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Movies based on books are consistently some of the highest-grossing and critically acclaimed releases every year. It’s easy to see why literary sources are so popular among filmmakers — the fully developed world-building, dialogue, and plot components in novels provide a great jumping-off point for screenwriters to begin their work.
While some will argue that adapted films rarely measure up to their printed counterparts, many readers eagerly look forward to seeing their favorite written stories on the big screen. 2021 gave us film adaptations of several literary works, such as Dune, Passing, and The House of Gucci. In 2022, we will have even more promising literature-inspired films to look forward to.
Where the Crawdads Sing
Director Olivia Newman’s second feature film will be a fusion of two beloved genres: coming-of-age and murder mystery.
This adaptation of Delia Owen’s bestselling novel features Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, and Harris Dickinson in the lead roles. Lonely teenager Kya (played by Edgar-Jones) lives much of her life in isolation in the marshes of North Carolina during the mid-twentieth century. Then, everything changes when she is accused of murdering a local man. This twisty tale of love, loneliness, and suspense is expected to hit theaters on June 24, 2022.
The School for Good and Evil
The School for Good and Evil is a fantasy book series by author Soman Chainani. The film, which finished wrapping in the late summer of 2021, is directed by Paul Feig and stars Sofia Wylie, Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, and Sophia Anne Caruso. The story centers around two teen girls, Sofie and Agatha, who are kidnapped from their homes and sent to The Schools for Good and Evil. However, the girls aren’t exactly happy where they ended up, with Sofie believing she was put in the wrong school and Agatha just wanting to go home. While a specific release date has yet to be set, the film is slated to come out in 2022.
The Imaginary
This anime film by Studio Ponoc is based on the award-winning novel The Imaginary by A.F. Harrold. The Imaginary is about a young girl named Amanda and her imaginary friend named Rudger. Like all imaginary friends, Rudger can only be seen by the child who created him, until one day, a man named Mr. Bunting shows up at Amanda’s home. However, Mr. Bunting does not see Rudger as a friend; he is out to hunt Rudger down.
Yoshiyuki Momose, who was the key animator for Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, is the director of this anime which is set for a summer 2022 release.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by journalist David Grann tell the true story of the brutal killings of the Indigenous people of the Osage Nation during the 1920s and the influence these horrific murders had on the development of the FBI.
The film adaptation is directed by Martin Scorsese, and its star-studded cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow, and Tantoo Cardinal. Filming wrapped in fall 2021, so the film can be expected in mid-to-late 2022.
My Policeman
My Policeman is a romantic drama based on the 2012 novel by Bethan Roberts, who was inspired by the relationship between E.M. Forster and policeman Bob Buckingham in the 1930s. Tom, played by Harry Styles, is in love with museum curator Patrick, played by David Dawson.
However, due to the illegality of homosexuality during this period, he instead marries Marion, who is played by Emma Corrin. The narration of the book travels back and forth between a younger Marion and Patrick in the ‘50s and their older selves in the ‘90s, and the movie will likely do the same, as older versions of all three characters have been cast as well. Directed by Michael Grandage and adapted by screenwriter Ron Nyswaner, My Policeman does not yet have a solid release date, but fans of the book can anticipate seeing the film in 2022.
Salem’s Lot
Gary Dauberman, known for writing the screenplays for It (2017), The Nun (2018), and Annabelle (2014) is directing an adaptation of Stephen King’s second novel, Salem’s Lot, which is expected to be released on September 9th, 2022. The film, which stars William Salder, Alfre Woodard, Lewis Pullman, and more, follows writer Ben Mears as he returns to the town of Jerusalem’s Lot, where he spent part of his childhood, only to discover that a demonic creature is turning the town’s residents into horrific, blood-sucking children of the night: vampires.
The book has had multiple movie and TV adaptations made in the past, so it’ll be interesting to see the way Dauberman takes on this classic horror story.
Bullet Train
David Leitch, known for Atomic Blonde and several other action movies, is directing this adaptation of Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka’s novel, Bullet Train (also known as Maria Bītoru or Maria Beetle). The book received praise for its crazy, fun, fast-paced plot and quirky characters.
Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, and Andrew Koji star as criminals all on seemingly separate missions aboard the same fast-moving train. The story becomes more complicated as their tasks begin to intertwine and their allies are betrayed. The film is currently in post-production and is expected to be released in early April 2022.
White Noise
Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig star in this film based on the 1985 novel White Noise by Don DeLillo. Driver plays the role of Jack Gladney, a professor who teaches his classes about Hitler. Gladney and his wife become paranoid about the imminence of death, a fear which intensifies after an explosion causes a toxic gas to be spread throughout their hometown. Noah Baumbach (known for Marriage Story and Frances Ha) is directing the film, which is set to come out in 2022.
Death on the Nile
Agatha Christie’s famed murder mystery Death on the Nile will have its second film adaptation released on February 11th, 2022. Kenneth Branagh, who played the part of Belgian detective Hercule Poirot earlier in the 2017 film Murder on the Orient Express, will reprise the role, this time investigating the murder of a millionaire heiress on her honeymoon. The film also stars Gal Godot, Emma Mackey, Letitia Wright, Tom Bateman, and several others as passengers on an ill-fated steamboat traveling along the Nile.
Persuasion
Carrie Cracknell’s forthcoming adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic romance novel Persuasion is currently slated for a 2022 release. The film stars Dakota Johnson as main character Anne Elliot, along with Henry Golding, Suki Waterhouse, and Cosmo Jarvis in supporting roles.
Persuasion begins with Anne breaking off her marriage to Captain Wentworth after being convinced to do so by her family’s financial advisor. She later regrets this decision, as she truly had feelings for him. The rest of the novel centers around Anne’s life as she tries to adjust to her family’s changing financial state and attempts to win back Wentworth before it is too late.