It seems the films that withstand the test of time best are those that use well-written books as their source material. From classics like The Godfather, Fight Club, and Jaws, to pop culture phenomenons like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Hunger Games series, it’s always thrilling to see these stories take on new lives of their own with each and every iteration. In 2024 we saw the book world take over Hollywood once again with American Fiction—based on contemporary classic Erasure, by Percival Everett—winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, and with fellow page-to-screen films like It Ends With Us, Dune, and now Wicked completely dominating popular culture.

Beloved books like Animal Farm, Klara and the Sun, and Frankenstein are just some of the books slated to receive screen adaptations in the coming year. Add them to your list and decide for yourself the answer to one of culture’s most hotly contested questions: which version was better, the book or the movie?

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

In Edward Ashton’s Mickey7, space colonist Mickey Barnes is an Expendable—meaning he is a disposable employee, sent on fatal missions that will likely end in death. But each time he dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. While on a mission to colonize Niflheim, misplaced assumptions lead to the accidental creation of two Mickeys at once. The novel’s film adaptation, Mickey17, is scheduled for a theatrical release by Warner Bros. Pictures on April 18. The science fiction black comedy was produced, written, and directed by Parasite-director Bong Joon-ho, and stars Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Longlisted for the Booker Prize and the Carnegie Medal in Fiction, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun follows the solar-powered Klara, an Artificial Friend that carefully watches over Josie, a sickly child that chooses her to be her companion. Directed by Taika Waititi, and starring Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, and Aran Murphy, this devastating sci-fi novel’s adaptation gives fans much to be excited about. The film is slated for a 2025 release.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

George Orwell’s satirical allegorical classic novella follows a group of farm animals as they rebel against their farmers, in hopes of creating a society where all animals are equal. But of course, “some animals are more equal than others.” The film adaptation is set to be released on July 11, with Andy Serkis as its director.

Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan

The sensational French novel-turned contemporary classic follows self-absorbed Cécile, a seventeen-year-old girl who joins her widower father for a free-spirited two months just outside of Paris. While entangling herself in a blossoming relationship, Cécile teams up with her new lover to keep her father from his mistress. This sprawling and understated novel receives its second film adaptation, set for a theatrical release in summer 2025. The film stars Chloë Seveigny, Claes Bang, Lily McInerny, and Nailia Harzoune, and is Too Much and Not the Mood-writer Durga Chew-Bose’s directorial debut.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley’s English Gothic classic is set to receive its latest adaptation in the coming year. Directed by Oscar-winning Guillermo Del Toro, and with rising stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth, the film brings a fresh take to the timeless tale: while striving to bring life back from the dead, Victor Frankenstein creates a horrifying creature in the process.

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

Esi Eugyan’s Man Booker Prize finalist Washington Black follows eleven-year-old Washington “Wash” Black, an enslaved boy on a Barbados sugar plantation, when he is chosen to be the servant for his enslaver’s brother—who turns out to be an abolitionist. Tom Ellis and Sterling K. Brown (who just made waves in fellow page-to-screen adaptation American Fiction) are set to feature in the exciting TV mini-series adaptation. The series is set to release on Hulu in 2025.

The Running Man by Stephen King

Stephen King’s 1982 thriller is set in a dystopian 2025, where the United States’ economy is in shambles. The nail-biting novel follows Ben Richards, who participates in a reality show where contestants must evade a team of hitmen in order to win money. The film adaptation, produced and directed by Edgar Wright, and starring Glen Powell, Katy O’Brian, Daniel Ezra, and Michael Cera, is expected to bring a frightening new way to look at the year 2025. The film is scheduled for a November 21 release with Paramount Pictures.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

A national bestseller and the third chapter in the Bridget Jones series, Mad About the Boy follows Bridget Jones as she confronts single-parenthood and the dating scene four years after the death of her husband. Now, the dating scene is much different—sexting, social media, and online dating are the new norm, and Jones’s new endeavors prove both hilarious and endearing. The film adaptation is scheduled to be released on Peacock on February 13, with Renée Zellweger reprising her role as Bridget Jones.

The Amateur by Robert Littell

This spy thriller classic follows Charlie Heller, a quiet man who works as a cryptographer for the CIA, who seeks to find who murdered his fiancée when the Agency decides against looking into her case. This slick, edge-of-your-seat mystery is bound to make for a stunning film adaptation full of suspense, and is set to star Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek and Emmy-winning actress Rachel Brosnahan. The film is scheduled for an April 11th release through 20th-Century Studios.

The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag

In this 2018 graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag, a teenaged girl and her toy robot travel west, embarking on a cross-country mission that reveals a society disparaged by high-tech and virtual-reality systems. The dystopian science fiction tale is to be adapted into a Netflix film, set to be released on March 14th, 2025. The film will be directed by the Russo brothers—known for cultural juggernauts Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War—and features a star-studded cast, including Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, and Anthony Mackie. Fans of this unsettling, electrifying tale have much to look forward to in the new year.