Books heading for the big screen

Read these bestsellers before they’re turned into TV or films, so you can be that friend who says, ‘the book was better’

DAISY JONES & THE SIX

Taylor Jenkins Reid

The book:

Daisy Jones is a singer on her way to stardom when she joins up-and-coming rock band The Six. Stars align and sparks fly with leading frontman Billy. The adaptation:

With Suki Waterhouse taking on Daisy, and Sam Claflin as Billy, the chemistry is palpable. Out 3 March on Prime Video.

THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES

Suzanne Collins The book:

This prequel to

The Hunger Games follows 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow as he mentors District 12’s female tribute on the hunt for glory. The adaptation: Get ready to be transported back to the Capitol, with Hunter Schafer and Rachel Zegler at the helm of this Hollywood blockbuster. In cinemas 17 November.

THE COLOR PURPLE

Alice Walker The book:

This iconic 1982 novel tells the story of an African American woman’s life-long struggles of living in the South during the early 1900s. The adaptation: Oprah and Steven Spielberg are reinventing the story as a musical film, with an incredible cast including Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Danielle Brooks and H.E.R. In cinemas 20 December.

DUNE

Frank Herbert The book:

Didn’t read the novel in time for the first film? Not to worry. Dune: Part Two is also based on the first book in the Dune series, a sci-fi novel set on the desert planet Arrakis. The adaptation:

Florence Pugh and Austin Butler join Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in the complex and impressive franchise. In cinemas 3 November.

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE

Casey McQuiston

The book:

A TikTok hit LGBTQ+ romance novel about the steamy pairing between the US president’s son and the fictional Prince of Wales. (No, not William.) The adaptation:

We’ll be watching for the plot. And, erm, by plot we mean Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez. Prepare to swoon. Out late 2023 on Prime Video.