The Book-to-Screen Adaptations We’re Most Excited to See in 2022 — Catch Up on These Best-Sellers Now
Movies and Shows With Seriously Good Source Material
BY Megan Ziots // 01.24.22"Where the Crawdads Sing" stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya Clark.
To me, nothing is better than seeing a favorite book realized on screen. Movies and shows adapted from excellent source material often earn critical acclaim. Forrest Gump, A Beautiful Mind, and Slumdog Millionaire are just a few Oscar-winning book adaptations, while TV shows like Big Little Lies, Game of Thrones, and The Handmaid’s Tale are all based on novels. So starting in 2022, we’re going to highlight a handful of upcoming films and TV shows based on books that we can’t wait to see brought to life.
From dramatic thrillers to true crime stories, these are the book-to-screen adaptations we’re most excited about this year.
Where the Crawdads Sing
One of my favorite books finally wrapped up filming in 2021. Based on the best-selling murder mystery and coming-of-age novel by Delia Owens, this story has been adapted by Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine with director Olivia Newman at the helm set to release this July. It stars Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) as Kya Clark, a young girl who is abandoned by her family in the marshlands of 1950s North Carolina. Known as “Marsh Girl,” those in town steer clear of her until one day a popular boy named Chase Andrews (played by Harris Dickinson) is found dead. Taylor John Smith plays Tate, one of Kya’s only friends in town. Expect a good amount of buzz around shocking thriller (set to be released this July).
Conversations With Friends
Author Sally Rooney’s Normal People was the source material for a Hulu hit in 2020. Now, her 2017 debut novel is also getting the book-to-screen treatment. Also headed to Hulu, Conversations With Friends follows the story of two college students in Dublin and the unexpected relationship they develop with a married couple. Starring newcomer Alison Oliver as Frances, the book is narrated by the aspiring writer. Her best friend Bobbi is played by Sasha Lane. Jemima Kirke (Girls) and Joe Alwyn (The Favourite) play married couple Melissa and Nick. After befriending Melissa, Frances begins an affair with her husband.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Slated to debut on Apple TV+ in 2022, Martin Scorsese’s latest adaptation is based on David Grann’s 2017 nonfiction book. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI investigates a series of crimes committed by wealthy Osage people in Oklahoma in the 1920s after large oil deposits were found underneath their land. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, Brendan Fraser (who’s enjoying a well-deserved Rennaissance) as W.S. Hamilton, and Robert De Niro as Tom White, this film is sure to be a must-see.
Daisy Jones and the Six
Another highly-anticipated book-to-TV series, Daisy Jones and the Six is based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel of the same name. The story follows the rise and breakup of an iconic 1970s rock group (inspired by Fleetwood Mac) and their lead singer. Set to be released on Amazon Prime this year, the show stars Riley Keough as lead singer Daisy Jones and Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne, who joins the band after a producer decides to put the two together. Through documentary-style interviews, we begin to find out the real reason behind the big breakup.
My Policeman
Set to be released this year, this film adaptation stars Harry Styles as Tom Burgess. Based on the book by Bethan Roberts, the movie will portray the story of Tom and his wife Marion (played by Emma Corrin). After coming home from National Service to be a policeman, Tom marries Marion, but there’s something about her husband that Marion can’t quite figure out. Turns out, he is living another life as a gay man. The tragic love story is told from both Tom’s lover Patrick’s and Marion’s narratives, each having to share the man they love.