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Adaptation Report: January 2026
29 Plays7 days ago
A new year means a fresh slate of page-to-screen adaptations—and we’re breaking down everything you need to know. In this January News episode of Book Watch, we’re covering the biggest book-to-movie and TV adaptation announcements, release dates, casting updates, trailers, and industry buzz you might’ve missed.
From long-awaited adaptations to surprise announcements, we’ll share what has us excited, what we’re cautiously optimistic about, and which books you might want to bump up your TBR before they hit the screen.
Grab your popcorn (and your book stack)—let’s talk January adaptation news.
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Transcript
Introduction to Book Watch
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome back, book watchers, and happy new year. We are doing something new tonight. We are going to have our inaugural news episode. And I'm Sarah Day, and I'm, of course, always joined by Jordan.
00:00:21
Speaker
Hey, I'm so excited for our news episode. And Chris. Hello. Hello. So before we get started, a little break for some ads.
00:00:41
Speaker
Welcome
Exploring Book-to-Screen Adaptations
00:00:42
Speaker
to Book Watch, the podcast where pages meet screens. Each week we dive into the world of adaptations, comparing beloved books with their cinematic counterparts. From faithful retellings to bold reimaginings, we'll break down what worked, what didn't, and what made each adaptation unforgettable. Whether you're a bookworm, a movie buff, or both, grab your bookmark, grab your popcorn, and let's watch some books.
00:01:06
Speaker
All right, book watchers, welcome back to your first adaptation report. This is going to be your monthly roundup of the latest and greatest in page to screen adaptations.
00:01:17
Speaker
Each month, we're going to be bringing you the latest in page to screen news from new adaptation announcements to casting updates and release dates and everything in between. Okay.
00:01:29
Speaker
However, in our first episode, we're going to be a little chaotic and just kind of cover everything that we know that's coming in 2026. From there on out, we'll have a more structured episode. um But we figured since this this is our first one, we have so much news to cover. Let's just cover 2026 and then we will update you from there.
Netflix's 'People We Meet on Vacation'
00:01:56
Speaker
So we are going to start with People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, which is coming out in January on Netflix. This is starring Tom Blythe and Emily Bader and is direct directed by Brett Haley.
00:02:11
Speaker
This is the second time I've read this book for this podcast, so I'm i'm excited to see it come. And I'm excited that it's streaming on Netflix. Easy peasy. Have you read, how many of her other books have you read? have you Are you a big Emily Henry fan or is that new for you for the most part?
00:02:29
Speaker
No, I've read a few Emily Henry, but I i don't have a running list for you. Okay. I know they've they announced five of them as adaptations at once. I think like a whole series of like five different ones.
00:02:40
Speaker
So far, I've collected the books for happy people or happy places and funny story something like that. So I'm starting to get built, build up my physical collection of those. So I get ready for all these coming up, but I don't know much about people meet on vacation yet. So I'm excited check it out.
00:02:57
Speaker
Yeah, I haven't read any. I'm like a fantasy exclusionist. So if there's not like dragons and magic and swords, I'm like not interested usually. But I'm excited. i um Tom Blythe, ah we know him from Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. So I'm super excited to see him back on my screen.
New 'Wuthering Heights' Adaptation
00:03:17
Speaker
um And I'll go see anything that he's in. So that's fine. And then we're going to read it for the podcast and cover it. So yeah, I'm excited to have this be my first Emily Henry book.
00:03:28
Speaker
Funny story. I obviously read Songbirds and Snakes, but I have yet to see the film. I actually, in the same way, i haven't watched it yet. Okay, so watch party. Live watch. Patreon watch party. woo woo Comment if you want us to do that.
00:03:45
Speaker
Send us message. Me commenting on our own post because I want to do that. It's just going to be all three us. Nobody else is to join. It's just going to be us. Next up on our list, we've got Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in February going to theaters starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
00:04:09
Speaker
it's Jacob E. And directed by Emerald Fennel. um And so that one, ah you know, this is going to be like the, you know, dozens or whatever you know 20th adaptation of withering heights overall but uh this should be a really interesting version of it i think with margot robbie in there and i don't know many interesting is a word for it but yeah i don't really know the story the trailer was a little ah but sketchy yeah it looks like it's gonna be a like a very rated r version of this story
00:04:43
Speaker
I don't know the story either, really, so I can't say whether that's a good thing or a bad thing for us, but I'm, you know. Well, it's one of your classics, like Pride and Prejudice, your classic ah love story from back in the day. So problematic.
