The medium through which a story is told plays a huge part in how you experience the narrative. That’s why it’s so exciting to see how your favorite books translate to the big screen!
This year is shaping up to be a big one for film adaptations, with books new and old getting their time in the spotlight.
We’ve compiled a list of the must-see films based on books coming out in 2022 so you can read the stories before you watch them play out on screen!
Books Becoming Movies in 2022
Below are 13 books becoming movies in 2022.
1. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Director Kenneth Branagh is back with this follow-up to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, and he’s once again starring as fictional detective Hercule Poirot.
Death on the Nile follows Poirot as he investigates the murder of a young heiress on board a luxury Nile cruise.
In addition to Branagh, the film will star Gal Gadot, Annette Bening, and Russell Brand.
Release Date: February 11, 2022
2. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore by J.K. Rowling
This is the third Fantastic Beasts film, and although it’s only loosely based on Rowling’s book, fans of the Harry Potter universe will certainly be happy to see it expanded further.
The films stars Mads Mikkelsen (taking over for Johnny Depp) as the evil wizard Grindelwald, and Jude Law as the famous Albus Dumbledore.
Release Date: April 15, 2022
3. Mrs Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
In Paul Gallico’s 1958 novel, an English cleaning woman who falls in love with a Dior dress, the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. So, she heads for Paris to search for one of her own.
The film adaptation was shot in London, Paris, and Budapest and stars Lesley Manville, Jason Isaacs, and Lucas Bravo.
Release Date: May 6, 2022
4. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Delia Owens’s 2018 best-seller is finally making its way to the big screen. The story follows Kya, the “Marsh Girl,” who intrigues two young men with her wild beauty. But when one of them turns up dead, locals are quick to suspect Kya.
The film will star Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya, alongside Harris Dickinson and David Strathairn.
Release Date: July 22, 2022
5. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
Just in time for Halloween, Stephen King’s 1975 horror novel is getting its second film adaptation.
The scary tale, which tells of a writer who discovers the residents of his hometown are becoming vampires, will star Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Spencer Treat Clark, and Alfre Woodard.
Release Date: September 9, 2022
6. She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey are the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story for the New York Times, and this book shares the thrilling untold story of their investigation and its consequences for the #MeToo movement.
The film adaptation will star Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, and Patricia Clarkson and is sure to be the next Bombshell.
Release Date: November 28, 2022
7. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah’s 2017 bestseller follows two French sisters who deal with the Nazi occupation in different ways.
Vianne, the older sister, is forced to host a German officer at her home while her husband is at the frontline. Her younger sister, Isabelle, joins the French resistance.
The film will star real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning as Vianne and Isabelle.
Release Date: December 23, 2022
8. Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith’s 1957 thriller follows a couple in a loveless marriage who agree to an arrangement in hopes of avoiding a messy divorce.
The husband will allow his wife to have affairs, but when he finally grows jealous, deadly psychological mind games ensue.
Interestingly, the film will star now real-life exes, Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, as the couple at the center of it all.
Release Date: TBA
9. Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates
Much has been said about the life of Marilyn Monroe—so much that the line between fact and fiction is frequently blurred.
Here, Joyce Carol Oates imagines what would have been if Marilyn had lived to tell her side of the story. The film adaptation is set to star Ana de Armas as Monroe.
Release Date: TBA
10. Persuasion by Jane Austen
In Austen’s last completed novel, 27-year-old Anne lacks a love interest. As a young girl, she was forced to reject the proposal of Frederick Wentworth, but when their paths cross again eight years later, everything is sure to change.
The film adaptation will star Dakota Johnson as Anne alongside Cosmo Jarvis and Henry Golding.
Release Date: TBA
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo
White Noise follows Jack Gladney, a professor of Hitler studies, along with his wife Babette and their four children as their lives are turned upside down when chemical waste spreads over their town.
The film adaptation of this postmodern classic will star Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig as Jack and Babette Gladney.
Release Date: TBA
12. The Stars at Noon by Denis Johnson
Set in 1984 Nicaragua against the backdrop of a dangerous revolution, a enigmatic British businessman and a strong-willed American journalist fall in love, and must rely on each other to survive and escape the country.
The film is set to star Joe Alywn and Margaret Qualley as the protagonists.
Release Date: TBA
13. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Already the inspiration of two film adaptations (1930 and 1979), this classic novel follows Paul Bäumer and his classmates as they enlist in the German army during World War I.
They’re sure that it will be a quick and glorious war, but as the true horrors of the first modern war set in, Paul vows to dedicate his life to fighting the hate that starts wars—if he lives to do so.
Release Date: TBA
From Page to Screen
It’s always interesting to see how the written word translates to the big screen. Who will play your favorite characters? Will the director be able to capture everything you loved about the book on screen?
Books have served as inspiration for many movies and TV shows. While not all adaptations live up to readers’ expectations, in some cases the movies are deemed better than the books—but we’ll let you be the final judge of that.
Which film adaptations are you excited to watch this year? Share your picks in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 14 Movies Better Than the Book: When To Ditch the Page for the Screen
- 12 Short Stories That Were Made into Movies
- 25 Best Movies Based on Books: Read It Then See It
- 15 Movies About Writers that Every Aspiring Author Needs to See
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
