Summer movie season is almost upon us, which means you have some homework.
2017 has already had a handful of book-to-movie adaptations and there are a host more coming, featuring stars like Emma Watson, Idris Elba and Jacob Tremblay. But don’t worry, you still have time to head to the library, turn on your Kindle or audiobook and catch up. Here are 13 books that you’ll be hearing more about as they head to the screen this year.
1. The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
The Holocaust drama already has hit the big screen, but there's plenty of time to catch up before it leaves theaters. The book tells the true story of the Warsaw Zoo owners who saved hundreds of Jewish people from the Nazis in occupied Poland by hiding them in their villa and empty cages. The adaptation stars Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl.
2. The Lost City of Z by David Grann
Journalist David Grann tells the true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a fabled civilization in the Amazon in 1925. The film version (in theaters April 14) will star Tom Holland, Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller and Robert Pattinson.
3. The Circle by Dave Eggers
A young woman takes a job at a Google-like tech conglomerate, which is great until things start to get a little scary. The film (in theaters April 28) puts together big stars Emma Watson, Tom Hanks and John Boyega.
4. The Dinner by Herman Koch
This dark and intense novel follows two sets of parents grappling with the horrible crime their teenage sons have committed. The couples in the film (in theaters May 5) are played by Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Richard Gere and Rebecca Hall.
5. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
This young-adult novel is about a girl with a rare condition that makes her allergic to almost everything, leading to a life in quarantine. Then she meets the boy next door. Amandla Stenberg, Nick Robinson and Anika Noni Rose star (in theaters May 19).
6. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
The classic novel follows a young Englishman and his beautiful, mysterious cousin, who may or may not have been involved in a murder. Playing the titular Rachel in the movie (in theaters June 9) is a real-life Rachel: Ms. Weisz.
7. The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Stephen King’s sci-fi epic follows "gunslinger" Roland Deschain as he searches for the dark tower, hoping it will preserve his dying world. Idris Elba is leading the movie (in theaters Aug. 4) as Roland.
8. Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach
This period piece (in theaters Aug. 25) follows an artist who falls in love with the young married woman he is commissioned to paint during
the tulip maniaof 16th-century Amsterdam. Alicia Vikander, Christoph Waltz and Cara Delevingne are a part of the star-studded cast.
9. It by Stephen King
The master is on a roll with adaptations this year. It (in theaters Sept. 8) follows seven adults who return to their hometown to confront an evil from their childhoods. And, yes, it has that clown, who will be played by Bill Skarsgård.
10. The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
Two strangers live through a plane crash and must survive in the wilderness together. The movie (in theaters Oct. 20) casts Idris Elba and Kate Winslet as these very beautiful crash survivors.
11. Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel
This non-fiction book follows the lives of soldiers as they adjust to life back home after serving overseas. Miles Teller and Amy Schumer are set to star in the adaptation (in theaters Oct. 27).
12. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The novel follows Auggie, a young boy with a serious facial deformity struggling to be accepted in a new school. Jacob Tremblay and Julia Roberts star in the film (in theaters Nov. 17).
13. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
The classic Agatha Christie mystery follows detective Hercule Poirot as he attempts to solve a murder on the famous train. The adaptation (in theaters Nov. 22) is directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, along with big names including Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley and Judi Dench.
