With so many book-to-movie adaptations coming to theaters in 202, there's a good chance your favorite will be on the big screen. Some of these adaptations have been big releases, like like A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. 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 2025.
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. [Now Playing]
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. [Now Playing]
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. [Now Playing]
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. Read more about DOG MAN here. [January 31]
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 Unbreakable Boy
A young boy with both a rare brittle-bone disease and autism. But what makes him truly unique is his joyous, funny, life-affirming world view that transforms and unites everyone around him. [February 21]
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. [March 7]
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]
The Amateur
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. [DATE]
How to Train Your Dragon
Cressida Cowell's book series has already inspired a trilogy of great animated movies, three animated TV series, and several animated shorts. Now, "How to Train Your Dragon" becomes a live-action movie directed by Dean DeBlois, who also made the animated films. Mason Thames and Nico Parker star as Hiccup and Astrid, and Gerard Butler reprises his role from the animated movies, in which he voiced Hiccup's father. Read more about HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON here. [June 13]
Wicked: For Good
After two decades, the beloved and enduring stage musical makes its journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event. The untold story of the witches of Oz stars 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, who has yet to discover her true heart. As they forge an unlikely friendship, their extraordinary adventures will see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. [November 21]
The Housemaid
Paul Feig (A SIMPLE FAVOR, BRIDESMAIDS) directs this adaptation of Freida McFadden's novel of the same title, scripted by Rebecca Sonnenshine. The thriller stars Sydney Sweeney as the struggling Millie, who takes a job as housemaid to wealthy Nina and Andrew Winchester (Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar). Soon she begins to uncover dangerous secrets. [December 25]
Wildwood
LAIKA’s next animated feature film is Wildwood, based on the bestselling novel written by Colin Meloy, lead singer and songwriter for The Decemberists, and illustrated by Carson Ellis. Wildwood is a tale of love, loss, sacrifice and secrets, and of the magic you can find on your doorstep, if you’re willing to look for it. [Release Date TBD]
Click below for showtimes and tickets for movies opening soon!
All images courtesy of Universal Pictures.