2023 Adaptations to Get Excited About
Yes, 2022 is, in fact, almost finished. I am just as surprised as you are. With the promise of a new year comes the delight of new books to be published and new movies, television shows, and miniseries hitting the screen. Book-to-movie adaptations continue to be incredibly popular, especially with the rise of BookTok. Streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu even have specialty tabs dedicated to movies based on books. In 2023, there is a barrage of book adaptations headed our way. There is a good mix of genres getting the movie treatment, from horror to romance. Classics like Harold and the Purple Crayon will be hitting theaters for the first time.
Since 2020, more production companies have moved to a hybrid model of release. For some movies, limited theatrical release means more bookworms will get to see their favorite characters on the big screen. Then, enjoy the same movie again in the comfort of your own home with jammies and unlimited snacks a few weeks later. Technology is amazing.
Before we officially step into 2023, let’s look ahead at what’s coming up, officially. I’ve focused on adaptations with confirmed (mostly) release dates. Who knows what Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and the others are scheming next to mess with productive weekend plans?
Editor’s note: There are not as many adaptations of books written by authors of color coming out as we would hope for. This speaks to the larger issues of not only a lack of diversity in the publishing world, but also how film producers have less confidence in the marketability of adaptations of books written by authors of color.
2023 Adaptations
The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante
Adaptation Name: The Lying Life of Adults
Where to Watch: Netflix
Release Date: January 4, 2023
In the depth of winter, run away to 1990s Naples with this Italian miniseries adaptation of Ferrante’s 2019 novel. After being compared to her aunt Vittoria, whom her father despises, 12-year old Giovanna seeks to the truth for herself.
The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard
Adaptation Name: The Pale Blue Eye
Where to Watch: Netflix (and select theaters)
Release Date: January 6, 2023
Let the fog roll in before you press play. Set in 1830s New York, this gothic horror mystery will keep you on your toes. Augustus Landor, a former police detective, is called in when the body of a West Point cadet is found without the heart. Aided by another cadet, Edgar Allan Poe, Landor work together to uncover the dark truth. The film adaptation stars Christian Bale as Landor and Harry Melling as Edgar Allan Poe.
The Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice
Adaptation Name: Mayfair Witches
Where to Watch: AMC and AMC+
Release Date: January 8, 2023
This trilogy chronicles the lives of the Mayfair family of New Orleans. Guided by the evil spirit, Lasher, the Mayfairs hold their fortune close and their sins closer. The television series follows the 2022 TV adaptation of Rice’s Interview With The Vampire.
A Man Called Ove By Fredrik Backman
Adaptation Name: A Man Called Otto
Where to Watch: In Theaters
Release Date: January 13, 2023
Tom Hanks Stars as Otto in the American adaptation version of A Man Called Ove, the 2012 international bestseller. Curmudgeonly Otto is tired of his life and wishes to be left alone. Too bad his neighbors won’t stop being kind to him.
Text For You by Sofie Cramer
Adaptation Name: Love Again
Where to Watch: In Theaters
Release Date: May 12, 2023
This 2009 romance novel has been adapted before, with Germany’s 2016 SMS Für Dich. The 2023 update stars Priyanka Chopra, Sam Heughan, and Celine Dion (as herself.) After a heated argument, Clara’s fiancé dies in a tragic accident. Two years later, Clara is still texting his old number. Sven, the new recipient, is mesmerized by her texts. Sven sets out to find Clara and the rest is history.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Adaptation Name: The Color Purple
Where to Watch: In Theaters
Release Date: December 20, 2023
Based on both the 1985 film adaptation and its subsequent musical adaptation, this film version is being produced by Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and Stephen Spielberg, with an all-star cast of Fantasia, Taraji P. Henson, H.E.R. Ciara, and Halle Bailey. You know the soundtrack is going to be incredible. Walker’s original novel follows the life of Celie, a young Black woman living in rural Georgia in the early 1900s.
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu
Adaptation Name: The Three Body Problem
Where to Watch: Netflix
Release Date: TBD
Set during the Cultural Revolution, this epic Chinese sci-fi novel takes its title from a concept in orbital mechanics. When a secret military project contacts an alien civilization on the brink of collapse, it spurns a series of deadly events that could end humanity. Astrophysicist Ye Wenjie’s worldview collapses around her as she finds herself at the center of everything.
Currently, there’s no set date for The Three Body Problem, but we’ll see it on Netflix by the end of 2023. The Three Body Problem’s English translator, Ken Liu, also has a short story (“The Cleaners”) in film development with Amazon.
Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of adaptations for 2023 to get hyped up about — like two Taylor Jenkins Reid series (based on Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo), a Stephen King or two, Dune Part II in November, multiple Octavia Butler works, and Red, White & Royal Blue at Amazon. Stay up-to-date with book adaptations in our adaptation archives.