00:04:58
Speaker
It's a period. Margot and Jacob seem to be a little steamy in the trailer, so we'll see if it works. it Seems to be an appetite for that these days, so. yeah but like respect the classics man like i don't know about weather like i can see it like you want to adapt like pretty much anything that you can find on booktalk or bookstagram right now and like up the steaminess and the spice level whatever go for it but like wuthering heights and like emily bronte and like the bronte sisters are
00:05:32
Speaker
like iconic um like authors and like iconic works and like historical fiction and I don't know it feels like weird to be like oh yeah it's so sexy and steamy and like you know it's not a i I don't think I haven't read it in a very long time so I don't really remember any of the finer details but I'm like I don't think it's about that it's not supposed to be about that so like for them to be like focusing so much in that direction is like weird but we'll see how it goes. You know, you can either respect the classics or you can completely change the classics and exploit that IP to make it what you want. Cause they're usually outside of their, their copyright at this point. So they can kind of do what they want with it
00:06:17
Speaker
I'm in camp one, so. That's why we have so many versions of it. So yeah. Right. And there's kind of two points here. Like they're trying to, like Chris said,
00:06:30
Speaker
hop on the train right like fourth wing and all of that is is a steamy book and it's getting the adaptations it's all over book talk so they're trying to get that new audience hit a new target audience right but at the same time if they're going to get this new target audience that is usually reading these like romantic books and these like spicier ones they might go back to Wuthering Heights, read that book, and like be introduced to these classics.
00:07:01
Speaker
yeah Yeah, it's kind of a that progression of if we can get people interested in the movie, sometimes we can get them back to the book, and then you can, yeah, it's all circular sometimes, so these things. Yeah, right.
00:07:12
Speaker
Hopefully it works out that way. trust Margot Robbie at the end of the day as much as the trailer was a little off-putting. It is Margot Robbie. i I have faith in her. So, you know, well what do you say about Percy Jackson? Trust trust the process. Yeah. ah I'm using my own words against me. Yeah, they're really pushing the limits on that trust in season two. But that's a topic for later slash another day. Coming Next month. Yes. February, yeah.
00:07:43
Speaker
Yeah. um
'Project Hail Mary' with Ryan Gosling
00:07:45
Speaker
All right. Next on the list is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. um This is the same author who wrote The Martian, which is a film from couple more years back who that starred Matt Damon. This one stars Ryan Gosling and is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
00:08:04
Speaker
Pretty excited about that because they're pretty great. They're the guys that are doing like the Spider-Verse and everything. they were That was their big ah one of their big things. So I mean, this is kind of going to be a sci-fi, you know, I don't know much about the extra story yet, but it's space sci-fi, sci-fi, dystopian sci-fi. So whatever they can do to give us some of that feel that we loved in Spider-Verse, it could be kind of fun to see some live action elements of some of that sort of ideas out there.
00:08:32
Speaker
Yeah, it'll be interesting to see their directorial style transfer from animation to live action. um Because like the Spider-Verse movies are so cool and so much fun and like very rewatchable. i wonder if this will have that scene kind of flavor.
00:08:49
Speaker
It would be the hopes. I watched The Martian. I never read the book. And this one, this book, I keep getting highly recommended to me. So it was it was already on my list, of even if it wasn't the adaptation coming up. So yeah that's definitely something i'm excited for.
00:09:04
Speaker
I've seen The Martian. I haven't read the book. But knowing that this one is coming, I also want i want to read both books. I know we're going to cover a Project Hail Mary. i really like The Martian. And I hear that the science.
00:09:16
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. um I hear the science of the Martian was really sound and believe like logical and believable. And... um This one is a little bit more science fiction than the Martian. Like, of course, the Martian isn't based on a true story. But um from what I've gained from the trailer so far, this one looks like it's a little bit more off the rails. And I'm excited to see where the story takes us. And i'm I'm excited to get into this book and see this film. And I'm obviously a Ryan Gosling fan. So, woo!
