Book Riot – The Podcast

Episode: 2026 Adaptation Preview
Hosts: Jeff O’Neal & Rebecca Schinsky
Date: January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

Jeff O’Neal and Rebecca Schinsky preview the major literary adaptations coming in 2026 to theaters and streaming, discussing everything from anticipated blockbusters to unexpected oddities. The hosts break down the adaptation landscape for romance, sci-fi, classics, contemporary bestsellers, and global works, reflecting on what makes these adaptations tick (or flop), and give their honest predictions about which shows and movies will make the biggest splash.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The State of Adaptations in 2026

• Adapting Books for Screen: 2026 promises a varied slate of adaptations. Some titles are set with firm release dates, especially for theatrical releases; streaming adaptations are more fluid, often announced on shorter notice. ([00:07 – 01:12])
• Underrepresented Adaptations: Shoutout to contributor Jamie Cannabis for highlighting adaptations by and of BIPOC writers, which remain all-too-rare at the source level. ([01:42])

2. Notable Early 2026 Releases

Dutchman

• About: Art house adaptation of Amiri Baraka’s theatrical classic, exploring sexual and racial politics; cast includes Kate Mara, André Holland, and Zazie Beetz.
• Tone: “You don’t see Amiri Baraka adaptations at all... do your homework and see if you can find it.” — Jeff ([02:32])
• Distribution: Limited theatrical release, likely to be streaming/VOD soon. ([03:24])

People We Meet on Vacation – Netflix

• Source: Emily Henry’s bestselling romance.
• Host Sentiments:
  • “I cannot keep track of which Emily Henry book is about which thing.” — Rebecca ([03:39])
  • “Sadly, reviews for this are not good... The real test will be when the first one that’s set for a movie theater hits theaters.” ([04:41])
  • Discussion about lackluster adaptation efforts from Netflix and whether the spicy, well-made Heated Rivalry has raised the bar for romance adaptations. ([05:21 – 07:23])

Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery – Netflix

• Date: January 15
• Insight: There’s a surprising lack of modern Christie adaptations despite the enduring popularity of her stories. ([11:36])

H is for Hawk – Theatrical

• Adapted from: Helen Macdonald’s memoir (2015).
• Host’s Take:
  • “Memoirs can be low hanging fruit for adaptation. But this is a challenging one... so much of the memoir is interior.” — Rebecca ([12:31])
  • Claire Foy stars; adaptation omits the T.H. White frame story but offers “beautiful” hawk work.
• Rebecca reviewed a screener; interview content coming soon.

3. Major Romance Adaptations

Bridgerton Season 4 – Netflix, Jan 29

• Focus: Benedict Bridgerton’s story, adapting Julia Quinn’s An Offer from a Gentleman.
• Release Strategy: Netflix continues to experiment: half-season drops, event-like releases.
  • “There’s no one right way to do this... what the right release strategies for any given property is might be specific to that property.” — Jeff ([16:24])
• Host Reflection: The importance of episodic release in building anticipation and social momentum. ([17:14 – 19:54])

Wuthering Heights – Theatrical, Valentine’s Day

• Director: Emerald Fennell (Saltburn), stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
• Early Reviews: “Pretty unconventional... opening scenes are relatively graphic, pretty spicy. She’s going for some kind of shock value, I think.” — Rebecca ([20:54])
• Cultural Moment: Might catch audiences off-guard with its explicitness, emblematic of a post-Heated Rivalry adaptation world. ([22:20])

Like Water for Chocolate, Season 2 – HBO Max, Feb 15

• Background: Spanish-language magic realist series, produced by Salma Hayek; final season.
• Anecdote: Rebecca shares a personal memory about the book’s notoriety for “spiciness”—a theme for 2026’s adaptations. ([23:57])

