The Story to Screen Report - June 9th

Netflix's New Hub Is a Matchmaker for Book Lovers and Binge-Watchers

Netflix just made it way easier to find your next page-to-screen favourite. The streaming platform has launched 'Watch Your Favorite Books', a dedicated hub that brings together book-inspired movies and series all in one place. 

Whether you're into swoon-worthy romances, plot twists that leave you speechless, immersive fantasy worlds, or manga and comics, the hub is organised around nine different reader types to help match your reading taste with your next binge-watch. It's basically giving your Netflix homepage a bookshop makeover, making it easier than ever to go from finishing a book to hitting play on the adaptation.

Anna Kendrick to Direct 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo'

After years of waiting, Netflix's adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's bestselling novel 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' has finally found its director. Anna Kendrick is set to helm the highly anticipated film, marking her second feature as a director following the success of 'Woman of the Hour'. 

The screenplay is being adapted by Liz Tigelaar, with revisions from Francesca Sloane, while Reid is attached as an executive producer. No casting announcements have been made yet, but Kendrick's appointment is the biggest update fans have had since Netflix first acquired the rights in 2022.

First look at Phoebe Dynevor and Patrick Schwarzenegger in 'Beach Read'

Filming is officially underway on the movie adaptation of Emily Henry's bestselling romance 'Beach Read', and fans have just gotten their first look at Phoebe Dynevor and Patrick Schwarzenegger as January Andrews and Gus Everett. 

Director Yulin Kuang shared a behind-the-scenes photo from a camera test, giving readers a glimpse of the pair before production ramps up in Toronto. The adaptation follows rival authors January and Gus, who swap writing genres to overcome writer's block, only to find themselves growing closer over the course of one summer. The film is set to hit cinemas on 7 May 2027 and also stars Kevin Bacon, Andie MacDowell, Tig Notaro, and Kristin Davis.

'Witch Season' Joins the Romantasy TV Wave

Lionsgate Television is developing a series adaptation of 'Witch Season', the upcoming fantasy novel by Julia Bianco, before the book has even hit shelves. The story follows Katherine Barnes, an enforcer in a powerful Los Angeles witch coven, whose rivalry with the heir of a competing coven takes an unexpected turn when a dangerous threat forces them to work together. 

Bianco is set to write and executive produce the adaptation, while Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories, the team behind hits like 'Big Little Lies', is also on board. No network or cast has been announced yet, but it's another sign that the romantasy boom isn't slowing down anytime soon.

First trailer drops for 'Lucky'

Apple TV+ has released the first full trailer for 'Lucky', the upcoming limited series based on Marissa Stapley's bestselling novel. Starring and executive produced by Anya Taylor-Joy, the thriller follows a former con artist whose life spirals out of control after a multi-million-dollar heist goes wrong, forcing her to outrun both the FBI and a dangerous crime boss. 

The series also features Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Drew Starkey, making it one of Apple TV+'s most stacked casts of the year. 'Lucky' premieres on July 15, with the first two episodes dropping together before rolling out weekly.

Anna Camp to Lead New Thriller Adaptation 'Serpent'

The ‘Pitch Perfect’ actress has signed on to star in and executive produce 'Serpent', a psychological thriller based on Warren Adler's novel 'The Serpent's Bite'. The story follows an ambitious actress who reunites with her estranged father and troubled brother for a wilderness trek through Wyoming, only for years of family tension to spiral into violence and psychological warfare. 

The film will be directed by Thomas Marchese, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jessub Flower, reuniting with Camp after their 2023 horror film 'From Black'. With family drama, survival thriller stakes, and plenty of tension, this is one to keep on your radar.

Elisabeth Moss to bring 'American Fantasy' to the big screen

Elisabeth Moss is developing Emma Straub's bestselling novel 'American Fantasy' into a feature film through her production company, Love & Squalor Pictures. The recently released novel follows Annie, a newly divorced woman who boards a nostalgia-fuelled cruise centred around a beloved '90s boy band and unexpectedly finds a chance to reconnect with herself. 

Straub will executive produce the adaptation, while Moss and producing partner Lindsey McManus will oversee the project. There’s no word on casting yet, but for fans of second-chance stories, boy band nostalgia, and feel-good fiction, this is one adaptation to watch.

The first-ever 'Bluey' movie has been announced

Wackadoo! 'Bluey' is officially getting its first feature film. BBC Studios, Ludo Studio and Disney have announced that the beloved animated series will arrive in cinemas on 6 August 2027, before streaming on Disney+ worldwide. 

The movie will be written and directed by 'Bluey' creator Joe Brumm, with Melanie Zanetti and David McCormack returning as Chilli and Bandit. While plot details are still under wraps, the film promises a brand-new adventure for Bluey, Bingo and the rest of the Heeler family.

Justin Hartley developing TV adaptation of 'A Forgotten Kill'

Justin Hartley is expanding his book-to-screen résumé, with his production company ChangeUp developing a TV adaptation of Jude Deveraux's novel 'A Forgotten Kill' for ABC. 

