Leaving the theatre after seeing a favourite book adapted for the screen can be disorienting. 

Back in the 1980s, my sisters and I read a single copy of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton so many times that it eventually disintegrated in the bathtub. For days afterward, we picked bits of page from our skin. 

Set in 1960s Oklahoma, Hinton’s novel follows the conflict between the working-class Greasers and the wealthy Socs. It had everything we could want: disaffection, sacrifice, injustice and, of course, a little doomed romance. 

When the film adaptation was announced, we were ecstatic. We settled into our seats in downtown Winnipeg and, when Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell) appeared on screen, my sister swooned. 

“Oh, they got him!” 

Then some of the other key characters appeared. She was so disappointed she burst into tears. 

Readers are a tough crowd when it comes to adaptations. Long before a film reaches the screen, they have imagined how characters look, speak and move through the world. With every reader comes a slightly different version of the story. 

Sometimes filmmakers get it right. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes it doesn’t matter and the story becomes something else. 

Readers keep buying tickets and watching, hoping characters, worlds and stories they love will come alive in a way that feels true to the version in their imagination. This winter and beyond, audiences will have plenty of opportunities to read the book first so they can decide whether it was better than the film. 

Books coming soon to theatres

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‘Dune Messiah’ by Frank Herbert 

Target release: Dec. 18, 2026 

Summary: Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy finale follows Paul Atreides 12 years into his reign as emperor. As his religious jihad sweeps across the universe, Paul faces opposition from within his empire and struggles to steer humanity away from a dark future. 

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy and Jason Momoa 

Should I read the other books in the series? 

Yes. Readers may want to revisit Herbert’s novels before heading to the theatre. The series’ dense politics and mythology can be challenging to follow if you’re not familiar with the broader Dune universe.

‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ by Suzanne Collins 

Target release: November 2026 

Summary: Set 24 years before the original trilogy, this prequel returns to Panem on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell. 

Cast: Elle Fanning and Ralph Fiennes 

Should I read the other books in the series? 

Probably. Collins uses prequels to deepen readers’ understanding of Panem and the events that shape the original trilogy. 

Books coming soon to TV and streaming

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‘The Long Game‘ from Game Changers series by Rachel Reid 

Target release: Spring 2027 

Summary: Hockey stories are practically a Canadian pastime. This adaptation, however, focuses on queer romance alongside the action on the ice. The Crave and HBO Max series continues with storylines drawn from The Long Game, Role Model and Tough Guy. 

Cast: Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Sophie Nélisse and Charlie Gillespie 

Should I read the other books in the series? 

Yes. Reid expands the characters and relationships beyond what a television adaptation can capture while also delivering convincing hockey action.  

‘His & Hers’ by Alice Feeney 

Target release: 2026 

Summary: A television news anchor and a detective find themselves investigating a string of murders while confronting a complicated history of their own. 

Cast: Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal 

‘People We Meet on Vacation’ by Emily Henry 

Target release: 2026 

Summary: Best friends Poppy and Alex have spent one vacation week together every year for a decade. After a rift threatens their tradition, they reunite for one final trip that could change their relationship forever. 

Cast: Emily Bader and Tom Blyth 

‘Harry Potter‘ series by J.K. Rowling 

Target release: Late 2026 or early 2027 

Summary: This multi-season television adaptation revisits Rowling’s seven novels over the course of a decade, with additional opportunities to explore supporting characters and subplots that were condensed in the original films. 

Cast: John Lithgow, Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout 

‘Fourth Wing‘ from Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros 

Target release: 2026 

Summary: Violet Sorrengail is forced by her commanding-officer mother to enter the deadly Basgiath War College, where cadets compete to bond with dragons. Graduation means survival; failure means death. 

Cast: TBA 

Should I read the other books in the series? 

Yes. The television adaptation begins with the first novel in a bestselling fantasy series that continues to expand. 

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