7 Terrifying Book to Screen Adaptations of 2020

Brace yourselves, bookworms, Halloween is going to be extra scary this year, and not just because of COVID-19 and the imminent end of the world. If you’re the type who likes to hunker down with a pile of blankets and binge-watch nothing but horror flicks in October, then you’re in luck because there’s a slew of terrifying adaptations to dive into this fall. From a classic nightmarish Stephen King tale to new takes on old scares, there are plenty of options for those looking to get their horror fix.


The Outsider by Stephen King, narrated by Will Patton

Release date: Currently streaming on HBO

Photo: HBO

It’s just not a proper, spooky October if you don’t watch at least one Stephen King adaptation. Luckily, the latest adaptation of King’s bestseller The Outsider is as creepy as they come. Set in the fictional Flint City, Oklahoma, The Outsider is a classic King horror-thriller that begins with the rape and murder of an 11-year-old boy. The miniseries stars Jason Bateman as Terry Maitland, the once-beloved baseball coach accused of the crime, and Ben Mendelsohn as Ralph Anderson, the lead detective on the case, along with Cynthia Erivo and Bill Camp. Whether you already binged the series when it released back in January, or you’re just getting around to it now, October is the perfect time to dive into this nightmarish tale.

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I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid, narrated by Candace Thaxton

Release date: Currently streaming on Netflix

Photo: Netflix

September brought the chills with the release of I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Adapted from Iain Reid’s award-winning novel of the same name, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is one heck of a psychological thriller about a man and his girlfriend who are on their way to visit his parents at a secluded farm. The adaptation features horror fan favorites Jesse Plemons as Jake and Toni Colette as Jake’s mother, with Jessie Buckley starring as “The Young Woman,” who is Jake’s girlfriend, and David Thewlis as Jake’s father.

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The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock, narrated by Mark Bramhall

Release date: Currently streaming on Netflix

Photo: Glen Wilson/Netflix

Donald Ray Pollock’s award-winning blood-filled Southern gothic is streaming on the small screen with a star-studded cast. The adaptation, set between World War II and the Vietnam War, follows a group of sinister characters living in Ohio and West Virginia and will feature an ensemble cast including Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Jason Clarke, Riley Keough, Sebastian Stan, Eliza Scanlan, Bill Skarsgård, Mia Wasikowska, Harry Melling, and Haley Bennett.

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The Turn of the Screw (adapted as The Haunting of Bly Manor) by Henry James, narrated by Jefferson MaysBianca Amato

Release date: Currently streaming on Netflix

Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix

2020 will see not one but two adaptations of Henry James’s novella, The Turn of the Screw. The first, which released earlier in the year, was a modern take on the 1898 ghost story. The second adaptation will be led by The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan and follows on the heels of the highly successful 2018 horror series. The second season, adapted as The Haunting of Bly Manor, follows a governess who, while caring for two orphans in the remote English countryside, begins to experience strange phenomenons. Among the returning cast is Victoria Pedretti, who’s swapping the role of the ill-fated Nell Crain for Dani Clayton, the American governess tasked with looking after the children.

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Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, narrated by Anna Massey

Release Date: October 21, Netflix

Photo: Kerry Brown/Netflix

2020 will see us all going to Manderley again with a new adaptation of Daphne du Maurier‘s 1938 gothic thriller, Rebecca, this time with Lily James taking on the role of Mrs. de Winter and Armie Hammer as her aristocratic, brooding husband, Maxim. The adaptation follows the pair of newlyweds as they begin their new life together at Maxim’s massive country estate. It is only when they arrive that Mrs. de Winter realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives—presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.

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The Witches by Roald Dahl, narrated by Miranda Richardson

Release date: October 22, HBO Max

Photo: Warner Bros.

An all-new adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, the book that’s been fueling every kid’s nightmares since its release in 1983, is set to premiere on HBO Max just in time for Halloween. The Witches follows 7-year-old Luke who stumbles upon a secret coven of child-hating witches, whose plans he must put a stop to with the help of his grandmother. Anne Hathaway leads the adaptation as the evil Grand High Witch, with Octavia Spencer as Luke’s grandmother, and newcomer Jahzir Kadeem Bruno as Luke.