Young Adult Adaptations: Literacy Focus
00:09:50
Speaker
Yeah.
00:09:51
Speaker
yeah The Magic Faraway Tree, or Faraway, we haven't decided, um is coming out in March. And it is starring Andrew Garfield. And it will be directed by Ben Greger.
00:10:09
Speaker
So yeah, this is more of a young adult book. And the three of us, right, have not read this series. nope No. Not familiar. But i think it's always good to...
00:10:23
Speaker
do children's books and young adult books as adaptations to get kids in the door. Like I work with kids and like the literacy rates declining is like super evident, low key. Love you guys. um But yeah, like getting anything to get kids to read more and to love reading is good. And so I think like we were kind of talking about with Wuthering Heights, like having this movie be something that gets people to read the book. I really hope that that ends up being the case for this. And I think hopeful hopefully it'll be a good way for families to like read together because it's so important for parents to read to their kids. And so we can go see a movie together and spend that quality time together and then come home and read the books together. And it's like
00:11:04
Speaker
It's a whole series of books. There's lots of them. So you can just keep it going. You can keep the franchise going, keep that money track rolling, keep the books rolling with your kids, and it should be a good time for everybody.
00:11:16
Speaker
I agree. Yeah, that's ah definitely important. I'm curious about what part Andrew Garfield is going to play in it. I don't know the book, so I can't say. But you were saying, we we were reading the description, going to be like three kids if in the book that find this tree that transports them different places. So yeah I'm wondering if he's going play like a guide or something or somehow. I think he's like their older cousin who like is a chaperone for their adventures. That's the the vibe that I was getting.
00:11:43
Speaker
This 40-year-old man that goes with him on these adventures.
00:11:49
Speaker
All right. Pause, please. I don't need to look up his age. It's getting close. 1983. Okay. Continue. 42. I was right.
00:12:01
Speaker
um And that is coming to cinemas in March. Moreland to March. All right. Next
The Odyssey: A Star-Studded Adaptation
00:12:08
Speaker
up, we've got The Odyssey is on our list but by Homer coming out in July in theaters. Starring Matt Damon of, you know, the Martian fame. So there's a little callback there. direct Directed by Christopher Nolan. So probably going to be pretty good. ah and yeah, I'm excited for this one.
00:12:28
Speaker
I'm so excited for this one. He's got like everybody famous in it. So yeah, this cast is stacked. as the casting news was coming out, a lot of people, I think they were getting a lot of flack on, but every, like I was like, I'm excited for this. This sounds so fun. I can't wait to read the Odyssey. I know it's going to be a challenge, but I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm definitely going to have to like read part of it and then spark notes it and like even hop in the Reddit and get like analyze this. um
00:13:00
Speaker
But I'm really excited to see this come to life. I mean, We've had bits and pieces of the Odyssey throughout cinematic history. So um and of course, Percy Jackson references the Odyssey and Odysseus's journey.
00:13:16
Speaker
So it's just going to be exactly. Yeah. So it's going to be fun to see this come together. I'm excited for the cast. um Yeah. Like you said, it's a stacked cast.
00:13:28
Speaker
Yeah, I love how Greek mythology is having a moment right now. Like it's never Greek mythology is one of those things like it's never not being talked about like it it's, it's like, you know.
00:13:41
Speaker
ancient Greek plays or like Shakespeare or like the Bible, like it's always being referenced and like ingrained in fictional works, but for it to just be like, Nope, we're doing Percy Jackson and it's straight up about the Greek gods and we're doing the Odyssey. And like, we're telling that story. um i think it's really cool and really fun. And yeah, like having, Anne Hathaway ands and Zendan, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland. Like, I'm so pumped. Like, i love all of those actors. Jon Bernthal, oh my gosh. Like, I think they're all so talented and so wonderful. And so, like, to have, like,
00:14:16
Speaker
i'm I very am support very much am supportive of like casting unnamed people and like new people to roles to give them like their big break. But like this, I think is going to be like a seminal work. And so like ah we don't want to mess around with this. when We need professionals. We need experienced people. And I think we've got the best of the best for this generation of actors. And so I'm really excited. i think it will be super fun.
