Everybody visiting this website probably loves to read. It’s not that big of a stretch, given our name. However, even the most devoted reader in the whole world eventually needs a break. Sometimes words are just too darn much. But you can still pretend you’ve read a book by watching its film adaptation. So, with that said, behold: here are some cool-looking film adaptations coming out next year.
08. “Good Omens” created by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (TBA, 2019)
No solid release date has been set for this yet, but it’s something fans of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s cult classic 1990 novel, Good Omens, have been looking forward to for a very long time (the book’s full title is actually Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch). Good Omens tells the classic story of an angel and demon teaming up to prevent an eleven-year-old antichrist from ending the world. This adaptation has been in the works for years, in one form or another, until finally turning into a six-part serial directed by Douglas Mackinnon and written by Neil Gaiman, starring a whole cast of talented folks like David Tennant, Michael Sheen, Nick Offerman, Jon Hamm, Anna Maxwell Martin, Josie Lawrence, Adria Arjona, Michael McKean, Jack Whitehall, and Miranda Richardson. Evidently, the series’s first trailer premiered at New York City Comic Con back in October, so it makes sense to assume the actual program will air sometime next year as an Amazon Prime-exclusive.
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07. “Pet Sematary” directed by Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch (April 5, 2019)
Considered by Stephen King himself to be the scariest thing he’s ever written, Pet Sematary is getting another film adaptation scheduled for early April, directed by Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch, and starring Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, and John Lithgow. Here at LitReactor we are especially excited for this particular adaptation since one of the co-directors, Dennis Widmyer, also happens to have co-founded this very website. Yes. LitReactor. And now he’s making kickass horror movies. You might remember his and Kolsch’s previous film, Starry Eyes.
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06. “IT: Chapter Two” directed by Andy Muschietti (September 6, 2019)
Probably the most anticipated film by horror fans next year is Andy Muschietti’s follow up to 2017’s IT: Chapter One, which made record-breaking numbers in the box office. The second installment is scheduled to hit theaters next September, with an amazing cast consisting of James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Jay Ryan, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, James Ransone, and Andy Bean. Bill Skarsgård, of course, returns as Pennywise.
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05. “The Woman in the Window” directed by Joe Wright (October 4, 2019)
I admit to not knowing much about A.J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window, released back in January of this year. The front cover seems vaguely familiar, so I’ve probably seen it floating around various bookstores throughout the last twelve months. It’s a thriller with the word “woman” in the title, so I’m sure it sold extremely well (although it might have sold even better with the word “girl” instead). The plot actually sounds right up my alley, if we’re being honest here, as it deals with an agoraphobic woman witnessing a crime committed by one of her neighbors. I love voyeurism, and you can quote me on that. Rear Window is one of my favorite films. So, it’s kind of weird that I haven’t read Finn’s novel yet. In any case, the adaptation is scheduled to be released all the way in October, with Joe Wright directing and my main-man Tracy Letts penning the screenplay. Seeing Letts’s name actually has made me incredibly stoked to see the film, as he’s one of the best playwrights living today. You might remember him from his work on Bug, Killer Joe, and August: Osage County. He also played the goofy and lovable father in Lady Bird.
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04. “Catch-22” directed by George Clooney (TBA, 2019)
Another miniseries without a confirmed release date, but this wrapped up filming back in September so it’s not a huge stretch to assume we’ll see it sometime in 2019. Adapted from the classic novel by Joseph Heller and directed by none other than George Clooney, look for this one on Hulu. Cast includes very talented actors like Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, Hugh Laurie, and, yes, also George Clooney.
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03. “Motherless Brooklyn” directed by Edward Norton (TBA, 2019)
Back in 1999, Jonathan Lethem released Motherless Brooklyn, a crime novel featuring Lionel Essrog, a detective with Tourette syndrome who must figure out who murdered his mentor. Once again, we have another adaptation without a solid release date, but all signs indicate we’re looking at 2019 at least. Edward Norton (the GOAT) directs and stars in it, alongside Willem Dafoe and Bruce Willis.
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02. “Little Women” directed by Greta Gerwig (December 25, 2019)
Greta Gerwig, writer/director of Lady Bird, will be releasing the eighth adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel, Little Women, next December (on Christmas Day, actually). For those living under a rock, Little Women follows the lives of four women from childhood through adulthood. Starring in Gerwig’s adaptation, we have Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Chris Cooper and Meryl Streep.
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01. “The Irishman” directed by Martin Scorsese (TBA, 2019)
Folks, if you aren’t already drooling for The Irishman, you’re beyond help. First of all, we got Martin Scorsese directing, plus the following cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci (!!!), Anna Paquin, Ray Ramano, and Harvey goddamn Keitel. How is this even possible? The Irishman tells the story of real-life labor union official, Frank Sheeran, who was somehow involved in the murder of Jimmy Hoffa. By the way, Al Pacino’s playing Hoffa. Ahhhhh! The source material is pried from Charles Brandt’s I Heard You Paint Houses, which is easily one of the best titles for a non-fiction gangster book I’ve ever seen. This one’s anticipated to hit Netflix sometime in 2019.
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What do you think, folks? Any of these catching your eye? Anything we missed you're also excited about? Sound off in the comments below.
About the author
Max Booth III is the CEO of Ghoulish Books, the host of the GHOULISH and Dog Ears podcasts, the co-founder of the Ghoulish Book Festival, and the author of several spooky books, including Abnormal Statistics, Maggots Screaming!, Touch the Night, and others. He wrote both the novella and film versions of We Need to Do Something, which was released by IFC Midnight in 2021 and can currently be streamed on Hulu. He was raised in Northwest Indiana and now lives in San Antonio.
