Bookworms are always on the lookout for their favourite novels to be adapted for the big screen, and this year has plenty to offer fans of all genres. From the long-awaited action comedy Bullet Train to the fourth adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic horror, Salem’s Lot, this year is jam-packed with book-to-screen adaptations that will appeal to both book and movie fans.

With Death on the Nile, Heartstopper, and Pachinko having already been released, we explore the most anticipated book to screen adaptations of 2022 that have yet to arrive.

Where the Crawdads Sing

Having spent more than 150 weeks on the best sellers list, Where The Crawdad Sings is no doubt one of the most popular books of all time. The book, which was author Delia Owens’s debut novel, is finally getting the big screen adaptation fans have been clamouring for. The plot revolves around Kya, who finds herself being the prime suspect in a murder of a man who once pursued her. As the case progresses, the judgement as to what actually occurred gets increasingly hazy, threatening to uncover the marsh’s hidden secrets. 

The film adaptation stars Daisy Edgar Jones and is set for theatrical release on July 15, 2022, in the United States.

Bullet Train

5 trained assassins, one Bullet Train. What could go wrong? The film follows a tired assassin, Ladybug, who is pulled into a mission to collect a briefcase on a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka. Things take a turn for the worse when he finds out there are four other assassins on the train with the same objective. The film adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka’s novel stars an assembled cast that includes, Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Sandra Bullock and more. The film is set for theatrical release on August 5th 2022.

Salem’s Lot

One of Stephen King’s most well-known horror stories, Salem’s Lot, is getting yet another adaptation for horror fans to sink their teeth in. However, unlike the previous adaptations, which include two miniseries and a radio drama, the latest adaptation of King’s vampire novel is a story that will be told on the big screen for the first time. The story follows Ben Mears, a writer who returns to Salem’s Lot, Maine, where he lived from the age of five to nine, only to discover that the residents had turned into vampires. Fans of the book are eagerly anticipating a first look at the upcoming adaptation.

The film is set for theatrical release on September 9th, 2022 by Warner Bros and will also be available to stream on HBO Go 45 days after theatrical release.

Under the Banner of Heaven

Fresh from the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Andrew Garfield graces the small screen in a dark mystery thriller that will surely pique the interest of fans of the genre. Under the Banner of Heaven follows a detective whose faith is put to test as he investigates a horrible murder that appears to be linked to a prominent Utah family’s descent into LDS fundamentalism and hatred of the government.

The book that the series adapts, tells a harrowing true story of religion, murder and conspiracies and is hailed as one of the best crime books of the century.

Conversations With Friends

Fans of the series Normal People, will want to tune into another adaptation of Sally Rooney’s book, Conversations With Friends, now brought to life on screen in a 12-episode miniseries. The series follows Frances and Bobbi, two close university friends and previous lovers who encounter an older married couple, journalist Melissa and actor Nick, in this story. The friendship between the four is put to the test as Frances and Nick’s courtship turns into an intense affair.

The miniseries stars Alison Oliver, Joe Alwyn, Sasha Lane, and Jemima Kirke, and is set to be released in May 2022.

Daisy Jones & The Six

Fans of musical autobiographies will not want to miss this. Daisy Jones & The Six chronicles a rock band in the 1970s from their emergence in the Los Angeles music scene to becoming one of the world’s most iconic bands. The series is a fictional story told in a documentary style that investigates the reasons for the band’s disbandment at the height of its fame. Taylor Jenkins Reid, the novel’s author, was motivated in part by her own childhood experiences as well as watching Fleetwood Mac performances on television.

The series stars Riley Keough as Daisy Jones and is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video sometime in 2022.

The School For Good and Evil

The School For Good and Evil novels have always been lauded for its quirkiness and wit, combining themes of friendship and youth against a fantasy backdrop. The film follows Sophie and Agatha, best friends who are kidnapped and sent to the School for Good and Evil. After their fortunes are turned around, they must figure out how to get back home, putting their friendship to the test. 

The film adaptation stars Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kingsley, and Charlize Theron, with Sofia Wylie as Agatha and Sophia Anne Caruso as Sophie. It is set to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2022.

Matilda

Matilda receives its second on-screen adaptation this year, adapting the award-winning musical and the beloved children’s book by Roald Dhal of the same name. Matilda is the story of a remarkable young woman who, armed with a keen mind and a vivid imagination, takes a stand to change her story, with miraculous results. The film stars Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham and newcomer Alisha Weir as Matilda Wormwood. The film is set for theatrical release on December 2, 2022.

The Wonder

The Wonder is a psychological drama about two strangers who change each other’s life, as well as a tale of love pitted against evil. The film centres on an English nurse who is sent to a small Irish village to witness a strange girl who has gone a month without eating, and soon finds herself fighting for the child’s life. The novel is author Emma Donoghue’s third adaptation; she also wrote the screenplay for her novel Room, which was adapted for the big screen.

Florence Pugh and Tom Burke star in the film, which will be released on Netflix in 2022.

The Midnight Club

Horror fans are in for another treat as acclaimed horror writer-director Mike Flanagan, known for Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, is set to tackle an adaptation of Christopher Pike’s The Midnight Club. The story follows a group of five terminally ill patients at Rotterdam Home, who begin to gather together at midnight to share scary stories. Together, they form a pact, that whoever dies first would make the effort to contact the rest of the Midnight Club from beyond the grave.

The miniseries stars scream queen, Heather Langenkamp, and is expected to be released in 2022.