00:14:40
Speaker
Well, and when you already know the story for the most part, like all all of us have some familiarity with the stories of the Odyssey, putting people that you know the faces of into these big roles is a fun way to really solidify some and give you something new to see that is someone you love in a role that could be really fun for them.
00:14:56
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. All right. Next in October, coming to a theater near you is going to be Verity written by Colleen Hoover, um starring Anne Hathaway. Again, this is her another film for her for the year. Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. it's going to be directed by Michael Showalter. So again, I'm not super big on the like modern like contemporary story. So I have not read any Colleen Hoover.
00:15:26
Speaker
haven't heard the best of things about her writing and about her books. um But I'm very interested with this cast to see what kind of story...
00:15:37
Speaker
they're going to come up with especially after I think the last one that she the last Colleen Hoover adaptation was had so much drama it was the one with Blake Lively right like i I'm interested honestly to see if like Colleen Hoover adaptations are like cursed if there's going to be an another big like scandal with this one or if this one will kind of like sneak by and just be like a normal like production there's the whole Dakota Johnson of it all I mean a lot people have strong feelings about Dakota Johnson not for anything that she's done just her acting ability um I have yet to see anything that I like that she's been in um
00:16:15
Speaker
Interesting. i I mean, who knows? I mean, I like Anne Hathaway. i like Josh Hartnett. So maybe she can play off of their talents. I don't know. i like her as a person. I think she's really funny. I think she has a really dry humor. And I think that just comes across...
00:16:30
Speaker
wrong for certain people so we'll see what this movie is like I haven't read it yet I have read some Colleen Hoover she's not the best but um it definitely hooked me I did read I actually did read it ends with us and it starts with us I have not seen the movie ah big maybe because of all the drama I don't know i just once it's on streaming I might check it out I am excited about this one Verity, the book, was very talked about and everybody was like, this is such a good book, like even better than It Ends With Us. um there's It's more of a suspenseful book than just like a rom-com kind of book. Not that It Ends With Us is a rom-com and it's not, but...
00:17:20
Speaker
um um yeah so i'm excited to read this one i do like a suspenseful thriller um it sounds like it obviously there's romance in it so um that will get us through the tension um and we'll see how the movie does i think like you nailed it on the head like this is going to be the first colleen hoover book since the big drama with blake lively and justin um it's not her first Nope. Regretting You with what just came out months ago. That was also her book. That was Colin Hoover. And that one did really well. That one did do really well.
00:17:54
Speaker
McKenna. McKenna Grace and the guy from Train Your Dragon. Yeah. Oh. so Oh, that's a Colleen Hoover one? That was also Colleen Hoover. so Interesting. I haven't watched it or read it yet, but it's one that I've actually been, have my eye on to watch. It's on list for next year, right?
00:18:10
Speaker
I think so. I'll have to check. Yeah, I think we are covering that. So we're going yeah, we're going, and maybe we'll do, it ends with us one day too. And we'll just do all the numbers. I think we keep mixing up reminders of him and regretting you. So
Adapting 'Verity' by Colleen Hoover
00:18:24
Speaker
when we talk about them, I don't remember who that one's by, but those two keep getting mixed up. i think in my mind, i think regretting you is actually on our list.
00:18:33
Speaker
We'll check. Okay. Cause I think that comes out. Yeah. This month or etiquette anyway. It came out in October. Recently. Yeah, October 24th was when that one came out. So um I've read it ends with us and it starts with us. And I think I read one other of her books. I don't remember which one. um and yeah they're they're decent they're not bad by uh stretch of the mind uh but i have not watched the film for it starts it ends with us i think entirely because of the drama um and so i was i was excited for it at first but it yeah it definitely uh went away from my interest list for a while we we may get back to it eventually but she just that role became toxic so
00:19:17
Speaker
Write it if you want us to cover Colleen Hoover and maybe we'll do a marathon. Yeah, there we go. Yeah. The Sunrise
Anticipation for New Hunger Games Film
00:19:25
Speaker
on the Reaping is hitting theaters in November, and this is probably my most anticipated film. I am a huge Hunger Games fan, and when they announced the book and the movie at the same time, i was super stoked. um And after the success of Songbirds and Snakes, it wasn't a surprise to hear about Sunrise on the Reaping. Yeah.
