From children’s classics to dramatic thrillers to inspiring biographies, books have always been source material for some of our greatest and most cherished films. Stories can live on the page and in our minds, but there’s nothing quite like seeing them come to life before your eyes. Here are some of the titles we can’t wait to see in theaters this year and beyond.
“The world is full of decent people making disastrous decisions. I love a book that can find the beauty in that.”
Read Susan Crandall’s review here.
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Here’s the remarkable true story of Phiona Mutesi, a teenage chess prodigy growing up in Uganda, one of the world’s most unstable countries. Starring Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo, THE QUEEN OF KATWE will continue to inspire millions from the pages to the screen. RELEASE DATE: 2016
After a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, whose inhabitants may have been dangerous or at least quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And impossible though it seems, they may still be alive. This spine-tingling fantasy, illustrated with haunting vintage photography, will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
This Carnegie Medal-winning children’s novel is the latest fantasy adaptation to be translated from page to screen. Set in present-day England, it follows a young boy struggling to cope with his mother’s terminal illness. He’s visited each night be a monster (Liam Neeson) who tells him stories, with profound and escalating consequences. RELEASE DATE: October 21, 2016
This Carnegie Medal-winning children’s novel is the latest fantasy adaptation to be translated from page to screen. Set in present-day England, it follows a young boy struggling to cope with his mother’s terminal illness. He’s visited each night be a monster (Liam Neeson) who tells him stories, with profound and escalating consequences. RELEASE DATE: October 21, 2016
A luminous and savage depiction of post-9/11 America, as experienced by one young war hero attending a Dallas Cowboys game.
Perhaps the most anticipated film of 2016, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter backstory features the wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as he travels to 1920s New York. Everything is going swimmingly, until Scamander’s suitcase—which contains a number of dangerous magical creatures and their habitats (indexed in his textbook FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM)—pops open and the state of the non-magical world is threatened. RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2016
Perhaps the most anticipated film of 2016, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter backstory features the wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as he travels to 1920s New York. Everything is going swimmingly, until Scamander’s suitcase—which contains a number of dangerous magical creatures and their habitats (indexed in his textbook FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM)—pops open and the state of the non-magical world is threatened. RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2016
For almost a decade, Stephen King fans have been yearning to see this epic series on the big screen, and they’ll finally get their wish with this adaptation, starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. It tells the story of the fallen land of Mid-World, through the eyes of a knight whose primary mission is to save his decaying world by reaching the titular tower that stands at the intersection of time and space. This mix of horror, western, and sci-fi will be a must-see. RELEASE DATE: February 17, 2017
For almost a decade, Stephen King fans have been yearning to see this epic series on the big screen, and they’ll finally get their wish with this adaptation, starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. It tells the story of the fallen land of Mid-World, through the eyes of a knight whose primary mission is to save his decaying world by reaching the titular tower that stands at the intersection of time and space. This mix of horror, western, and sci-fi will be a must-see. RELEASE DATE: February 17, 2017
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When Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves the life of the other. Violet, a popular cheerleader, and Theodore, an outsider obsessed with death, soon team up on a class project. As they grow closer, they teach each other how to be their best selves and confront life’s challenges head on. Elle Fanning is set to star in this adaptation. RELEASE DATE: TBD 2017
When Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves the life of the other. Violet, a popular cheerleader, and Theodore, an outsider obsessed with death, soon team up on a class project. As they grow closer, they teach each other how to be their best selves and confront life’s challenges head on. Elle Fanning is set to star in this adaptation. RELEASE DATE: TBD 2017