TNT
08
Drama High by Michael Sokolove (aka Rise)

Drama High by Michael Sokolove (aka Rise)

  • What it's about: The adaptation, which was retitled Rise, follows high school drama teacher Lou Mazzuchelli and his talented students. The series was met with near-instant backlash when it was announced that the character of Lou would be straight in the show, rather than his real-life counterpart, a gay man.
  • Who's starring: How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor played Lou, while Rosie Perez and Moana's Auli'i Cravalho also costarred. The show was canceled after one season.
  • The premiere date: March 13 on NBC
    09
    Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

    Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

    • What it's about: The March sisters come of age in Civil War-era America, dealing with love, loss, and ambition.
    • Who's starring: Maya Hawke, Kathryn Newton, Willa Fitzgerald, Annes Elwy, and Emily Watson make up the March family.
    • Watch the trailer for Little Women.
    • The premiere date: May 13 on PBS
    10
    Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

    Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

    • What it's about: Before Gillian Flynn penned Dark Places and Gone Girl, she wrote 2006's Sharp Objects. In the story, a troubled journalist returns to her hometown to investigate a bizarre string of murders.
    • Who's starring: Amy Adams as Camille, Patricia Clarkson as her mother Adora, and Chris Messina as prickly Detective Willis.
    • Watch the trailer for Sharp Objects.
    • The premiere date: July 8 on HBO
    11
    The Terror by Dan Simmons

    The Terror by Dan Simmons

    • What it's about: Two Royal Navy ships sail from England to the Arctic in an attempt to finally discover a navigable passage through the Northwest Passage in the 1800s but end up stuck in the North Atlantic, turning their journey into an icy, survivalist hell.
    • Who's starring: Ciarán Hinds and Jared Harris play warring captains John Franklin and Francis Crozier.
    • The premiere date: March 26 on AMC
    12
    You by Caroline Kepnes

    You by Caroline Kepnes

    • What it's about: Twenty-something bookstore manager Joe uses his technology know-how (and insane stalker tendencies) to try to get to the woman he's in love with.
    • Who's starring: Penn Badgley plays Joe opposite Elizabeth Lail as his obsession, Guinevere Beck.
    • Watch the trailer for You.
    • The premiere date: Sept. 9 on Lifetime
    13
    The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

    The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

    • What it's about: Adapted previously and famously, this time the iconic horror story gets the Netflix treatment. In the classic book, several strangers converge at a haunted house, including a doctor investigating fear. The show is making a few major changes to the source material, instead focusing on a family who experiences truly tragic supernatural events at the home that come back to bite them decades later.
    • Who's starring: Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Reaser, Carla Gugino, Michiel Huisman, and Kate Siegel are starring.
    • The premiere date: Oct. 12 on Netflix
    14
    Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV by Brian Stelter

    Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV by Brian Stelter

    • What it's about: Stelter's book about the real world of morning news is inspiring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston's untitled new series, which will depict a New York-based morning show. The series has already been picked up for two seasons.
    • Who's starring: Witherspoon and Aniston will star and executive produce.
    • The premiere date: TBD on Apple