00:19:48
Speaker
This film is starring Joseph Zeta, Jesse Plemons, McKenna Grace, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, and much more. It's going to be directed by Frances Lawrence. I believe they have finally finished filming. We have a teaser. the teaser was one of the best teasers I've ever seen in my life. It really captured the tension of this story.
00:20:10
Speaker
um i don't want to hog up too much of the conversation because I can because I love this and I'm so excited. So anybody else take it away. The book was great. I really enjoyed this one. It really dove into another, like it felt like a full blown Hunger Games feel. It gave me the um the world a little bit more. it it definitely had me excited. I was really actually worried about the whole releasing or announcing both them at the same time because I like is this going to take away from the actual book is it just gonna be written as the movie script and then just turned into a book which uh doesn't do as well but um looking at you crush child
00:20:49
Speaker
Yeah, i'm'm I'm excited for this one though. I think it'll be really good. and Yeah, I still have to watch the the movie that just came out, the other one, song The Songbird and Snakes. I've read the book, but I have not watched the film.
00:21:00
Speaker
I don't know why. But I think this is going to be a good one I'm excited for. Yeah, I'm excited. i just double-checked. But Frances Lawrence directed Catching Fire. okay which is widely regarded as like it's I think it's most people's favorite favorite book favorite movie combo and like one of the best like adapted like yes the whole Hunger Games franchise is one of some of the best adapted films from books like ever stop um name changes to Mockingjay it was too much
00:21:35
Speaker
That's valid. ah But we're not talking about Mockingjay. Catching Fire. Catching Fire is so good and wonderful and perfect. So to have Francis Lawrence back doing another Hunger Games film, I'm really excited for that. And I i love how much of the fan casts made it into the final cast. um Like, I don't know how active you guys are on Twitter, but my twitter the Twitter girlies were like – Pounding the pavement like we have to have Jesse Plemons as young Plutarch. We have to have Elle Fanning as young Effie. Like please, please, please. And when those were announced like it was crazy online. Like everybody was so excited, so pumped. um And the announcements of the cast. Yeah. The announcements of the cast was really cool how they did that. The market yeah the marketing yeah for this film specifically. Like I know I'm in the algorithm, but it's been really great. And like I...
00:22:30
Speaker
I just love how much Hunger Games I'm getting on my Instagram. Yeah. It sounds like we're supposed to get the original actors back for a bit too. ah Jennifer Lawrence is supposed to show up. and yeah because in the I wish that was a surprise. Yeah, it would have been nice. Yeah, that's a general consensus. like We all kind of suspect they're going to come back because of the epilogue in the book.
00:22:51
Speaker
But it would have been nice to have like the film you think it ends and then it opens up on an older Woody Harrelson as Hamish and we're like okay yes we're getting the epilogue and then we see you know J-Law and Josh Hutchinson come onto screen and you're just like we love continuity.
00:23:15
Speaker
Yeah, that would have been really cool. But it still should be really good to see them come back and see a little bit more of them in their roles and everything. so And as of this recording, they haven't confirmed Woody Harrelson's casting, but his voice is in the trailer. It's his movie. We can safely assume he's going to be in it, especially with J-Law and Josh Hutcherson being confirmed.
00:23:41
Speaker
Fair enough. All right. um Dune part three is expected in December 26 in theaters. That's Timothy Chalamet, Robert Patterson, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya.
00:23:56
Speaker
So in they same old, same old. And I, you know, the, I tried to watch even the first one and I kind of got bored and stopped. I don't know if they're just not my style of movie, which is weird. Cause I'm usually a pretty big sci-fi person, but these just didn't impress me that much. The book was good. And I don't know what they're pulling part three from entirely, but maybe I'll get around to fully checking them out here. Now that they're, you know, three of them in. how about you guys? I liked the first one just fine. I think it was incredible cinematography. um
00:24:32
Speaker
I fell asleep during the second one, not in the theater, at home, in my bed. Did you watch the first one in theaters? Did you watch any of them there? No. Okay. My problem, biggest problem I had with them was that when I was at home watching them, the music was too overpowering for the voices and stuff. And it was, it was filmed for that IMAX experience. And I was really struggling with it in my, in my home setup. So I think I might like them better in theaters. Well, maybe they'll release the other two in theaters before December. And we can go see them in theaters. Yeah.
