As book trailer makers, we’re all about seeing books adapted for the screen. So we get excited when we hear news of big stars and major production companies acquiring literary rights. We get even more excited when we hear they’re getting ready to go into production. Here’s a taste of what’s shooting in 2021.
Calling all lovers! There’s a new romance-laden adaptation coming out in March just for you. This film has all of the romantic nostalgia of The Notebook in a modern story that flashes back from modern-day London to the French Riviera of the 1960s. The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes hit shelves in 2012 via Penguin Random House. Now in 2021, it’s a Netflix film starring Felicity Jones and Shailene Woodley set to premiere this March. Wondering what it’s all about? Then read on my friends, and prepare to fall in love all over again.
Dig slashers? You’re in luck! A gory new adaptation in the vein of Scream hits everyone’s favorite streaming service this month. What’s the big deal? We’re midway through February and the actual release date is still a mystery. So flood your eyes with blue light and just keep refreshing that Netflix home page until the film There’s Someone Inside Your House pops up. In the meantime, we’ll tell you everything we know about it here to satiate your obsession with blood and guts pouring out of Nebraska teenagers.
Here comes the true story of a man wrongfully imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for 14 years, without a trial. In his memoir, Mohamedou Ould Salahi paints a horrific picture of what it was like to be locked up indefinitely without trial. Salahi is just one of the thousands of victims swept up in America’s aimless “War On Terror.” An ideological war that still rages on, continuing to justify America’s imperialistic agenda twenty years after 9/11. Salahi’s memoir served as the inspiration for The Mauritanian, now available for streaming on Netflix.
Last year screwed up a lot of releases, including the film adaptation of Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse starring Michael B. Jordan. Paramount and Amazon finally settled on a release date of February 26, 2021, for this franchise thriller. The original October release was delayed due to Paramount’s stalled negotiations with Amazon, who will release the film next month.
This is shaping up to be a good year for literary film adaptations. Many releases that were postponed in 2020, like the new Dune movie, have eager fans chomping at the bit. We posted an article recently about some literary adaptations we’re excited to see hit screens in 2021. Clearly, there are just too many for one article to contain! Thus, we present 14 more adaptations to watch out for in 2021.
The creators of runaway gaming success Fortnight are bringing the oldest written tale ever to the screen with their animated adaptation of The Epic Of Gilgamesh. Remember that old Sumerian tale that influenced everything to follow, including the Bible? Yeah, that one.
Noah Baumbach has been making personal and engaging films since his directorial debut with 1995’s Kicking And Screaming (made when he was just 26 years old). Last year’s Marriage Story starring Scarlett Johansen, and frequent collaborator, Adam Driver, received several Oscar nominations. Two for Baumbach (Best Director and Best Original Screenplay) and a Best Supporting Actress win for cast member Laura Dern. This year, Baumbach and (possibly) Driver are back with a project in the works–a film adaptation of White Noise, the 8th novel from author Don DeLillo.
So, with that out of the way, here are some UPCOMING 2021 film adaptations I am very excited to eventually watch, whenever they actually come out. Fingers crossed it’s this year.
Los Angeles based production company BCDF Pictures has recently acquired the rights to the YA fantasy series The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey. On what streaming platform will this land? Only time will tell! BCDF is currently trying to sell the show. The bestselling YA series was published by Penguin Random House in 2016 to critical acclaim, so it’s no wonder why BCDF optioned the rights to adapt it for the screen.
