Books and short stories get snapped up for adaptations all the time; many, no matter how amazing the source material, never actually get made into movies or TV shows. These 10 sci-fi, fantasy, and horror titles, however, are actively in the works — or at least have big names attached, so there’s a definite reason to hope — so if you’re looking to study up ahead of time, start here.
Mickey7 by Edward Ashton
Ashton’s tale of an “expendable” — every time he’s killed, they make a new one; things get dicey when Mickey8 is accidentally created while Mickey7 is still alive — is a thrilling, witty tale set amid a claustrophobic community on a hostile planet. After amassing many Oscars for Parasite, Bong Joon-ho (whose other credits include Snowpiercer and The Host) settled on a Mickey7 adaptation as his next feature; retitled Mickey17, it’ll star Robert Pattinson, Toni Colette, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, and Mark Ruffalo. If you like the book (you will) and you get impatient waiting for the movie (it’s due out March 2024), Ashton just released a sequel to his novel called Antimatter Blues.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Obviously you’re aware of this one. Probably caught the 2021 Denis Villeneuve movie — and maybe even the 2000 miniseries, or the 1984 film David Lynch would like to forget? Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, which covers the second half of Herbert’s sci-fi tale, arrives November 3, so you have several months to play catch-up. If the 1965 novel hooks you, the world created by Herbert (who died in 1986) has been further fleshed out beyond the sequels he wrote, with prequels and even more sequels from writing duo Brian Herbert (Frank’s son) and Kevin J. Anderson.
The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe’s short story was first published in 1839, so why not treat yourself to some classic horror ahead of Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series? (No release date yet, but it wrapped last summer, and stars Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, and many, many others.) In fact, you will want to pick up a Poe anthology and devour multiple stories and poems, because Flanagan has said he’ll be drawing inspiration not just from the title story, but other Poe works. You don’t want to miss an Easter egg for The Raven, do you?
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
Soon to be an Apple TV+ series starring and executive produced by LaKeith Stanfield (no release date yet, but the streamer ordered the series in mid-2021), acclaimed author LaValle’s 2017 horror novel picked up many prizes (including 2018’s World Fantasy Award for Best Novel) on its way to becoming a best-seller. It tells the story of a young father struggling to cope with the devastating consequences of his wife’s post-partum depression… until he realises there could be a supernatural conspiracy at work, something that leads him on a twisted fairy-tale quest through New York City’s darkest reaches.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyami
io9 had this title on a similar list of in-the-works adaptations back in 2020, and we’re still eager to see it happen. The film adaptation journey of Nigerian American author Adeyami’s debut fantasy novel has been nearly as complex as that of its young heroine, Zélie, and her quest to bring magic back to the fictional country of Orïsha. Optioned first by Fox prior to its acquisition by Disney, then announced as a co-production with Lucasfilm (which would’ve made it a rare non-Star Wars project for the studio), the movie is now in the hands of Paramount Pictures, with Adeyami aboard as the screenwriter.
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Hollywood loves a Neil Gaiman adaptation, and so do fans (see: The Sandman, American Gods, Coraline, Good Omens, and so on). His 2005 novel Anansi Boys, which builds on the American Gods character Mr. Nancy (or Anansi, the spidery trickster god from West African folklore), will soon be a Prime Video series starring Delroy Lindo as Mr. Nancy, along with Malachi Kirby, CCH Pounder, Fiona Shaw, Whoopi Goldberg, and others. Though it’s finished filming, there’s no release date set yet.
‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
Hollywood really loves a Stephen King adaptation, and so do fans. King’s 1975 vampire novel has already gotten the big and small-screen treatment in ways that are variously tied to the story — the 1979 miniseries directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist) remains a cult favourite — but it’s such a good yarn you can see why a new film is percolating. Directed by It and Conjuring universe veteran Gary Dauberman and produced by horror titan James Wan, Salem’s Lot has had its release date bounced around a bit, but should be arriving on screens before too long.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
The first book in the acclaimed author’s Between Earth and Sky fantasy series, which draws inspiration from pre-Columbian American cultures, is slated to become a Prime Video series — with Roanhorse and Angela Kang (whose credits include showrunning AMC’s The Walking Dead’s final three seasons) among its executive producers.
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
Okorafor’s 2010 post-apocalyptic fantasy novel — winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2011 — has been promising an adaptation since 2017, when no less than George R.R. Martin signed on to executive produce a potential HBO series. (Actually, a feature film was teased even earlier than that.) In 2021, Tessa Thompson’s production company came aboard the project — an array of talent that has us crossing all our fingers that it’ll come together soon.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Some 126 years after its publication, Dracula still has a claw-like hand wrapped firmly around the neck of pop culture. No doubt you’ve seen countless adaptations and works influenced by the novel already, but if it’s been a minute since you visited the source material, consider a read or re-read ahead of Renfield — a Nicolas Cage-starring comedic riff on the story which comes out on Friday — and The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which adapts one crucial chapter of Stoker’s book. The latter movie arrives in August from director André Øvredal (Trollhunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark).
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