00:25:03
Speaker
Yeah, I also fell asleep during Dune Part 1 watching it at home in bed and I passed out so smack in the middle of it. Like right when it was like, you know, the normal story structure is starting to like ramp up and get good for the climax. I was like, nope, gone. That is about the length of a normal movie is right there at the halfway point. so True, yeah. So I i probably, if they had like a three-part like viewing experience in theaters, I think I would just because like It feels like, again, one of those like seminal works that like is so iconic in this day and age. And like so it's so many people's favorite movie and now it's their favorite franchise. And it's like it's been so hyped up that I'm like, all right, I got to see what you guys are talking about.
00:25:45
Speaker
um And I think like you were saying, Chris, like with the volume differential, like it's probably best to view it in a theater. So if they have like back to back to back, like if I can get a weekend day and I can go and watch all three and literally take all day watch all three of them in theaters, I would like to do that. um But i mean, cast always sounds cool, but I don't I'm like probably won't go out and see it just because I haven't seen the other ones. But I could be convinced. Yeah.
00:26:14
Speaker
In part one, some of the cast took me out of it too, though, seeing certain people in the roles. was like, wait, that's, I, I, it almost, people didn't disappear into the roles enough with that one. So in some parts it, I can get past that. It just was, um, one of the things I noticed when I was watching it. Yeah.
00:26:31
Speaker
Yeah. But we'll see. us know if you're excited for it. Yeah. Try to convince me that I should go see it. um All right. Next up, we've got a Pride and Prejudice series slash mini series that we think is going to be on Amazon. So far, we've got Emma Corrin starting with Jack Loudon and Olivia Colman.
00:26:57
Speaker
i i I don't need another Pride and Prejudice adaptation. I'm good. like I've got my... ah Just my age. I've got my 2005 Keira Knightley. I've got my um Matthew McFadden Darcy and I'm good with that. I don't need anything else. I don't like I think Olivia Colman as Mrs. Bennett is going to be great. um Emma Corrin is Lizzie. I'm like, I don't know about that one. um i it's like I like Emma Corrin. got nothing against Emma Corrin. I just don't know if she's giving Lizzie to me. um And so i I'm like, will I watch it Probably just so that I can say that I've seen it. But like, am i super excited for it? Also, no. So...
00:27:47
Speaker
I think we needed to get the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies going here. Absolutely. Bring that back. Yeah, it was a book. so It is a book. Yeah, it's an adaptation. so I'm into that. I'm down for it. that's i Actually, I have that book. I have not found the regular book yet for my collection, but i have the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies book.
00:28:09
Speaker
We covered Pride and Prejudice in the beginning of the show. ah my my friend Krista came on. That's one of her favorite books. And we talked a little bit about this show. excited.
00:28:21
Speaker
Well, I wouldn't say I'm excited for it. I'm interested in it. What we discussed and like we discussed earlier is that with what Wuthering Heights is this might appeal, especially if it's on Amazon to a different audience than would usually go see Pride and Prejudice. So again, it's, it's going to hit that younger audience and might get them into the book. And then again, getting into those classics.
00:28:46
Speaker
Yeah, that's kind of what i was thinking. it might Being a series might really give us the chance to expand on the story a little bit differently and focus on different elements. And that's why we want series sometimes. So um i'm I'm open to it from that standpoint for sure.
00:29:01
Speaker
Yeah, no, I'm good. Jordan out. Yeah. Like i said, I'll still see it but like there's zero hype over here.
00:29:12
Speaker
It's going to be your favorite one probably. You're going to love it, and it's gonna be you're going not stop talking about it after this. Don't manifest that on me, please.
00:29:22
Speaker
It'll be interesting to see what route they go because the 1995 miniseries, BBC, was very faithful. Very, very faithful to the adaptation. And then the i wanted to say Elizabeth Swann and that's not her name. I mean, Keira Knightley. The Keira Knightley version is It's faithful. They do cut a lot. They change a few lines, but it's cinematic. It is a beautiful film. The music is beautiful. The visuals are beautiful. The scene of Darcy walking through the field is iconic.