4. Spring and Summer Highlights

The Count of Monte Cristo – PBS Passport & Amazon, Mar 1

• Star: Sam Claflin, with Jeremy Irons (“the participation of Jeremy Irons” jokes abound).
• Jeff’s Take: “This is a cool story... there’s a reason this gets adapted a million times. There’s a reason this is sold a million copies.” ([25:42])
• Fun Fact: Alexandre Dumas’s Black heritage is shouted out as little-known and underappreciated. ([26:55])
• Comment: Deserving of a biopic about Dumas himself.
• Personal Note: Rebecca: “The Count of Monte Cristo is Bob’s all time favorite book... every couple of years there’s a new adaptation.” ([27:08])

Bride – Theatrical, Mar 6

• Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal, starring Jessie Buckley & Christian Bale
• Hosts’ Concerns: Will this Bride of Frankenstein stand out? “This is an adaptation... written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal... I’m afraid this is going to tank. Not because it’s going to be bad. I just don’t—who’s going to go see this?” — Jeff ([28:09])
• Exclamation Points: “Why do you. Cannot put an exclamation point on [a title] non-satirically, right?” — Jeff ([29:52])

Project Hail Mary – Theatrical, Mar 20

• Adapted from: Andy Weir’s best-seller; starring Ryan Gosling.
• Host Excitement:
  • “Maybe my most anticipated movie of the year.” — Jeff ([30:13])
  • “Put it in my veins. Everyone I know wants to go see this...” — Rebecca ([30:48])
• Expectation Management: Big emotional swings possible; comparisons to The Martian’s success.
• Audiobook Recommendation: “If you have not read Project Hail Mary and you want to before the movie comes out, listen to it on audio. It is a God-level audio experience.” — Rebecca ([32:47])

Margot’s Got Money Troubles – Apple TV, Apr 15

• About: Elle Fanning as a young mom starting OnlyFans, with Nick Offerman as her ex-wrestler dad.
• Rebecca’s Summary: “Unexpectedly wholesome... a great cast. There’s no like, big variable here. Like, it’s not special effects you’re counting on.” ([33:29])
• Comparison: Lessons in Chemistry’s adaptation didn’t work; why this might be simpler to adapt. ([34:13])

The Odyssey – Theatrical, Jul 17

• Director: Christopher Nolan; stars Matt Damon, John Bernthal, et al.
• Host Anticipation: “The film event of the year... Many ways this could go wrong. Initial trailer doesn’t tackle any of them... If it doesn’t land, it’s going to seem super dumb and weird.” — Jeff ([35:10])
• Rebecca’s Note: “This will probably be a good movie. Will it be a faithful adaptation of the Odyssey...? I have no idea.” ([36:26])

The Dog Stars – Theatrical, Aug 26

• Director: Ridley Scott; stars Josh Brolin and Jacob Elordi.
• Hosts’ Hopes: “This could be really good... Scott shooting, it’s going to look great, Brolin or Elordi... source material is sufficiently cool.” — Jeff ([37:48])

5. Late 2026 Adaptations

Remain – Theatrical, Fall

• Unlikely Crossover: M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks co-write a novel and film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a grieving widower in the Outer Banks.
• Hosts’ Disbelief:
  • “Is there a chance that M. Night Shyamalan lost some sort of bet?” — Jeff ([39:16])
  • “This is like peanut butter and staples... I don’t even. It’s not even food.” — Jeff ([39:52])
  • Rebecca describes hearing real-life reactions in a bookstore: “Wait, it’s with M. Night Shyamalan!?” ([39:56])

Sunrise at the Reaping (The Hunger Games Prequel) – Theatrical, Nov 20

• Source: Suzanne Collins’ prequel starring Haymitch Abernathy.
• Host Confidence:
  • “It’s going to rip your heart out... high ceiling, high floor. I don’t think that there’s a version of that. This is quite bad.” — Jeff ([41:03])

The Magician’s Nephew (Narnia) – Theatrical, Nov 26

• Director: Greta Gerwig, starring Daniel Craig and Carey Mulligan.
• Uncertainty: “So many ways it could go wrong... How bad do the CGI animals look?” — Rebecca ([42:59])
• Faith in Gerwig: “I love Greta Gerwig. I have a lot of confidence in her. But this is a huge swing.” ([43:16])

