10 Book-to-Movie Adaptations We Can't Wait To See in 2022

This highly anticipated biographical drama chronicles the groundbreaking investigative efforts of journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor and the bombshell New York Times report that catalyzed the #MeToo movement. Twohey and Kantor’s book details how they broke the story of Harvey Weinstein’s decades of sexual harassment and abuse of power. We’re happy to see so many women involved in this production, from screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz to cinematographer Natasha Braier and director Maria Schrader. The film also stars Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as Twohey and Kantor, and Patricia Clarkson as New York Times editor Rebecca Corbett.

Release Date: In theaters November 18, 2022

A Man Called Otto is based on the Swedish novel A Man Called Ove and brings Tom Hanks back to the silver screen just in time for the holidays. The touching comedy-drama follows Otto, a grumpy widower who takes great joy in exasperating his neighbors but is ultimately transformed through his friendship with the new family that moves in next door. This American adaptation of the international bestseller is sure to be the perfect uplifting comedy to watch with your family as the year draws to a close.

Release Date: In theaters December 14, 2022

The Nightingale draws its inspiration from the often overlooked accounts of female heroism during WWII. The book’s author, bestselling writer Kristin Hannah, has said that she wanted to champion women’s war stories, which tend to be crowded out by the experiences of male soldiers. The book-to-movie adaptation stars real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning as Isabelle and Vienne, two siblings who show remarkable courage and strength as German soldiers sweep through France.

Release Date: In theaters late 2022 or early 2023

Buzz for White Noise has only grown since it was announced that the Noah Baumbach–directed film would open the 2022 Venice Film Festival — a first for a Netflix title. Time lists DeLillo’s postmodern academic satire, published in 1985, as one of the best English language novels of the 20^th century. Previous adaptation attempts have all flamed out, and we can’t wait to see how Baumbach tackles this notoriously difficult-to-adapt novel. Part academic satire, part exploration of marriage, part disaster thriller, this story seems like the perfect vehicle to reunite Baumbach with two of his favorite actors: Marriage Story’s Adam Driver and his partner and frequent collaborator Greta Gerwig. Fans of complex genre-bending dark comedies are sure to love both the book and the film.

Release Dates: In theaters November 25, 2022; streaming on Netflix December 30, 2022

It’s always difficult for a film adaptation to capture the voice of a novel, particularly when the narrative is written in as unique a way as Miriam Toews’ astounding Women Talking. The book is told through the notes to a secret meeting of eight Mennonite women as they grapple with the sexual assaults they’ve suffered, struggling to reconcile their faith with righteous anger as they debate whether to forgive the male colonists who raped them or face banishment from their religious community. This ambitious film about religion, oppression, and gendered violence is in good hands, though, directed by Oscar-nominated writer, director, and actor Sarah Polley and starring powerhouses Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, and Frances McDormand. The film will open at the Toronto International Film Festival in September before hitting theaters in December.

Release Date: In theaters December 2, 2022

Blonde is Netflix’s first NC-17 film because of its racy content. Adapted from acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates’s novel about the imagined inner life of Marilyn Monroe, the film contrasts Monroe’s glamorous on-screen persona with the exploitation, abuse, and drug addiction she faced off-screen. We’re excited to see Ana de Armas go blonde and take on the iconic role after her fantastic breakout performance in 2019’s Knives Out.

Release Dates: In theaters September 16, 2022; streaming on Netflix September 28, 2022

This Reese Witherspoon–produced adaptation of the bestselling psychological thriller by Jessica Knoll stars Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals, and Connie Britton. Luckiest Girl Alive is the complex story of a magazine editor with a seemingly perfect life who must confront her traumatic past when approached by a true crime documentarian. We also trust that the difficult material explored in the narrative is in good hands: The director is Mike Barker, executive producer and director of The Handmaid’s Tale, and Jessica Knoll herself penned the screenplay.

Release Dates: In theaters September 30, 2022; streaming on Netflix October 7, 2022

Judging by the runaway success of the last Emma Donoghue adaptation, 2015’s Room, we should be in for a treat with The Wonder. Florence Pugh plays a journalist in 1862, who has been sent to investigate mysterious reports of an 11-year-old girl claiming to subsist on “manna from heaven.”

Release Date: Streaming on Netflix sometime in December 2022

History buffs, this one’s for you. Edward Berger serves as screenwriter and director in the latest adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s devastating war novel. Berger is no stranger to adapting literary source material: The award-winning filmmaker previously worked as executive producer and directed multiple episodes of the first season of The Terror, AMC’s adaptation of the Dan Simmons historical horror novel of the same name. All Quiet promises a staggering portrait of the true horrors of war and stars Daniel Brühl, Albrecht Schuch, and Sebastian Hülk.

Release Date: Streaming on Netflix October 28, 2022

A loose sequel to R.J. Palacio’s beloved 2012 children’s book Wonder, this follow-up graphic novel tells the story of Sara as she draws on courage and kindness to survive WWII. The story unfolds as Sara, or Grandmère, relates her story of survival to her grandson Julian, who was just expelled from school for bullying. She shares her harrowing childhood experiences as a Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France to impart the importance of kindness, friendship, and love in a way that also explains the lasting trauma of the Holocaust to the book’s young audience. The film adaptation of White Bird stars the magnificent Gillian Anderson and Helen Mirren in what the trailer suggests should be a magical film.

Release Date: In theaters October 14, 2022