00:30:01
Speaker
So you've got your visual. You've got your faithful. What is this one going to be? Mm-hmm. I liked the, there's a scene in a big bang theory where Sheldon's trying to ruin one of Amy's favorite things that she ruined. I think it was Indiana Jones for him. And so he's like trying, he's reading pride and prejudice at one point and, and telling his friends about that plan. And then, know, he moves on from that. Like, wait, what happened to pride and prejudice? He said, Oh, it turns out it's a literary masterpiece. He has too much pride. He has too much prejudice. It just works.
00:30:34
Speaker
which are Yeah. but yeah It was pretty funny. It is a literary masterpiece. The Magician's Nephew on Netflix is coming up. This has been a lot of chatter on the social medias. This is going to be directed by Greta Gerwig, and it's going to be starring Emma Mackey as the White Witch and Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew. And there is a rumor of who is...
00:31:05
Speaker
voicing aslan which is meryl streep so yet to be confirmed but it got the interwebs a chatting um this why this is a chronicles of narnia story and this is one that is starting with the magician's nephew which has not really been seen before typically we start with the lion the witch and the wardrobe This is chronologically the first one, but publication wise, it was like four or five or six. It was actually six. Yeah.
00:31:37
Speaker
Out of seven.
00:31:41
Speaker
It was kind of meant to be in a standalone story on its own a little bit, even though it does explain some stuff. It was released as a standalone universe story. So it's going to be interesting to see how this is pulled together. But I'm excited about it.
00:31:54
Speaker
It's one of my favorite stories from the series. This and The Last Battle are kind of my two favorites because of the way they they address the beginning and the end a little bit and the characters are good. and A little bit of a spoiler there, calling her the White Witch right now. you know She doesn't really get that ah distinction until like the end of the film. So you know ah there's that. But we've all seen the Witch, in the Wardrobe. So we we kind of know that's the villain we get to eventually.
00:32:22
Speaker
But seeing where she comes from is should be iconic on screen. I'm excited to see her world and all that that we go that they go kind of travel to The Wood Between the Worlds is one of my favorite places. So we'll see. I think it could be really cinematic and cool.
00:32:37
Speaker
So is this her villain origin story? Yes, and for the most part. it's It's the creation story of Narnia as well as her origin story. Got it. See, I remember reading these as a kid, but I i don't remember the details. I think The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, i I remember most of all because I've seen the movie so many times.
00:32:59
Speaker
But I'm excited to start reading the series. I read the books over and over again once I found them. So know the stories by heart almost on most of them. Love that. I'm excited. I'm excited to read this series. It's going to be a fun one. It will be fun. Yep.
00:33:14
Speaker
I'm like, I think like most of the internet, I'm like really nervous about this because I also love the Chronicles of Narnia and I grew up with, you the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe and um Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader like those three movies were like a huge part of like my childhood and like my adolescence like growing up and so like any change to those films I'm gonna be hesitant about and then especially like the you know having like Meryl Streep as Aslan and then they were talking about like Charlie XCX as the White Witch and like some of these casting rumors are so like outlandish to me that I'm like, what are we doing? Like, and again, like I've said, for other books that we've talked about, like respect the classics, like this is such an iconic work. And C.S. Lewis is such an iconic author. Like we've got to be, i think, I think Greta Gerwig, like her main mission
00:34:11
Speaker
is should be to like be respectful of the source material. And like I love when artists put their own spin on things and do give their own interpretations. I think that's what art is supposed to be about is like their like individual expression of a work. But when you're adapting, like you have to find that balance of making it your own and making it like the Greta Gerwig Narnia movies. And also like understanding and respecting the history that's there of the story and
00:34:42
Speaker
So I'm nervous. I'm very nervous about these ones. It's interesting that you come from the films as being your like, you know if they make changes to those, because I was mad at the time about how at much they changed the book to make those films. so i mean, I did read the books too, but like I read them when I was very young. So I didn't, it didn't, I didn't get it. It didn't click the way that it would have like that it would now I'm sure as an adult reading it with like my brain fully developed, like, I'm sure if I read it now, I'm like, oh, my God, this is so profound and so deep and so like, you know, just important, like, and it is an important work still.