The mystery thriller follows a woman who returns to her small hometown after years away and becomes entangled in a decades-old murder case that refuses to stay buried. Hartley and ChangeUp's Juliana DeRosa are producing the project alongside 20th Television, with writer Hilary Weisman Graham attached to adapt the novel for the screen. The series is still in development, but it's the latest sign that broadcasters are continuing to turn to bestselling books for their next big mystery hit.

Hugh Jackman set to star in Ridley Scott’s 'Treasure Island' adaptation

A new take on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure novel 'Treasure Island' is heading to Hollywood, with Hugh Jackman attached to star as the iconic pirate Long John Silver. Ridley Scott is set to direct the film, while acclaimed screenwriter Jack Thorne, known for 'Adolescence' and 'His Dark Materials', has penned the script. 

The project is currently being shopped to studios, but with Scott and Jackman leading the charge, it's already shaping up to be one of the biggest literary adaptations in development.

Kimberly McCreight's next thriller is already heading to TV

Kimberly McCreight's upcoming novel 'Someone Else's Husband' has been snapped up for a television adaptation before it has even hit bookshelves. Lionsgate Television and 3 Arts Entertainment have acquired the rights to the psychological thriller, with McCreight set to co-write the adaptation and executive produce alongside 3 Arts partner Erwin Stoff. 

The story follows Gretchen Falk, a wealthy New York socialite whose seemingly perfect life unravels after her husband returns from a Mount Kilimanjaro expedition and becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation. The project is currently searching for a showrunner, but the early pickup continues McCreight's impressive streak of seeing her novels adapted for the screen.

Edward Bluemel cast as the BBC's new Poirot

The BBC has found its new Hercule Poirot, with 'My Lady Jane' and 'Seven Dials' star Edward Bluemel set to lead 'Hercule', a major new Agatha Christie adaptation. The six-part series will follow a younger Poirot at the start of his career as a consulting detective in London, alongside familiar characters including Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp. 

BritBox has joined the project as co-producer and will stream the series in the US and Canada, while the BBC plans for 'Hercule' to be the first of multiple seasons. Filming is due to begin this summer, marking Poirot's return to television more than a decade after David Suchet's beloved run came to an end.

Brian Geraghty joins Chris Hemsworth's book adaptation 'Kockroach'

'1923' star Brian Geraghty has joined the cast of 'Kockroach', the upcoming crime thriller based on William Lashner's 2007 novel. Chris Hemsworth leads the film alongside Taron Egerton, Zazie Beetz, Rachel Sennott, and Alec Baldwin, with Matt Ross directing and Jonathan Ames adapting the screenplay. 

The story follows a mysterious outsider who rises through New York's criminal underworld, though the novel is best known for its unusual twist on Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis', imagining a cockroach transformed into a human who climbs the ranks of organised crime. Filming is currently underway in Australia, with Geraghty's role still under wraps.

Amazon MGM is already eyeing a sequel to 'The Last Sunrise'

Before 'The Last Sunrise' has even premiered, Amazon MGM is reportedly looking ahead to a second film. According to Deadline, screenwriter Anna Klassen has already returned to work on a follow-up based on a new, as-yet-unannounced novel by author Anna Todd. 

Sources say Todd is planning a trilogy of books connected to the story, with the hope of adapting all three for the screen if the first film performs well. While a sequel hasn't officially been greenlit, the early development suggests Amazon MGM has plenty of confidence in the romance adaptation, which stars Maia Reficco, Fernando Lindez, and Eva Longoria and is expected to debut on Prime Video later this year.

Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' lands an R rating

Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation of Homer's classic epic 'The Odyssey' has officially been given an R rating, making it one of the rare big-budget blockbusters aimed squarely at adult audiences. Reports suggest the film's scale is just as ambitious as its rating, with a budget of around US$250 million, potentially making it one of the most expensive R-rated films ever made. 

Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong'o, the mythic adventure is set to hit cinemas on 17 July 2026.

Hugh Laurie joins cast of 'Legacy of Spies'

Hugh Laurie is heading back into the world of John le Carré. The actor has joined the cast of 'Legacy of Spies', the upcoming BBC and MGM+ adaptation that combines elements of 'The Spy Who Came in From the Cold' and 'A Legacy of Spies'. Laurie's role is still being kept under wraps, but he'll star alongside Matthew Macfadyen as legendary spy George Smiley, as well as Charlie Hunnam, Dan Stevens, and Daniel Brühl. 

The eight-part series is currently filming and is being produced by The Ink Factory, the company run by le Carré's sons, with plans to bring one of the author's most iconic espionage stories to a new generation of viewers.

And that’s a wrap on this week’s Story to Screen Report! We’ll be back soon with more casting news, trailers, adaptation announcements, and all the latest book-to-screen news 🍿📚