Let’s Chat Book to Film Adaptations
In 2026 alone, we’ve got more than a few books adapted to the movie screen. Wuthering Heights already stirred up an interesting conversation, people have seemed to love how Project Hail Mary was handled, there’s the Hunger Games crowd hyped for Sunrise on the Reaping, and The Odyssey has some huge names starring in it. That’s not to mention People We Meet on Vacation, Remarkably Bright Creatures, the third Dune installment, and whatever the latest is with Colleen Hoover’s work. And, when you look at TV shows, which we’re not at this time, there’s even more to add to that list.
Here’s the question I’d like to muddle over: Are all these adaptations necessary?
This isn’t even about being a purist and talking about the importance of reading a book before you go see its movie or dying on the hill of The Book is Always Better; part of this is about a lack of faith in Hollywood to honor a book in faithfully sticking to the story. Because, when you start playing around with the visual space rather than leaving characters, settings, and plot events to be envisioned by an audience, things can get lost along the way. I understand that a movie adaptation is described as being inspired by an original novel, but I don’t think that excuses some of the poor decisions we’ve seen film folks make. Immediately, I’m thinking about the instances in fourth grade and then middle school when Eragon (2006)came out and then The Lightning Thief (2010) and the riotous reactions of my excited and then supremely disappointed classmates.
There’s overlap, for sure, in how storytelling works between these formats because there are certain beats and hallmarks that are always going to ring true. When you tell an adventure tale, you’re going to hit upon specific turning points or conflicts. When it’s a rom-com, audiences are looking for that meet-cute or trope. And then, of course, there are departures in how a story is best told via a book versus on screen. We know this. We understand this. Sometimes it can’t be helped that a story is better told one way than the other.
Sometimes, too—I have to admit—an adaptation is absolutely nailed. Dare I say, sometimes it’s better than the book. Don’t come for me, though this is the truth, when I say the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is worlds better than the book.
So, I’m not out here saying a faithful and well-done adaptation cannot be achieved. It’s just that the other part of this question—Are all these adaptations necessary?—is that, lately, it seems Hollywood struggles to be in touch with inspiring originality and relies on sequels to classics that should have remained stand-alones, needlessly remakes already great films, or they jump on a killer idea that an author has already cleverly crafted.
Hollywood should be developing and producing stories that a screen was made for. They can do things with visual effects and sweeping soundtracks that are lost to a page just by the nature of the medium. And stories that shine best through the page should be told that way, no matter how popular the book becomes or how much money it might make by becoming a film.
I’m writing this thinking both about the sheer number of adaptations this year alone (as mentioned above) and about the recent trailer that dropped for The Odyssey. This was the one 2026 film I was interested in seeing, when I saw the announcement for it coming out this July. I was planning on re-reading the book and then going to see it…and then I watched the trailer. All excitement and anticipation left my body completely, which is saying something because I love movie trailers. Going to the movie theater and watching the trailers brings me more joy and fun than seeing whatever movie I actually paid to watch. And a tale as epic and adventurous and full as The Odyssey to come across as such a dud in the preview? How disappointing. I’ll still be re-reading the book, but the only content from the movie I’ll consume is its soundtrack because I’m a sucker for those.
Now, maybe I’ll be proved wrong once the movie comes out this summer and audiences rave about it. Or maybe not. I know I’m not alone in this reaction to this specific trailer. It makes me wonder how many other people have asked the same question I have: Is it necessary?
My husband and I talk, when it comes to movies, about how much we enjoy the films made from the 90s and early 00s. Over the last year, the ones I’ve seen for the first time include A Walk in the Clouds (1995), The Patriot (2000), and Deep Impact (1998). These movies are not perfect (what film is?), but their color and original storylines compel me. There’s something simplistic to them, in the sense that they’re not covered in CGI or special effects. The kids actually look like kids. There’s romance but nothing explicit.
We—people, the human race—are hardwired to love a good story, and we’re fortunate to live in a time when we can consume stories from many different sources. From the TV screen to the movie theater to the books we check out from the library to the podcasts we listen to. Stories are everywhere, and there are new ones waiting to be told. Perhaps we’re in a time when those that are told via the printed page should be allowed to remain there.
On a separate note, since there are so many book to film adaptations in existence, I thought it might be fun to give you a little challenge to see just how many of those adaptations you recognize.
Below is a quiz, and each question has a snippet of an image from a film that’s based on a book. Test your movie trivia and see if you can recognize all the movies!