00:35:22
Speaker
um But yeah, those movies are like the soundtrack and the cinematography and like Liam Neeson as voicing Aslan is just so, so iconic and so powerful and so important to me. um and Barnes.
00:35:35
Speaker
Yeah, that too. Yeah, that too. um it Yeah, i'm just I'm very hesitant to like mess with those films. And then again, the story being so important and iconic and historical as well, like that makes me nervous too, to get this like super modern take on it.
00:35:56
Speaker
Well, knowing there's seven movies to get through and some of these, you know, sometimes these things don't get followed through with fully if something doesn't go well. I'm worried that we're going to get like two movies in, three movies in, and then they're going to cancel stuff again. Because this one was supposed to be made well along with those other movies. It was the next one in line to get made. Right. But they stopped.
00:36:14
Speaker
ah They had trouble with the last two they did and then decided to cut it off right there. Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:22
Speaker
So we'll see. I feel like with streaming, though, they have a little bit more flexibility. I know like Netflix tends to cancel things quickly, but i mean, look at what Game of Thrones did, and now it has House of Dragons. Look at what it um Harry Potter is going to be doing. They've already committed to seven seasons. So...
00:36:43
Speaker
Unless it's like a complete bust, I think we can assume we're going to get multiple seasons of this. Yeah, I hope so. And I hope that kind of commitment's what we see. But that can always change with the way that the company's structure goes and the way things within studios can change. And that's the scary part about going across 10 years of movies here a streaming service. Or if they try to put this in theaters, we will. We can have another pandemic or writer's strike. Right. And the writer strikes seem to happen more and more often now because companies don't want to pay their writers what they deserve. So Oriana wants to do the work. So.
00:37:17
Speaker
Yeah. yeah yeah're We're in a very tumultuous time. And so I agree. Like, i'm I'm nervous that we're going to start this journey. And even if it's like the best adaptation ever and it's so good and we're so excited. I'm also, like you said, nervous that something outside of the production of a film is going to affect the production of the film and the outcome. And like, we're going to get through you know lion witch in the wardrobe or prince gaspian and then it's gone and then we just are again left with like half the story and not the final ending um so yeah there's lot going on battle to happen please
00:37:58
Speaker
um But also I would love to see them do some offshoots sort of things with this the property. The the a Narnia books have never really gotten a lot of that like people working in that world though that much. They kind of were built and then they were kind of left the way they were. Whereas Lord of the Rings has had their little offshoots. We've had Game Thrones doing it now. I'd love to see some stories in Narnia when when our main characters are gone. Like to see what Narnia looks like outside of that time frame.
00:38:24
Speaker
Yeah, that would be cool. That'd be something i'd hope to see eventually. i mean, we're definitely in the age of spinoffs. Yeah. Well, that is all we have for 2026. Thanks for joining us on another episode of book watch. We'll see you next week guys. And also send us any news updates that you find on the interwebs and we can cover it next time on adaptation report.
00:38:47
Speaker
Yeah. Thanks for your watching. And let us know what you're most excited about in 2026. We want to hear from you.
00:38:56
Speaker
That's a wrap for this week's episode of book watch. We hope you enjoy diving into the world of page to screen adaptations with us. If you love this episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a rating and review wherever you listen and share it with a fellow book and movie lover.
00:39:10
Speaker
If you prefer to watch along, you can check out the show on YouTube, youtube.com slash at book, watch podcast. You can follow the show on Instagram at bookwatchpodcast. And you can follow me, Sarah Day, on Instagram at captain.mcd. That's M-C-D-E-E.
00:39:30
Speaker
And you can follow me, Jordan, on Instagram at jjcorrito. That's C-A-R-R-I-D-O. And you can follow me, Chris, at cyborgnight404. That's night with a K.
00:39:42
Speaker
You can also join the conversation in the Book Watch Lounge on Facebook at facebook.com slash groups slash bookwatch lounge. If you'd like to support the podcast, you can join the Patreon at patreon.com slash bookwatch podcast. Tears start at only $4 a month and we would love to have you over there. Have a favorite adaptation you'd like us to cover or a book you think deserves a screen adaptation or just want to let us know of any feedback. Send us an email at bookwatchpodcast at gmail.com.
00:40:11
Speaker
Until next time, keep reading, keep watching, and we will see you next week.