Dune Part 3 – Theatrical, Dec 18

• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Fans Beware: “Things get extraordinarily weird...” — Jeff ([45:16])
• Host’s Note: “It is so pretty and so cool and people are into this and Chalamet is Chalamet at this point.” ([45:16])

House of the Spirits – Amazon Prime, Date TBA

• Spanish-language 8-episode adaptation of Isabel Allende’s classic, in line with a new trend of major Spanish-language streaming adaptations.
• Strategy: “I’m happy to see them do something like Allende or somebody’s work like Allende in Spanish language. Do this with subtitles and not dubs, please.” — Rebecca ([45:56])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This is like peanut butter and staples... I don’t even. It’s not even food. I don’t...” — Jeff on Remain ([39:52])
• “The less you know about [Project Hail Mary], the better it’s gonna be. Big space spectacle with some cool science and a nerdy, lovable, maybe slightly obtuse protagonist.” — Jeff ([30:38])
• “Memoirs can be low hanging fruit for adaptation. But this is a challenging one because it’s mostly one person, often alone in a room or out in a field with a wild animal. And so much of the memoir is interior.” — Rebecca on H is for Hawk ([12:31])
• “It’s a two hander set in sort of the foothills of Colorado after some sort of apocalypse where a younger guy and an older guy begrudgingly team up... I think this could be really good.” — Jeff on The Dog Stars ([37:48])
• “Lessons in Chemistry is weirder, like as a property than Margot’s Got Money Troubles is... it’s a harder plane to land.” — Rebecca ([34:32])
• “If you have not read Project Hail Mary and you want to before the movie comes out, listen to it on audio. It is a God-level audio experience.” — Rebecca ([32:47])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:22] – Dutchman art house adaptation
• [03:39] – People We Meet on Vacation analyses and comparative landscape
• [11:36] – Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery on Netflix
• [12:31] – H is for Hawk memoir discussion
• [14:54] – Bridgerton S4 & Netflix release strategies
• [20:46] – Wuthering Heights (Emerald Fennell) “spicy” adaptation
• [23:17] – Like Water for Chocolate S2 (HBO Max)
• [25:00] – The Count of Monte Cristo preview and Dumas background
• [28:09] – Bride (Gyllenhaal/Buckley/Bale) adaptation
• [30:13] – Project Hail Mary enthusiasm and concern
• [32:58] – Margot’s Got Money Troubles as wholesome and Apple TV-bound
• [35:10] – The Odyssey (Chris Nolan) as the “film event of the year”
• [37:46] – The Dog Stars adaptation anticipation
• [38:33] – Remain (Shyamalan/Sparks) incredulity and bookstore anecdote
• [41:03] – Sunrise at the Reaping (Hunger Games prequel)
• [42:59] – The Magician’s Nephew (Narnia) adaptation
• [45:53] – House of the Spirits (Allende), global streaming trend

Host Picks: Most Anticipated Adaptations

• Both Hosts: The Odyssey, Project Hail Mary
• Rebecca: Margot’s Got Money Troubles (immediate watch at release)
• Jeff: The Dog Stars (confident it’ll be cool), eyes on Narnia and Sunrise at the Reaping for high quality and cultural impact
• Noted: Dune Part 3 for visuals but wariness about adapting the wild narrative ([48:08])

Final Thoughts

2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for book-to-screen adaptations across every genre and format. The hosts urge listeners to keep an eye out for additions to the slate as dates firm up, especially prestige festival and holiday season releases (including the ever-mysterious East of Eden adaptation).

Listener Question: Which adaptations are you most looking forward to? Email podcastriot.com with your picks or anything they missed!

Original, candid, and seasoned analysis delivered in Jeff and Rebecca’s characteristically lively style. Great primer for readers, moviegoers, and adaptation fans wanting the full picture of what’s coming in 2026’s literary adaptation landscape.