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Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie, narrated by Kenneth Branagh

Release date: October 23

Photo: Rob Youngson/Twentieth Century Fox

Hercule Poirot is back and his mustache is bigger and better than ever! This time, viewers are being whisked to Egypt where Poirot is being pulled into a murder investigation while he’s vacationing aboard a luxury cruise ship. The adaptation will see Kenneth Branagh reprising his role as the Belgian detective along with a star-studded cast featuring Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Letitia Wright, Emma Mackey, Annette Bening, Sophie Okonedo, Russell Brand, Rose Leslie, and Ali Fazal.

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17 Most Anticipated Book to Screen Adaptations for 2020

Fret not, bookworms, 2020 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for book to screen adaptations. From beloved classics to contemporary bestsellers, there will be no shortage of movies and TV shows to bask in as our favorite characters and worlds are brought to life.

The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver, narrated by Jeff Harding

Release date: January 10

If you’ve devoured the Lincoln Rhyme series by Jeffrey Deaver, then you’ll definitely want to take note of the new television series based on the nine books in the series! This new series follows NYPD officer Amelia Sachs (Arielle Kebbel) as she joins forces with disabled forensic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme (Russell Hornsby) to solve cases surrounding infamous serial killer, the Bone Collector.

The first episode just premiered on NBC on January 10, so you can catch the next episode this Friday, January 17.

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The Outsider by Stephen King, narrated by Will Patton

Release date: January 12

Let’s be honest, Stephen King has a knack for penning tales that are just too good not to be adapted into movies and television shows. The Outsider is no exception there. HBO just released the first episode of this 10-episode miniseries with the same title, based on The Outsider, on January 12. Starring Ben Mendelsohn and Jason Bateman, The Outsider features a police investigation in a small town following the murder of a young boy. Detective Ralph Anderson is on the case, but his suspect is a beloved father, husband, and friend with an alibi. Anderson’s case seems ironclad, but as his investigation unfolds, new and terrifying secrets are unearthed.

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Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting, narrated by James Langton

Expected release date: January 17

Doctor Dolittle, a classic favorite, is getting a 2020 remake! The original novel by Hugh Lofting was released in 1920 and has since had countless adaptations to the big screen, television, and even on stage!

This star-studded version will feature Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Dolittle, the physician who discovers that he can talk to animals (and they talk back), Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, and boasts a voice cast of Emma Thompson, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, and Selena Gomez. Get your popcorn ready, this flick hits theaters on January 17!

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The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, narrated by Jefferson Mays, and Bianca Amato

Expected release date: January 24

Since Henry James’ novella, The Turn of the Screw, was released in 1898, it has inspired countless adaptations in film, television, literature, and theater productions. The staying power of this spooky tale is proven again in the 2020 remake titled The Turning. The story follows Kate who is hired as a nanny by a man who becomes the guardian of his niece and nephew after the deaths of their parents. As Kate’s employment progresses and she uncovers the dark secrets of both the house and the children, she realizes that things may not be what they seem. Starring Mackenzie Davis and Finn Wolfhard, this creepy film will make its debut on January 24.

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The Rhythm Section by Mark Burnell, narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden

Expected release date: January 31

The Rhythm Section has everything you could want in an action drama: tragedy, deceit, revenge, assassins. Not to mention the fact that the film adaptation is produced by EOS Productions, known for producing the James Bond movies. Blake Lively plays Stephanie Patrick, whose life takes a devastating turn after a plane crash kills her family. When the crash is revealed to be an act of terrorism and not an accident, Stephanie vows to stop at nothing until she can seek her revenge on the people to blame.

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P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han, narrated by Laura Knight Keating

Expected release date: February 12

The characters you adored in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before are back for a sequel in P.S. I Still Love You. The Netflix film will star Noah Centineo and Lana Condor (of course), alongside others. The story picks back up from where To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before left off with a new love interest added to the mix.

Can’t get enough of Lara Jean? Luckily this isn’t the end! You can follow Lara Jean through senior year in the third audiobook in the series, Always and Forever, Lara Jean.

