LIFE & CULTURE

14 Movies Based On Books That Readers Can’t Miss In 2018

Sometimes the movie is just as good...

Grab the popcorn book lovers, these 14 movies are absolutely not to be missed. 

1. Fifty Shades Freed

fifty shades free movie

The Book:Fifty Shades Freed by E. L. James

The Plot: Newlyweds Christian and Ana Grey are having troubles with a stalker. 

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Jennifer Ehle, Arielle Kebbel, and Marcia Gay Harden

Release Date: February 9 

2. Annihilation 

annihilation movie

The Book: Annihilation, the first book in Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy

The Plot: A group of scientists on a classified government base, decide to explore quarantined zone “The Shimmer”. 

Starring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, and Oscar Isaac

Release Date: February 23 

3. Every Day

every day movie

The Book: Every Day by David Levithan

The Plot: A 16 year old girl falls in love with a travelling spirit named A, who wakes up in a different body every day. 

Starring: Angourie Rice, Maria Bello, Debby Ryan, Jacob Batalon, Justice Smith, and Lucas Jade Zumann

Release Date: February 23

4. Red Sparrow 

red sparrow movie

The Book: Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

The Plot: An American/Russian spy thriller. Set in modern day Russia famed ballerina turned Russian spy (Jennifer Lawrence) falls for a CIA operative. 

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jeremy Irons

Release Date: March 2

5. A Wrinkle In Time 

a wrinkle in time movie

The Book: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle  

The Plot: 13 year old Meg must search for her lost scientist father through time and space. 

Starring: Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Peña, Storm Reid, Zach Galifianakis, and Chris Pine

Release Date: March 9

6. Love, Simon

love simon movie

The Book: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

The Plot: Simon Spier is a closeted gay teenager in high school, who falls for one of his classmates online. 

Starring: Nick Robinson, Josh Duhamel, and Jennifer Garner

Release Date: March 16

7. Ready Player One

ready player one

The Book: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The Plot: Set in the year 2045, an orphaned teen battles the rest of the world in the virtual reality game OASIS, to win a contest. 

Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance

Release Date: March 29

8. Crazy Rich Asians

crazy rich asians

The Book:Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

The Plot: American born Rachel has no idea her boyfriend is a mega rich eligible bachelor from Singapore, until she is invited to his best friends wedding. 

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, and Michelle Yeoh

Release Date: August 15

9. First Man

first man

The Book: First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen

The Plot: The real-life story of NASA’s first mission to land a man on the moon. 

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Patrick Fugit, Ciaran Hinds, Ethan Embry, Shea Whigham, Corey Stoll, and Pablo Schreiber

Release Date: October 12

10. Mowgli

mowgli movie

The Book: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Plot: A live-action version of The Jungle Book, focusing on Mowgli’s upbringing in the jungle. 

Starring: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, Andy Serkis, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto, and Rohan Chand

Release Date: October 19 

11. Boy Erased

boy erased movie

The Book:Boy Erased: A Memoir by Garrard Conley

The Plot: Outed by his parents at 19, this true story is about a young boys experience in a gay conversion therapy program. 

Starring: Lucas Hedges, Joel Edgerton, Nicole Kidman, and Russell Crowe

Release Date: November 2

12. The Girl In The Spider’s Web

The Girl in the Spiders Web

The Book:The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz (characters by Stieg Larsson)

The Plot: A continuation on Larsson’s character Lisbeth Slander, the film follows Lisbeth as she tries to rescue and exact vengeance for battered women

Starring: Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason, LaKeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, and Stephen Merchant

Release Date: November 9

13. Mary Queen Of Scots

mary queen of scots

The Book: My Heart Is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots by John Guy

The Plot: The dramatic life of Mary Queen of Scots and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I.

Starring: Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan, Joe Alwyn, Jack Lowden, Martin Compston

Release Date: December 7

14. Mary Poppins Returns 

mary poppins returns

The Book: Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

The Plot: Mary Poppins returns to the Banks children now they have kids of their own. 

Starring: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, and Angela Lansbury

Release Date: December 25

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