What To Read

A new depiction of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein from Guillermo del Toro featuring Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, and Jacob Elordi, a reimagining of Thomas Pynchon's Vineland starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Sean Penn, and two thrilling Stephen King stories are just a few of the books coming to theaters this fall.

One Battle After Another (Sep. 26)

This film from the 11-time Oscar nominated director of Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, and more, Paul Thomas Anderson, is loosely based on Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland. The film draws inspiration rather than being a strict dramatization of the novel, reworking themes and characters in a new narrative framework. With a star-studded cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and others, this is a can't miss fall film.

Frankenstein (Nov. 27)

The inspiration behind Guillermo del Toro's latest film, hardly needs mentioning. Countless recreations of Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic have been made over the years, but given the director's dark, surreal, and wildly imaginative oeuvre, which includes Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, we are especially excited for this adaptation. Better yet, this version features two of the biggest stars in recent history with Dune and Star Wars' Oscar Isaac as Dr. Frankenstein and Euphoria and Saltburn's Jacob Elordi as the monster.

Wicked For Good (Nov. 21)

Another film that is not quite a direct novel to film adaptation, the sequel to last year's Oscar-nominated Wicked is once again directed by Jon M. Chu, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprising their roles. The film appears to remain faithful to the musical and Gregory Maguire’s novel, while subtly expanding on the characters' stories. Crowd favorites Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, and Bowen Yang also make appearances.

Hamnet (Nov. 27)

This adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel about the fictional lives of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes following the death of their young son, has all the ingredients to be one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. Director Chloé Zhao previous adaptation, Nomadland, took home Oscars for Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Picture and the cast includes Academy Award-nominated Paul Mescal in the lead role. Plus, the source material is one of the most critically acclaimed novels of the decade winning both the Women's Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Prize.

Caught Stealing (Out now)

In this adaptation, of Charlie Huston's 2024 novel from the Academy Award nominated director of The Whale, Darren Aronofsky, a former baseball player turned East Village bartender, played by Austin Butler, accidentally becomes ensnared in the deadly criminal underworld after being tasked with pet sitting his neighbor's cat. The film, which also stars The Batman's Zoe Kravitz, was praised for its evocative depiction of late 90s New York by The Guardian.

The Long Walk (Sep. 12)

The first of two Stephen King adaptations releasing this fall, The Long Walk, starring Coooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) and featuring Mark Hamill as "the Major," is set in a dystopian near-future in which teenage boys compete in a a government-sponsored endurance contest where they must walk without pause or face execution.

Steve (Oct. 3)

Adapted from Max Porter’s bestselling novel Shy, the screenplay—co-written by Porter himself—is brought to life under director Tim Mielants, who previously worked with the Oscar winning star of the film, Cillian Murphy, in his adaptation of Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These. Unlike the novel, which primarily tracks the inner life of a fragile and volatile teenage student named Shy, the film is centered around the dedicated head teacher of the reform school where his life intersects with Shy's.

Kiss of the Spider Woman (Oct. 10)

Based on Manuel Puig's 1976 novel and the Broadway musical that followed, this latest adaption stars Jennifer Lopez with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon operating as executive producers. Set inside a Buenos Aires prison cell, the story depicts the intimate daily conversations between two cell mates and the remarkable bond that they eventually form.

The Housemaid (Dec. 25)

Freida McFadden's bestselling thriller series is now coming to the big screen with Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried of Mama Mia fame starring. The story follows a young woman who takes a maid’s job in an opulent household only to discover dark secrets lurking beneath the family’s polished surface.

The Running Man (Nov. 7)

Baby Driver director Edgar Wright’s The Running Man revisits King’s dystopian thriller with an eye toward fidelity to the source material, unlike the 1987 Schwarzenegger vehicle. The story of a desperate man forced to compete in a deadly game show gains fresh urgency, updated for a modern audience while staying true to King’s satirical edge.

The Woman in Cabin 10 (Oct. 10)

Netflix’s The Woman in Cabin 10 brings Ruth Ware’s 2016 bestseller to the screen, with Keira Knightley playing a journalist who witnesses what appears to be a murder on a luxury yacht—only to be gaslit by everyone around her insisting nothing happened. Like the novel, the film seems to lean heavily on claustrophobic atmosphere and mounting paranoia.

The Thursday Murder Club (Out Now)

Rounding out the slate is The Thursday Murder Club, based on Richard Osman’s hit mystery about a group of retirees who solve crimes from their retirement community. The blend of humor, wit, and tightly woven mystery along with a cast which includes Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan, promises to carry over to screen much as it does in the beloved series.