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October is my favorite month. I already look forward to October all year long, but you know what had me really counting down to October in 2024? Some of these highly anticipated book adaptations that are finally hitting our screens this month. If you’re wanting to cozy up on the couch this month and flip on a Netflix show while you enjoy your second (or third) pumpkin spice latte of the day, you’re going to have plenty to watch this month. If you’re wanting to hit the theater and grab yourself a big popcorn instead, there are some really cool adaptations that are getting theatrical releases this month as well.
I will say, unfortunately, the film and TV industry continues to center white stories, so while we are getting some adaptations from authors of color this month, the vast majority of these are adaptations of books by white authors. I am so excited about these movies and TV shows, but I would also highly encourage you to seek out the adaptations of books from authors of color that have already come out this year. And hopefully, we’ll get more in the near future! Here are some you might want to check out: The Expatriates (Prime, January 25); The Tiger’s Apprentice (Paramount+, January 27); The Sympathizer mini-series (Max, April 14); and City Hunter (Netflix, April 25) — just to name a few!
Now let’s check out what we have to look forward to this month!
Heartstopper (Netflix, October 3)
October kicks off with one of my most anticipated adaptations of 2024. The third season of Heartstopper adapts volume 3 of Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series, which I already raved about just a few weeks ago. The series stars Kit Connor, Joe Locke, Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan, Jenny Walser, Rhea Norwood, and Leila Khan. All eight episodes of Heartstopper will be available to stream on Netflix on October 3rd, so you know where I’ll be that day: parked on my couch, crying my eyes out. NBD.
Salem’s Lot (Max, October 3)
What makes October October? A creepy new Stephen King adaptation. This year, we’re getting a new film adaptation of Salem’s Lot. This movie stars Lewis Pullman as Ben Mears, who returns home to Jerusalem’s Lot only to find that his hometown has fallen prey to a vampire. Salem’s Lot is written and directed by Gary Dauberman and also stars Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, William Sadler, and Bill Camp.
White Bird (Theatrical Release, October 4)
White Bird is a coming-of-age drama adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by R.J. Palacio. And yes, this is a prequel and a sequel to Wonder. Julien (Bryce Gheisar) struggles to find a place where he belongs after leaving his school, Beecher Prep, for good. He goes to visit his grandmother (Helen Mirren), who tells him about her childhood growing up as a Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France. She befriends Julien Beaumier (Orlando Schwerdt), and he and his family keep her hidden from the Nazis. The movie gets a wide theatrical release on October 4th.
Disclaimer (Apple TV+, October 11)
This month, we’re also getting this psychological thriller mini-series directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Cate Blanchett. I know, right? Disclaimer is based on the novel by the same name by Renée Knight. Blanchett plays Catherine Ravenscroft, a famous documentary journalist who discovers she has become a character in a novel that reveals one of her deepest, darkest secrets. This series also stars Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Louis Partridge, Lesley Manville, and HoYeon Jung. The first two episodes hit Apple TV+ on October 11th, with subsequent episodes to follow each Friday.
Rivals (Hulu, October 18)
Coming from Hulu and Disney+ this month, we’ve got Rivals, an adaptation of the 1988 novel by Jilly Cooper. The series is set in the fictional English county of Rutshire and follows the story of two television rivals: Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant). The eight-part series will also star Aidan Turner, Victoria Smurfit, Bella Maclean, Catriona Chandler, Nafessa Williams, Katherine Parkinson, and Danny Dyer. It’s directed by Eliot Hegarty.
Nickel Boys (Theatrical Release, October 25)
Here’s one I think we’ll be talking about a lot next awards season. Nickel Boys is a film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. In Tallahassee, Florida in 1962, a young Black boy named Elwood Curtis is falsely accused of helping someone steal a car. And so Elwood is sent to Nickel Academy (a fictional school Whitehead based on the very real Dozier School for Boys). The school is corrupt and abusive, but Elwood is able to survive through his friendship with his schoolmate Turner. The film is directed by RaMell Ross and stars Daveed Diggs, Ethan Herisse, and Brandon Wilson.
Conclave (Theatrical Release, October 25)
Lastly, October is bringing us this psychological thriller film based on the novel Conclave by Robert Harris. Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, who has been tasked with organizing the election of a new Pope following the death of the previous one. But as Lawrence gets involved in the election process, he discovers a secret about the former Pope that changes everything. This movie also stars Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Sergio Castellitto, and Lucian Msamati.
What adaptations are you going to tune in to watch this year? Let me know! And be sure to come back next month for another exciting roundup of upcoming adaptations.