From new spins on classic stories to contemporary Irish novels getting the TV treatment, here are the book to screen adaptations we’re most looking forward to this year.
The Three Incestuous Sisters, by Audrey Niffenegger
An illustrated fable from the author of The Time Traveler’s Wife is getting a reportedly loose adaptation for the big screen some 20 years after it was originally published. The most perfect, two-thirds Irish trifecta playing the sisters? Jessie Buckley, Saoirse Ronan, and Dakota Johnson. The love interest? Josh O’Connor. “Ophile, Clothilde, and Bettine are sisters who live together in a large house by the sea. One night their neighbour, the Lighthouse Keeper, is killed by lightning during a terrible storm,” reads the official summary of the story. “His son, Paris, returns to take his father’s place at the lighthouse. Ophile and Bettine fall in love with Paris, and he returns Bettine’s affections. Terrible rivalries ensue. A peculiar baby is born. Havoc and revenge result. Eventually some people die and others are reconciled.”
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Bestselling author Dolly Alderton and director Euros Lyn (Heartstopper)’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a six-part series starring Golden Globe–winner Emma Corrin and BAFTA winner Jack Lowden as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and Academy Award–winner Olivia Colman as Mrs. Bennet. Ireland’s own Daryl McCormack will also be making an appearance. Twenty years on from Keira Knightley’s spellbinding performance in the role, I think we’re ready for a brand new iteration.
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
Adolescence writer and producer Jack Thorne is bringing the first television adaptation of William Golding’s beloved 1954 novel to the screen in the form of a four-part series. The series will follow a group of young schoolchildren who find themselves stranded on a tropical island without adult supervision after a deadly plane crash. Billed by the BBC as truthful to the original novel – set in the early 1950s on an unnamed Pacific island – the show is set to delve further into the book’s emotive themes of human nature, the loss of innocence and boyhood masculinity.
Close to Home, by Michael Magee
Based on Michael Magee’s debut novel, Close to Home, the story revels in the reckless decadence of youth and celebrates a generation growing up in the wake of the Troubles. A striking tale of love, trauma and finding your place in the scarred city you call home. Adapted for the screen by Michael Magee, the series will be directed by Diarmuid Goggins (Code of Silence). Leading the cast will be Anthony Boyle (Say Nothing, House of Guinness) as Sean, Jessica Reynolds (A Woman of Substance, Kneecap) as Mairéad, Seamus O’Hara (House of Guinness, Say Nothing) as Anthony, and Oisín Thompson (Trespasses) as Ryan.
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
As part of a new anthology series currently in development entitled Great American Stories, AMC are dedicating the first season to adapting John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Three-time Emmy nominee Rolin Jones will adapt the story, known for his writing on Friday Night Lights, Weeds, and the development of Interview with the Vampire. The book tells the story of the Joad family. Forced to abandon their Oklahoma farm due to the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, they strike out for California in search of a better life.
The Rachel Incident, by Caroline O’Donoghue
Filming is underway in Ireland on the eight-part drama series The Rachel Incident, adapted by Caroline O’Donoghue and starring Máiréad Tyers (Extraordinary, The Walsh Sisters) as Rachel, alongside Ellis Howard (What It Feels Like for a Girl, Red Rose) as James, Sarah Greene (Bad Sisters, Normal People) as Deenie and Daniel Ings (The Gentlemen, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) as Dr. Fred Byrne. Set in Cork in 2010, the story aches with unrequited love, shot through with delicious, sparkling humour about friends, lovers, Ireland in chaos, and a young woman desperately trying to manage all three.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
Honourary Irish talent Daisy-Edgar Jones will be stepping into the shoes of brilliant game designer Sadie Green for the film take on Gabrielle Zevin’s bestselling novel. For the uninitiated, the story follows Sadie and her co-collaborator Sam Masur, as well as Sam’s roommate and friend Marx Watanabe, over the course of several decades as they build a video game studio called Unfair Games. Casting details for Daisy’s co-stars are still under wraps, Watch this space.
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
A Netflix adaptation of the 1952 novel by John Steinbeck is coming this year. The seven-episode limited series, written and executive produced by Zoe Kazan, will star Florence Pugh, who will also executive produce. The new take on the classic novel continues the legacy of Zoe’s grandfather, Elia Kazan, who directed the 1955 East of Eden film starring James Dean. The series follows the multi-generational Trask family saga explored from the perspective of the standout female character Cathy Ames, played by Pugh. Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist and Ciarán Hinds are also confirmed cast members.
Walk the Blue Fields, by Claire Keegan
Andrew Scott will star opposite Emily Blunt in Walk the Blue Fields, an adaptation of the Claire Keegan short story of the same name, with Brooklyn‘s John Crowley directing the drama in Ireland. The film’s cast also includes Ciarán Hinds and Tom Cullen. “Walk the Blue Fields follows a woman on her wedding day being confronted with a heart-wrenching decision, as a love triangle from her past threatens to be revealed,” says Deadline.
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
Set for release in September, the Working Title production is based on a script adaptation by Diana Reid, and stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, George MacKay and Fiona Shaw. Set in Georgian-era England, Austen’s classic follows wealthy Mr. Dashwood, who dies, leaving his second wife and three daughters in rather poor shape. The ladies move to a modest cottage where the two older daughters vie for the attention of various suitors in search of true love.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles, by Rufi Thorpe
One of Apple’s most highly anticipated series, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is loaded with a star-studded cast, bringing together the likes of Elle Fanning, Nick Offerman, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Greg Kinnear and more. Just as in the novel, Margo gets pregnant after a brief affair with her English teacher. At 20 years old, alone with the baby and unemployed, Margo faces eviction if she can’t find a way to pay rent, but when her estranged father shows up and asks to move in with her, she says yes for the childcare that he can provide. She also starts an OnlyFans account to experiment and pay the bills, incorporating some of her father’s advice from the world of wrestling.
The Odyssey, by Homer
Christopher Nolan is following up his Oscar-winning Oppenheimer by venturing deep into Greek mythology with his adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. Matt Damon will lead as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, with Tom Holland as Telemachus, Charlize Theron as Circe, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Zendaya as Athena. *Deep breath because the cast is so stacked* Jon Bernthal, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Himesh Patel, John Leguizamo, and Travis Scott (!) are also confirmed cast members.
Grown Ups, by Marian Keyes
Production has begun on an eight-part drama series based on the best-selling novel, Grown Ups, by Marian Keyes.Set in south county Dublin, the story follows the chaotic lives of the Casey clan, a noisy tight-knit Irish family, who are bound together by a tangled web of loyalty, resentment, money, memory and love. The cast is made up of Sarah Greene, Barry Ward, Aisling Bea, Robert Sheehan and James Agnew, to name a few. Coming soon to Netflix.
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
If you didn’t brush up on your reading for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein starring Jacob Elordi last year, now’s the time. Maggie Gyllenhaal stars and directs The Bride, with Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale co-starring. In 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein asks Dr. Euphronius to help create a companion. They give life to a murdered woman as the Bride, sparking romance, police interest, and radical social change.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew—which will be her first outing after Barbie—stars Emma Mackey as the White Witch, with Carey Mulligan also in the cast. Filled with mythic battles and unforgettable creatures and characters, the seven-book collection started in 1950 and has sold more than 115 million copies and been translated into 57 languages worldwide.
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