newsletter issue 245

The much-awaited movie adaptation of Emily Henry’s popular romance novel People We Meet on Vacation is out on Netflix, and reviews have ranged from “fun but forgettable” to “yet another cog in the streaming algorithm”. Adapting a beloved book for screen always seems like a tricky endeavour, but if Peter Jackson could tackle The Lord of The Rings successfully, you’d think others have a relatively easy job.

In 2026, there’s a bunch of book-to-screen adaptations lined up. There’s of course the Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi starrer Wuthering Heights. The TV series based on Alice Feeney’s His & Hers, starring Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson, has already hit Netflix. One of the more serious contenders for Oscar glory this year is Hamnet, which is based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel. Of course, there’s the new season of Bridgerton, which, if you’ve forgotten, is based on Julia Quinn’s novels. The Netflix adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery stars Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman, while Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him gets a movie adaptation that hits theatres in March.

What do we want in a screen adaptation of a book we loved reading? Characters that match those in our imagination and a tone that’s faithful to the book. Is that so hard?