With the massive success of Heated Rivalry, which was based Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, book adaptations are having a moment! As much as I LOVE to read (and if you couldn’t tell by now, I do!) — I also love to watch films and TV series, and it can be really fun (and sometimes scary) when the books I love turn into films or TV series, opening up to an even bigger audience. I’ve watched adaptations before reading the books, and I’ve read books before watching the adaptations. Sometimes I liked one more than the other, sometimes I love both. But I can’t deny that it’s fun to compare the book to the TV series or film, and it’s fun to see where things did (or didn’t) change. It can also be fun to be “in the know” about what’s supposed to happen in the book.

So if you’re looking to fill the Heated Rivalry-sized hole in your heart, or you’re just looking for new books, TV series, or films, here’s a list of some of the upcoming page-to-screen adaptations we’re most excited for in 2026!

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

As we recover from multiple snowstorms and blistering cold fronts, I don’t know about you, but I wish I were somewhere else right now… preferably somewhere warm and sunny. If you feel the same way, Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation is the perfect escape. The book follows Poppy and Alex — two people who have nothing in common. Poppy is a wild child with wanderlust, and Alex is responsible and structured, and would rather stay home with a book. However, after one fateful car share home from college many years ago, they became the best of friends. For most of the year, they live in different places — her in New York City, and him in their small hometown, but every summer for the last decade, they’ve taken one incredible week of vacation together… until two years ago, when they ruined everything, and they haven’t spoken to each other since. Poppy decides to convince Alex to take one more vacation together, and try to make things right. Somehow, he agrees. Now, she’s got a week to fix everything, all while dancing around the one big truth that has always been at the center of their relationship… What could possibly go wrong? 

The film adaptation premiered on Netflix on January 9, starring Emily Bader and Tom Blyth as Poppy and Alex, rounding out the cast with Lukas Gage, Jameela Jamil, Molly Shannon, and Alan Ruck.

Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli

This one’s for Tessa and Scott shippers! Jennifer Iacopelli’s Finding Her Edge is based on Jane Austen’s Persuasion, so you might even call this a double adaptation? An adaptation squared? Either way, Finding Her Edge is a delightful young adult romance about an elite ice dancer who finds herself drawn to both her old dance partner and her new one. Adriana Russo is figure skating royalty. Her parents are gold medalists, and her sister is going to the Olympics, so Adriana is desperate to live up to her family name, and stand on the top of the podium at the Junior World Championships. But their family’s legendary ice skating rink is struggling financially, and the only thing that will help keep it afloat is their deal to host the rest of the Junior Worlds team. This means training on the same ice as her first crush Freddie — the partner she left who has barely spoken to her in two years… not that she can blame him. When their family’s finances take another unexpected hit, her partner Brayden suggests that they let the world believe that their intense chemistry on the ice is based on a real relationship. Fans and sponsors take the bait, but keeping up the charade is tough, especially when they’re training alongside Freddie, and the pretend feelings Adriana has for Brayden start to feel very real. As the biggest competition of her life comes closer, and her family’s legacy is on the line, Adriana finds herself caught between her past and present. 

The TV series premieres on Netflix on January 22, starring new-to-the-scene actors Madelyn Keys, Olly Atkins, and Cale Ambrozic. 

H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald

Helen Macdonald’s memoir H is for Hawk chronicles the author’s experiences of grief and loss. When she was a child, she was determined to become a falconer, learning all the terminology and reading all the classic books, including T.H. White’s The Goshawk, which describes White’s struggles to train a hawk as a spiritual contest. When Macdonald’s father dies, she is devastated, and soon becomes obsessed with the idea of training her own goshawk. She buys Mabel for £800, bringing her home to Cambridge, where she fills her freezer with hawk food, and unplugs her phone — ready to embark on the strange and difficult journey of training this wild animal. This is an unflinchingly honest detailing of the author’s struggles with grief, and her own spiritual journey.

The film is out in theatres on January 23, starring Claire Foy and Brendan Gleeson.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

If there’s one thing Heated Rivalry taught us, it’s that yearning is SO BACK, and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is perhaps a BLUEPRINT for yearning. In the book, Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, is forced to seek shelter one night at the home of his landlord, Wuthering Heights. There, he learns the history of the tempestuous events that took place years ago. Catherine Earnshaw was forced to choose between the tortured and passionate Heathcliff and the well-bred and gentle Edgar Linton, and she succumbed to the expectations of her class, choosing Linton. As Heathcliff’s bitterness grows, his betrayal makes him seek vengeance upon the next generation, and their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past. Emerald Fennel’s adaptation might not be totally true to the book – it is in fact called “Wuthering Heights” with quote marks around it – but it’s worth reading the classic before you watch the film.

The film “Wuthering Heights” stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, and will be out in theatres on February 13.

