19 book-to-movie adaptations to watch in the second half of 2018
The 19 books below are headed to the big screen in the second half of the year, so get your popcorn ready!
Christopher Robin
Based on: Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard
What it's about: Based on the classic children's book, this live-action/CGI fantasy comedy-drama film stars Ewan McGregor as the titular Christopher Robin. Now all grown up, he has lost all sense of imagination; Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood re-enter Christopher's life to help him find it again.
Release date: Aug. 3, 2018
The Darkest Minds
Based on: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
What it's about: Based on the YA novel of the same name, The Darkest Minds is about a plague that kills nearly all of America's children and the ones that remain are given special abilities. Sixteen-year old Ruby is one of the most powerful, and runs away from her government internment camp with other teenagers. The group comes to realize they can form a rebellion and exact revenge upon those in power who have tortured their generation.
Release date: Aug. 3, 2018
The Meg
Based on: Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten
What it's about: Based on the 1997 science fiction book, The Meg follows the underwater adventures of a U.S Navy deep sea diver named Jonas Taylor. When a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark called a megalodon, thought to be long dead, rises from the depths of the ocean and attacks a research submersible, Taylor is called into action to stop the creature before it attacks the mainland.
Release date: Aug. 10, 2018
BlacKkKlansman
Based on: Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth
What it's about: Based on the autobiographical book Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth, this crime dramedy film, co-written and directed by Spike Lee, follows an African American detective who sets out to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan in 1970s Colorado.
Release date: Aug. 10, 2018
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Based on: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
What it's about: When the love letters teenager Lara Jean wrote to her crushes — in secret, never to be read, kept in a box she thought no one knew about — are mailed to them, Lara Jean must deal with the consequences as each of the boys confronts her about the letters. To All the Boys I've Loved Before was a bestselling YA novel originally published in 2014.
The Wife
Based on: The Wife by Meg Wolitzer
What it's about: Starring Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce and Christian Slater, The Wife is based on the Meg Wolitzer novel. It follows a wife who questions her life choices as she travels to Stockholm with her husband, who is set to receive the Nobel Prize in literature.
Release date: Aug. 17, 2018
Crazy Rich Asians
Based on: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
What it's about: Crazy Rich Asians, based on the bestselling 2013 book by Kevin Kwan, makes its way to the big screen. The film stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, Ronny Chieng and Michelle Yeoh. It's about a young Asian American woman who meets her boyfriend's parents only to find out they're one of the richest families in Singapore.
Release date: Aug. 15, 2018
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Based on: The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs and illustrated by Edward Gorey
What it's about: This adaption of the 1973 gothic horror novel for middle-grade readers is about young orphan who helps his uncle and a witch named Mrs. Zimmerman find a magic clock that contains the power to bring about the end of the world.
Release date: Sept. 21, 2018
First Man
Based on: First Man by James R. Hansen
What it's about: Based on the official biography of Neil Armstrong, the astronaut who became the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969, First Man stars Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy and Jason Clarke.
Release date: Oct. 12, 2018
The Hate U Give
Based on: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
What it's about: When Starr Carter watches the police shoot and kill her best friend, her community demands action. And, as the only witness, Starr must decide if she wants to go public with what she saw — and possibly become the face of a movement. The Hate U Give is based on the bestselling YA novel of the same name by Angie Thomas.
Release date: Oct. 19, 2018
Mowgli
Based on: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
What it's about: This live-action adventure fantasy flick stars Rohan Chand, Matthew Rhys and Freida Pinto, with the voices of Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris and Andy Serkis. The story follows the upbringing of the human child Mowgli raised by a pack of wolves in the jungles of India.
Release date: Oct. 19, 2018
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Based on: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann
What it's about: This fantasy film, starring Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren is based on the classic story about a young girl who finds a Nutcracker doll among the family's gifts and is charged by her parents to take special care of it.
Release Date: Nov. 2, 2018
The Girl in the Spider's Web
Based on: The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz
What it's about: Based on the novel of the same name by David Lagercrantz and on characters created by the late author Stieg Larsson, Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist find themselves caught in a web of spies, cyber criminals and corrupt government officials.
Release date: Nov. 9, 2018
The Grinch
Based on: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
What it's about: Based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss story How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Grinch is the third screen adaptation of the classic tale. The 3D animated film features Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the title character.
Release date: Nov. 9, 2018
Mary Queen of Scots
Based on: My Heart Is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots by John Guy
What it's about: Mary Queen of Scots is a historical drama film based on the biography of the titular Queen of Scotland. It stars Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie and David Tennant.
Release date: Dec. 7, 2018
Mortal Engines
Based on: Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
What it's about: This post-apocalyptic adventure film, based on the Philip Reeve novel, is set in a steampunk world where entire cities have been mounted on wheels and motorised, and prey on one another.
Release date: Dec. 14, 2018
Alita: Battle Angel
Based on: Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro
What it's about: This cyberpunk film, based on the popular manga series, is directed by James Cameron and produced by Robert Rodriguez. It stars Rosa Salazar as Alita, a cyborg who has lost all memories and is found in a garbage heap by a cybernetics doctor who rebuilds and helps her uncover her past.
Release date: Dec. 21, 2018
Holmes and Watson
Based on: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
What it's about: Starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, this film offers a comedic take the famed literary characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson as they use their brilliant minds to solve a mystery.
Release date: Dec. 21, 2018
Mary Poppins Returns
Based on: Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers
What it's about: In Depression-era London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael's three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. It stars Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins, along with actors Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer.
Release date: Dec. 25, 2018