More Books Receiving Television and Film Adaptations In 2024
Plenty of books have already been receiving adaptations as full-length films or television shows this year. Some of these, like Dune: Part Two, lived up to expectations, while others fell a little short of what fans were hoping for. Nevertheless, hot on the heels of recent adaptions such as Spaceman of Bohemia, The Three-Body Problem, and Argylle, here are a few more books to read before they hit the big or small screens.
Turtles All The Way Down
by John Green
Turtles All The Way Down is a 2017 novel by John Green, who also wrote The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska. The protagonist is a 16-year-old American high school student named Aza Holmes. Aza has OCD and anxiety, but she joins with her best friend Daisy to search for a fugitive billionaire named Russell Picket, who disappeared. There's a hundred-thousand-dollar reward if they succeed, but Aza is also grieving the loss of her own father. A film adaptation of Turtles All The Way Down was announced in late 2017 and is scheduled for release in early May 2024 on the streaming service Max.
The Idea of You
by Robinne Lee
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee features Solène Marchand, a thirty-nine-year-old mother and owner of a Los Angeles art gallery. Her daughter Isabelle wants to meet her favorite boy band, which Solène agrees to because she wants to become closer to her. However, the last thing Solène, who is divorced, expected is to form a connection with one of the 20-year-old members of the band. This connection turns into a series of clandestine trysts before evolving into a passionate and genuine relationship. However, the secret can only be kept for so long, and when the romance becomes a viral sensation, Solène is faced with the consequences her romance has on the lives of the people she cares about. The Idea of You is scheduled to be released on Amazon Prime Video in May 2024, with Anne Hathaway in the lead role.
Queen's Gambit
by Elizabeth Fremantle (Firebrand movie name)
Queen's Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle is a novel about Katherine Parr, a woman who is widowed for the second time at age thirty-one. Katherine hopes to at last marry for love when she falls for Thomas Seymour, a dashing courtier, but then she attracts the attention of Henry VIII. She is in no position to refuse a royal proposal, but Katherine is well aware of the fates that befell the egotistical king's previous wives. These included two executions, two annulments, and the death of one during childbirth. Life as Henry's queen is treacherous, but Katherine hopes to survive by relying on her wits and the assistance of her loyal servant, Dot. Queen's Gambit was adapted into a historical drama named Firebrand that is set for release in cinemas in June 2024. Alicia Vikander stars in the role of Katherine Parr, and Jude Law as Henry VIII.
The Amateur
by Robert Littell
The Amateur is a 1981 novel by Robert Littell starring Charlie Heller, an ace cryptographer for the CIA. His quiet back-office job suits his quiet personality, but when terrorists murder Charlie's fiancée, he expects the Agency to pursue the killers. When they decide not to do so due to conflicting international priorities, Charlie takes matters into his own hands. Although he is an amateur, Charlie blackmails the Agency to provide him with the training he needs to go after the terrorists. However, if he loses his bargaining chip he risks becoming a target himself before he can complete his mission. The film adaptation of The Amateur, starring Rami Malek in the lead role, was scheduled for release in November of 2024 but has been rescheduled to April 2025.
Dark Matter
by Blake Crouch
Dark Matter is a 2016 novel by Blake Crouch, author of the Wayward Pines trilogy. The protagonist, Jason Dessen, is an ordinary college physics professor who is knocked unconscious by a masked abductor before waking up to a life that is not the one he knew. Not only is his wife, not his wife, but his son was never born, and people are celebrating him as a genius who achieved something remarkable. Jason is left wondering if the home he remembers is real or a dream and if he can make it back to the family he loves. However, he will have to confront the darkest parts of himself to find the answers he seeks. A nine-episode television series based on Dark Matter will be released on Apple TV+ with Joel Edgerton in the lead role.
My Lady Jane
by Cynthia Hand
My Lady Jane is Cynthia Hand's humorous reimagining of the Tudor world. The title refers to Lady Jane Grey, who is faced with marrying a total stranger at the tender age of sixteen. In reality, Lady Jane Grey was the queen for only nine days before being executed, but things go very differently in the book. For example, in this tale, England is a place where shapeshifters exist, which causes friction with those who think their magic is evil. This leaves Jane and her friends with their hands full as they try to figure out how to keep the peace and who it is that keeps poisoning the king's food. A television series titled My Lady Jane, starring Emily Bader in the lead role is scheduled to stream on Amazon Prime Video in 2024.
