With so many book-to-movie adaptations coming to theaters in 2024, there's a good chance your favorite will be on the big screen. Some of these adaptations have been big releases, like like THE WILD ROBOT. Some, like QUEER and THE MONKEY, might not even be obvious as book-to-movie adaptations for audiences that don't know the source material.
Here are the big book-to-movie releases in theaters now and coming to the big screen in 2024 and into 2025.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
An adaptation of Barbara Robinson's 1972 children's novel. Nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town's yearly Christmas performance. https://www.cinemark.com/movie-news/articles/best-christmas-pageant-ever-trailer-cast-plot-book-adaptation [Now Playing]
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. More than two hundred years before the events of THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, must defend his lands from vicious attacks by men called the Dunlendings. This anime explores an unseen chapter in Middle-Earth's history, and features the voices of Brian Cox and Miranda Otto. Read more about THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM here. [Now Playing]
Nightbitch
Rachel Yoder's satirical and strange novel is the basis for this movie starring Amy Adams. After putting her art career on pause to become a mother, a dissatisfied woman (Adams) begins to believe she is turning into a dog. As her domesticity takes this surreal turn, she finds guidance from a mysterious book, and meets a group of other women whose own experiences may be able to ground hers — or push her over the edge. [Now Playing]
Queer
William S. Burroughs' early novel of the same name is the basis for this new movie by Luca Guadagnino (CHALLENGERS). In 1950s Mexico City, William Lee, an American ex-pat in his late forties, leads a solitary life amidst a small American community. However, the arrival in town of Eugene Allerton, a young student, stirs William into finally establishing a meaningful connection with someone. [Now Playing]
The Return
"The Odyssey" by Homer isn't really a book, mostly because it predates books. This adaptation of the epic poem stars Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus. After 20 years away, Odysseus washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. The king finds much has changed since he left to fight in the Trojan War. His beloved wife, Penelope, is a prisoner in her own home and hounded to choose a new husband. Their son faces death at the hands of suitors who see him as an obstacle in their pursuit of Penelope and the kingdom. Odysseus is no longer the mighty warrior his people remember, but he must face his past to save his family. [Now Playing]
Wicked
Before it was a smash stage musical, the story in WICKED was born in the book "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West," by Gregory Maguire. Now the movie WICKED explores the untold story of the witches of Oz, with Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda's unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. Read more about WICKED here. [Now Playing]
Nickel Boys
Two young African American men navigate the harrowing trials of reform school in Florida. [December 13]
A Complete Unknown
Based on the book "Dylan Goes Electric!" by Elijah Wald. Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician BOB DYLAN’s (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts – his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation – culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. [December 25]
Nosferatu
The original version of NOSFERATU was a thinly-veiled adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula." Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake. Read more about NOSFERATU here. [December 25]
Dog Man
Part dog, part man, all hero. From DreamWorks Animation comes the canine-crime-fighting film adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon: "Dog Man." When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over. As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief (Lil Rel Howery, Get Out, Free Guy), he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson; Saturday Night Live, The King of Staten Island). Petey’s latest plan is to clone himself, creating the kitten Lil Petey, to double his ability to do crime stuff. Things get complicated, though, when Lil Petey forges an unexpected bond with Dog Man. When Lil Petey falls into the clutches of a common enemy, Dog Man and Petey reluctantly join forces in an action-packed race against time to rescue the young kitten. In the process, they discover the power of family (and kittens!) to bring even the most hostile foes together. [January 31, 2025]
Mickey 17
The movie adaptation of "Mickey 7" by Edward Ashton will be a big deal. It stars Robert Pattinson for one, but more importantly, it's the new movie by PARASITE filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho. That's all we need to know, really! But if you want a few more details, Pattinson plays a cloned "disposable employee" assigned to colonize an ice-encrusted world. Read more about MICKEY 17 here. [January 31, 2025]
The Monkey
LONGLEGS filmmaker Osgood Perkins adapts Stephen King's 1980 short story about a mechanical toy monkey that causes death every time it is activated. Stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy. Read more about THE MONKEY here. [February 21]
The Amateur
Based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Robert Littell. Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge. [April 11, 2025]
Click below for showtimes and tickets for movies opening soon!
All images courtesy of New Line and Warner Bros. Pictures.