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The Call of the Wild by Jack London, narrated by Frank Muller

Expected release date: February 21

The Call of the Wild was originally published in 1903 and has since had multiple film adaptations. This time around, the flick stars Karen Gillan, Harrison Ford, and Cara Gee. Although, the real star is Buck, the St. Bernard/Scotch Collie mix that makes CGI look real-life adorable. When Buck is taken from his home in California and sold into the Alaskan sled dog trade, Buck’s struggle to survive tells a story of resilience that has been cherished for over a century.

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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, narrated by Ariadne Meyers, and Jennifer Niven, and Kirby Heyborne

Expected release date: February 28

All the Bright Places premieres on Netflix on February 28. The film, starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith, is based on Jennifer Niven’s best-selling book of the same name. Fanning and Smith play the pair Violet and Theodore, respectively, whose story of love and strength is a hit with romantic-drama fans and will surely have you sobbing into your popcorn.  

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Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, narrated by Jennifer Lim

Expected release date: March 18

Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel about an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend the lives of one picture-perfect family during their stay in Shaker Heights, Ohio, is finally making its small screen debut on Hulu. Reese Witherspoon, who bought the rights to Litte Fires Everywhere after selecting it as her book club pick in September 2017, is co-producing and co-starring alongside Kerry Washington as Elena Richardson and Mia Warren, respectively.

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The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, narrated by Flo Gibson

Expected release date: April 17

Another beloved classic is getting a big-screen remake — this time it’s Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, which was last adapted into a movie in 1993. Starring Dixie Ederickx as Mary Lennox, The Secret Garden follows the spunky 10-year-old as she moves in with her reclusive uncle, Archibald Craven (Colin Firth), following her parents’ deaths and discovers a hidden magical garden on the grounds of her new home.

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Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, narrated by Nathaniel Parker

Expected release date: May 29

After languishing in development hell for the better part of two decades, Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series is finally seeing the light of day. The movie, which was slated for release on August 9, 2019, was pushed back to May 29, 2020. Based on the first two books in Colfer’s bestselling series, Artemis Fowl follows 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) who uncovers an ancient underground world of fairies while searching for his missing father.

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Without Remorse by Tom Clancy, narrated by Michael Prichard

Expected release date: September 18

Tom Clancy fans certainly can’t complain about a lack of adaptations of the author’s works. Following the success of Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan series, Paramount Pictures is adapting Clancy’s John Clark duology in a two-part film series starring Michael B. Jordan as the title character. The first movie, Without Remorse, will be the first time fans will see John Clark, who until now has only been a supporting character in various Jack Ryan adaptations, center stage in his own story.

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Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie, narrated by David Suchet

Expected release date: October 9

Fans of Hercule Poirot can rejoice, the famed detective is returning to the big screen after the success of 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express! With Kenneth Branagh back at the helm as director and once again starring as Hercule Poirot, Death on the Nile is bringing to life another one of Agatha Christie‘s famous mysteries, this time set aboard a luxury steamer cruising down the Nile River.

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Dune by Frank Herbert, narrated by Scott Brick, Simon Vance, Orlagh Cassidy, Ilyana Kadushin, and Euan Morton

Expected release date: December 18

Frank Herbert’s Dune is being resurrected for the big screen, although fans of the classic 1965 science fiction novel will have to wait a little bit longer to see it after Warner Bros. bumped its release date from November 20 to December 18. This new iteration will be helmed by Denis Villeneuve, who already has Arrival and Blade Runner 2048 under his belt. Villeneuve envisions Dune as a two-part film, and although no news has been confirmed about the potential second movie, fans already have lots to look forward to with the incredible cast assembled for Dune which stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya, and Josh Brolin, just to name a few.

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The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, narrated by Nick Podehl

Expected release date: TBD

Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, and Nick Jonas are joining forces to bring to life Patrick Ness’ bestselling Young Adult series. Based on the first novel in the Chaos Walking trilogy, The Knife of Never Letting Go, the story will set in a dystopian town called Prentisstown where everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts. When the only boy in town, Todd (Holland), discovers an awful secret, he’s forced to run for his life.

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New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!