Books Receiving Film or Television Series Adaptations In 2023/2024 Part Two
The first part of this article features Uglies, The Fall of House of Usher, The Changeling, Leave the World Behind, and Lessons in Chemistry as some of the bestselling books receiving film or television series adaptions in upcoming months. However, plenty more are to come, including the books listed below.
Spaceman of Bohemia
by Jaroslav Kalfar
Format: A Feature Film by Netflix
Spaceman of Bohemia is an intergalactic odyssey of love, ambition, and self-discovery by Jaroslav Kalfar. The story follows Jakub Procházka, an orphaned boy raised by his doting grandparents in the Czech countryside who goes on to become the country’s first astronaut. Jakub seizes on the opportunity to go on a dangerous solo mission to Venus, both as a way to attain the heroism he’s always dreamed of and also to atone for the sins of his father, who was a communist informer. Jakub leaves behind his devoted wife Lenka and ventures into Deep Space where he discovers a giant alien spider that may or may not be imaginary. Spaceman of Bohemia is being adapted into a feature film starring Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
by Rick Riordan
Format: A Disney+ Series
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a fantasy series by Rick Riordan starring a young boy who discovers he is a demigod. The series started in 2005 with the release of the first book, The Lightning Thief. The story saw Percy discovering that he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, and that must save the world from another war between the Olympian gods. The Lightning Thief received a film adaptation in 2010 followed by a sequel Sea of Monsters three years later. However, the author was mostly shut out of the filmmaking process and the third film went into development but never reached production. After acquiring 21st Century Fox, Disney holds the rights to the Percy Jackson novels and announced a live-action television series, which will premiere on Disney+ in 2024.
Wicked
by Gregory Maguire
Format: A Feature Film by Universal Studios
Wicked by Gregory Maguire is the basis for the smash-hit Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. It is the first novel in the series by the same name and uses the setting and characters of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum as inspiration. However, the story follows Elphaba, who later becomes the much-maligned Wicked Witch of the West. After some delays, Universal announced that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande would star as Elphaba and Galinda with the book receiving a two-film adaptation. The first film is set to release in November of 2024.
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr
Format: A Netflix Limited Series
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is the touching story of a blind French girl whose path crosses with a German boy in occupied France. The story alternates between Marie-Laure Leblanc, the blind girl who takes refuge in her uncle’s house in Saint-Malo during the war, and Werner Pfennig, a German orphan who ends up placed in a Wehrmacht squad due to his talent for radio technology. A four-episode limited series based on the novel was announced by Netflix for release in November of 2023. The series will star Aria Mia Loberti as Marie-Laure and Louis-Hofmann as Werner along with supporting roles by Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie.
You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah!
by Fiona Rosenbloom
Format: A Feature Film by Netflix
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah! by Fiona Rosenbloom is the story of a girl named Stacy Friedman who is getting ready for one of the most important events of her young life. Stacy has a lot of expectations for her bat mitzvah, such as wearing the perfect dress, having her friends by her side, and dancing with her biggest crush ever, Andy Goldfarb. Unfortunately, things do not turn out quite as Stacy expected, which causes her to utter the dreaded words “You are SO not invited to my bat mitzvah” to someone close to her. A feature film by Netflix starring Idina Menzel and Adam Sandler is set to release in August of 2023.
They Both Die at the End
by Adam Silvera
Format: A Netflix Series
They Both Die at the End is a 2017 novel by Adam Silvera about two teenage boys who are informed that they only have one day left to live. Although Mateo and Rufus do not know each other they both download an app named “Last Friend” so that they won’t have to spend their final day alone. The two agree to spend the last day together and meet up for one last great adventure. They Both Die At the End was initially set to be adapted into a half-hour television miniseries at HBO before Netflix picked up the series with a release in 2024 being likely.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
by Jennifer E. Smith
Format: A Feature Film on Netflix
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a romantic novel by Jennifer E. Smith. The story follows Hadley Sullivan who misses her flight to London where she’s supposed to attend her father’s wedding to a soon-to-be stepmother who she has never met. However, what should have been one of the worst days of her life changes when she meets a British boy named Oliver in the airport’s cramped waiting area. Oliver ends up sitting in her row and the two connect during the long night on the plane, but lose track of each upon arrival. Netflix bought the rights to the film and will be releasing it as Love at First Sight in September 2023 with Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy in the lead roles.