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him follows a young mother, Kenna Rowan, who served five years in prison for a tragic mistake. She’s now returned to the town where it all went wrong, and is hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges she’s burned might be impossible to rebuild, because everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter what she tries to do to prove herself. The only person who hasn’t completely shut the door on her is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner, who is also connected to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone learns about their relationship, both risk losing the trust of everyone who is important to them. Kenna must find a way to be forgiven, and forgive herself for the mistakes of her past, if she has any hope of healing.

The film is out in theatres on March 13, and stars Maika Monroe, Lainey Wilson, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, and Lauren Graham.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Of all the book-to-screen adaptations this year, this is one of the ones I’m most excited about. Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary is a delightful and charming science fiction story following Ryland Grace, the sole survivor on a desperate, “Hail Mary” mission — and if he fails, humanity, and the entire earth will perish… no pressure. The only thing is, right now, he doesn’t know that. In fact, he can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his mission, or how he can accomplish it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a long time, and he’s just been awakened, only to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two dead bodies as company. His crewmates are dead, and his memories are (slowly) starting to return, and Ryland soon realizes the impossible task in front of him… and he’s got to do it all by himself. Or does he?

The film, starring Ryan Gosling, is out in theatres on March 20. 

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Rufi Thorpe’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles follows Margo Millet, the child of a Hooters waitress and a former professional wrestler. Margo’s always known she’d have to make it on her own, so she enrolls in her local college, where she has an unplanned affair with her English professor, and ends up getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, partly because she’s yearning for something bigger. Now twenty, Margo is alone, with a baby, unemployed, and on the verge of being evicted. She needs cash, and fast. When her estranged father shows up on her doorstep, asking her to move in with him, she agrees in exchange for his help babysitting. Then Margo forms a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans account. Soon, she finds herself adapting her father’s advice from the world of wrestling to her new online persona. Could this be the answer to all her problems? Or does internet fame come at too high a cost?

Starring Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nick Offerman, the series premieres on Apple TV+ on April 15.

Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger

In Lauren Weisberger’s Revenge Wears Prada, it’s been almost a decade since Andy Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for”. Since then, Andy and Emily — her former nemesis and co-assistant — have joined forces and started a high-end bridal magazine, The Plunge, which has become very popular for the young and stylish. Now they’re calling the shots. Even better, Andy has met the love of her life, Max Harrison, the son of a storied media family. He’s confident, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous, and their wedding will be all over the society pages. Andy’s on top of the world, but karma can be a real bitch. On the morning of her wedding, Andy discovers a secret letter with crushing implications, and she soon realizes that nothing is as it seems, not even her career or her husband. Soon, she finds herself back in the path of the devil herself… 

The Devil Wears Prada 2, starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, and Simone Ashley, is out in theatres on May 1.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

It’s going to be another big year for Colleen Hoover, with her second movie adaptation of the year, Verity, coming in the fall. Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer, on the brink of financial ruin, when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, the husband of the bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series that his injured wife can’t finish. Lowen arrives at their home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes. What she doesn’t expect to uncover is an unfinished memoir that Verity never intended for anyone to read. The memoir includes page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s own memories of what happened on the day her daughter died. Lowen decides to hide the manuscript from Jeremy, knowing that its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But soon, Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy start to grow stronger, and she wonders if she should share his wife’s words, which might help him move on… hopefully with Lowen? This romantic suspense story is sure to keep you guessing.

The film, starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, is out in theatres on October 2.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Sunrise on the Reaping is probably the book adaptation I’m the MOST excited about this year. I can’t help it – the Hunger Games series raised me. Suzanne Collins’ latest book, Sunrise on the Reaping, is a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy, following fan-favourite character Haymitch Abernathy during the second quarter quell, the fiftieth annual Hunger Games. This year, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. As he’s torn from his family and the girl he loves, he’s shuttled to the Capitol with three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. When the games begin, Haymitch knows he’s been set up to fail, but there’s something in him that wants to fight…and have that fight ripple far beyond the deadly arena.

The film is out in theatres on November 20, starring Joseph Zada, McKenna Grace, Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak,  Billy Porter, and many more.

Other adaptations of note in 2026 include: Cold Storage based on David Koepp’s Cold Storage (in theatres February 13); Apple TV+’s season 2 of The Last Thing He Told Me (based on Laura Dave’s The First Time I Saw Him), coming out on February 20; The Testaments (based on Margaret Atwood’s novel by the same name), on Hulu this April;  Supergirl (based in part on Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow), in theatres June 26; The Odyssey (based on Homer’s Odyssey), out in theatres on July 17 — and many, many more.

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Ameema Saeed (@ameemabackwards) is a storyteller, an avid bookworm, and a curator of very specific playlists and customized book recommendations. She’s a book reviewer, a Sensitivity Reader, a book buyer at Indigo Books & Music, and the Books Editor for She Does the City, where she writes and curates bookish content, and book recommendations. She enjoys bad puns, good food, dancing, and talking about feelings. She writes about books, big feelings, unruly bodies, and her lived experiences, and hopes to write your next favourite book one day. When she’s not reading books, she likes to talk about books (especially diverse books, and books by diverse authors) on her bookstagram: @ReadWithMeemz