If you’re like me, you always want to read the book before seeing the movie or television adaptation. So, here’s your fair warning: there are TONS of book adaptations coming to a screen near you.
I know often we get all excited when we hear a good book has been optioned, and then it gets stuck in release limbo forever and forever. But here’s a list of 5 books with movie or TV adaptations that have actual release dates in 2019, have been filmed, or have stated that they will affirmatively be released in 2019.
The Sun is Also a Star (IMDB)
Release Date: May 17, 2019
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (Everything, Everything) is done filming and will be coming out in 2019. This YA adaptation stars Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton. Natasha is a science geek who is facing possible deportation when she falls in love with Daniel. Get ready for adolescents everywhere to swoon.
The Irishman / I Heard You Paint Houses (IMDB)
Release Date: 2019
This highly anticipated movie directed by Martin Scorsese will have a short cinematic run, followed by Netflix availability sometime in 2019. (Netflix reportedly paid $105 million to buy this movie.) It’s based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. It tells the story of the killing of Jimmy Hoffa.
“I Heard You Paint Houses” (in mob-speak it means to kill someone because of the blood on the walls) were the first words he reportedly spoke to the man who would later kill him. This movie has a lot of big names (Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Ray Romano, etc.) and is almost sure to generate a lot of buzz as it gets closer to being released.
The Woman in the Window (IMDB)
Release Date: October 4, 2019
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn was a surprise hit with a huge bidding war that was actually only released earlier this year. It’s a solid thriller about a woman who believes she sees a crime being committed through the window in a house across the way. The book includes a number of homages to Hitchhock’s Rear Window, so I’m curious if the movie will do the same.
The Kitchen (IMDB)
Release Date: October 20, 2019
The Kitchen is a DC comic about a group of women in Hell’s Kitchen (NYC) in the 1970’s whose mafia husbands have been locked up in prison. They continue to operate their husband’s rackets and end up being both better and more vicious at it.
The movie adaptation will star Elizabeth Moss, Tiffany Haddish and Melissa McCarthy.
Little Women (IMDB)
Release Date: December 25, 2019
Greta Gerwig is directing an adaptation of Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott which began filming this month (October) in Boston. You can see Emma Watson walking around as Meg. Plus there’s other videos from the set roaming around as well. Meryl Streep is in it, too, as Aunt March! Plus, Timothée Chalamet.
I’m guessing the movie will be decent at least given how much star-power is there. Gerwig’s version will focus on the character’s lives as adults moreso than the 1994 adaptation. I’m still attached to the Winona Ryder version, but we’ll see. This one is slated for a Christmas release.
Here is a handy books adaptations tracker if you’d like to track the progress of any upcoming adaptations!
Which are you excited for?
