Sacha has rounded up all the biggest Story to Screen news from the past week, and there’s plenty happening! From the latest contenders for the next James Bond and a first look at ‘The Love Hypothesis’, to huge casting announcements and even more books getting the adaptation treatment, here’s what you need to know this week.
The race to become the next James Bond is narrowing
The search for the next 007 appears to be getting serious, with reports suggesting screen tests are imminent and a shortlist of potential Bonds taking shape. Names reportedly in the mix include Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal and Harris Dickinson, while relative newcomer Jack Barton has emerged as a surprise favourite. Denis Villeneuve is directing ‘Bond 26’, with ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight writing the screenplay, so hopefully we won’t have too much longer to wait before our new Bond is revealed.
Nicola Coughlan and Naomi Scott lead a stacked cast for Netflix’s Roald Dahl series
Some huge names are bringing four of Roald Dahl’s darker short stories for adults to the screen, including Asa Butterfield, Hayley Atwell, Rupert Grint, Ben Kingsley, Steve Pemberton, Josh Finan and Dominic West. Each episode will tell a completely different tale with its own group of familiar faces. It’s a very different side of Dahl’s work than we’re used to seeing brought to life!
‘The Love Hypothesis’ trailer brings Ali Hazelwood’s romance to life
We’ve finally got our first proper look at Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman as Olive Smith and Adam Carlsen, and there’s plenty for fans of the bestselling book to get excited about. The footage teases the fake-dating setup, plenty of chemistry between the pair and some very familiar moments from the novel. This is one adaptation we’ve been very curious to see come to life!
‘The Five-Star Weekend’ is heading somewhere new for season two
After becoming Peacock’s most-watched scripted series ever, the adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling novel is officially coming back for another instalment. Showrunner Bekah Brunstetter says the next chapter will move beyond the original book, with ideas including a new destination and even a different “fifth star” joining the group. Jennifer Garner, D’Arcy Carden, Regina Hall and Chloë Sevigny are all expected to return, but exactly where their next getaway will take them remains under wraps.
Willem Dafoe, Jonathan Bailey and Peter Dinklage join ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’
The already impressive adaptation of George Saunders’ Booker Prize-winning novel has added three huge names to its voice cast, joining Tom Hanks, who will play Abraham Lincoln in the live-action portion of the film. Dafoe, Bailey and Dinklage will voice three of the ghosts at the heart of the story, which centres on Lincoln grieving the death of his 11-year-old son. Saunders has adapted his own novel for the film, which will blend live action with stop-motion animation.
Penn Badgley joins ‘Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone’
The ‘You’ star has found his next TV role, signing on for HBO’s adaptation of Benjamin Stevenson’s bestselling murder mystery. He’ll play Ernest Cunningham, a crime writer whose family reunion at a remote ski resort takes a deadly turn when a body is discovered in the snow. The project comes from ‘Bad Sisters’ creator Brett Baer, with Stevenson also involved as an executive producer.
Christina Lauren’s ‘In a Holidaze’ gets a Netflix release date
Paramount Primal has acquired the rights to the terrifying 2014 bestseller, with Chris Basler signed on to write the screenplay. The story follows a group of boys on their annual scout camping trip who encounter a mysterious intruder, unleashing a horrifying fight for survival that turns them against the infected and each other. After several previous attempts to bring the James Herbert Award-winning book to the screen, this one finally looks to be moving forward.
Nick Cutter’s horror novel ‘The Troop’ is finally getting a movie
Get ready for a little festive romance next year, with the movie adaptation set to arrive on December 3, 2027. Christopher Briney and Nikki Rodriguez lead the cast, alongside Maddie Ziegler, Rob Lowe, Graham Phillips and Elias Kacavas, in the story of a woman who becomes stuck reliving the same Christmas holiday over and over again. Tiffany Paulsen is directing the adaptation of the bestselling romance.
Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki’s ‘Guarding Stars’ gets a release date
Christmas romance is coming our way, with the adaptation of Katherine Center’s bestselling ‘The Bodyguard’ set to arrive on Netflix on November 18. The story follows a no-nonsense bodyguard assigned to protect a charming action star over the holidays, with sparks flying and plenty of complications along the way.
‘Off Campus’ star Stephen Kalyn joins ‘The Housemaid’s Secret’
The breakout actor has landed the role of Brock Cunningham, a lawyer who is dating Sydney Sweeney’s Millie Calloway in the upcoming sequel. He joins an already impressive cast including Kirsten Dunst, Brittany Snow, Michele Morrone and Paul Anthony Kelly, with Paul Feig returning to direct. Based on Freida McFadden’s second ‘Housemaid’ novel, the film is set to arrive in cinemas on December 17, 2027.
Stephen King’s ‘Crouch End’ is coming to Prime Video
Another of the horror master’s stories is being brought to the screen, this time as a series from ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ showrunner David Zabel. The chilling tale follows an American couple whose trip to London takes a terrifying turn when they wander into a strange neighbourhood and encounter something far darker than they could have imagined. The project is still in early development, with casting yet to be announced.
Disney+ unveils first look at ‘The Remarried Empress’
Fans have been given their first glimpse at the highly anticipated Korean adaptation, with Shin Min-a starring as Empress Navier alongside Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young. Based on Alphatart’s hugely popular web novel and webtoon, the fantasy romance follows an empress who shocks everyone by requesting permission to remarry immediately after her husband demands a divorce. The series is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2026.
Sony lands Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Wolf’s Belly’
John August’s graphic novel retelling of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ is heading to the big screen after Sony won the rights in a competitive deal. Illustrated by Simón Estrada, the story imagines Little Red and her grandmother trapped inside a magical world within the wolf alongside other swallowed fairytale characters, including the Boy Who Cried Wolf and a fourth Little Pig. August will adapt his own book, with Alfonso Cuarón producing and the project planned as a live-action movie.
Peter Carey’s ‘Bliss’ is getting a new TV adaptation
More than 40 years after the Miles Franklin Award-winning novel was first published, BBC Studios Australia Productions is reimagining the story as a contemporary drama series. Tony Ayres will create and write the project, which follows advertising executive Harry Joy as a heart attack leaves him convinced he is actually living in hell. The book previously made it to the big screen in 1985, but this new version will bring its exploration of family, marriage, faith and identity into the modern day.
Ellen Pompeo to star in ‘Not a Sound’ adaptation
The ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star has found her next major project, taking the lead in a new Hulu limited series based on Heather Gudenkauf’s bestselling thriller. The story follows Amelia Winn, a nurse who loses her hearing following a traumatic accident and later discovers a body while walking in the woods with her service dog, pulling her into a dangerous mystery. The eight-episode project comes from ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ showrunner Liz Tigelaar.
‘Wonka’s The Golden Ticket’ drops its first trailer
Netflix has released the first trailer for ‘Wonka’s The Golden Ticket’, giving us our first proper look inside the reality competition inspired by Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. The trailer takes contestants into a Wonka-inspired world filled with elaborate challenges, surprises and, of course, plenty of chocolate as they compete for a life-changing prize. It also reveals the recreation of the late Gene Wilder’s voice as Willy Wonka, created with permission from his estate.
Which adaptation are you most excited about, or is there a book you’re desperately waiting to see make it to the screen? We’ll be back next week with another round of casting news, trailers and adaptation announcements.