Page to Screen: Upcoming Book Adaptations

During the 2010s, going into a bookstore or library was impossible without being greeted by a vast range of YA books in the fantasy/horror sections. As a teenager, I devoured many of these books. I got swept away by angst-ridden romances of the dark supernatural kind — vampires, werewolves, witches, angels, you name it, and I had probably read it, heard of it or owned a copy at one point.

Within the fandom crazes that captivated readers, movie producers jumped at adapting many of these into film and TV shows. Some were pretty successful — Twilight, The Hunger Games, The Vampire Diaries — and some weren’t — The Divergent series, Dark Minds and Vampire Academy — which ultimately led to a gradual decline of big blockbuster films adapted from books.

Recently, book adaptations have started to be picked up again across both the big and smaller screen. Three novels in particular that were my favourites as a teenager have been confirmed to be optioned for film and TV adaptations. These are Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, The House of Night by PC and Kristin Cast and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

For this article, I’ll be taking a closer look at these adaptations and what fans can expect to see, as well as divulging my own thoughts about it.

Hush, Hush — Film adaptation. Current Status: Production.

Hush, Hush is a 2009 New York Times bestselling young adult fantasy novel by Becca Fitzpatrick and the first book in her Hush, Hush series. The novel received rave reviews and focused on Nora Grey, a teenager whose life is at risk after beginning a romance with new student Patch, a fallen angel with a dark connection to Nora.

Optioned initially for a big screen adaptation by LD Entertainment as producer and distributor Paramount Pictures, with Greek creator Patrick Sean Smith set to write the screenplay for the first instalment for a film series, Becca Fitzpatrick decided not to renew the movie option with LD Entertainment in 2014 after two years in development. When she disclosed this announcement on her website, she told fans it wasn’t the right time for a film adaptation.

In 2018, Fitzpatrick announced that a film adaptation was going ahead with Kellie Cyrus directing the film - who is best known for directing The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and an episode of the drama You — and Peter Hutchings penning the screenplay. Along with this announcement, Liana Liberato (Trust, Light as a Feather) was cast as Nora and Wolfgang Novogratz (Half of It, Feel the Beat) as Patch. There have been no further casting announcements, and the leads are the only two actors officially confirmed on IMDb.

The most recent update came in July 2021 when the author announced that Hush, Hush had been greenlit for a film by SpringHill Company and Genius Entertainment Partner. Production was slated to start in late 2021.

Officially, this film is classified as “in production” on IMDb, but there’s been no confirmation of filming dates that I have been able to find. There have also been some notable changes in the crew members of this film, with both the original screenwriter and director being replaced.

Matthew Hastings (Netflix’s Spinning Out, Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments, Marvel's Cloak and Dagger, The Handmaid’s Tale) is now set to direct with a new screenplay co-written by Lyn Renee Maxcy (The Handmaid’s Tale, The Complex: Lockdown) and Monet Clayton. Given the timeline of events, there’s a good possibility that many factors delayed production — the aftermath of the pandemic, availability, approval for production to go ahead, and creative differences are just some of the reasons.

I avidly enjoyed this series and eagerly anticipated the next book in the four-part saga. With two alums of The Handmaid’s Tale attached to this production, could this indicate the style and tone of the film? As for the casting, I think both actors have the range and talent to bring Nora and Patch to life on screen — my only concern would be Liberato and Novogratz are both nearly a decade older than their characters, so hopefully, the production goes ahead before the actors have scheduling conflicts with other projects or are too old to play the parts convincingly.

The House of Night — TV adaptation. Current Status: In Development.

House of Night is a series of young adult vampire-themed fantasy novels by American author P. C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. It follows the adventures of Zoey Redbird, a 16-year-old girl who is "marked", becomes a fledgling vampyre and is required to attend the House of Night boarding school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Spanning twelve books, four prequel novellas, a graphic novel and four more books serving as a sequel and also set in an alternative reality, the Cast duo have captivated readers for over a decade.

Like Fitzpatrick's books, I was a passionate fan of this series. I'd binge-read the series from Marked to Burned at fourteen and eagerly awaited the remaining books. After the original series concluded, the Cast authors revisited the series in the Otherworld books, which picks up where Redeemed wrapped up and introduced an alternative reality where Zoey's brother is destined to save that world. Still, both multiverses cross over as events that shaped these characters happened differently in the Otherworld.

House of Night has been in development for some time. In November 2011, it was announced that the film rights to House of Night had been acquired by producer Samuel Hadida's production company, Davis Films, with Lionsgate having the distribution rights, with plans for five movies created and an outline of the screenplay written. However, there were no known future plans for the movies, and the contract for the rights to the movies expired in the fall of 2020.

Following the expiration of the rights, the series was quickly acquired by Shadowhunters producers Don Carmody and David Cormican — the pair plan to adapt the House of Night as a television series instead of a movie franchise. Carmody and Cormican boarded the project with Davis Films, according to Victor Hadida, Davis Films’ president. With the release of the final Otherworld book (Found), PC and Kristin Cost hosted a virtual talk to discuss the plans for the TV adaptation.

As of writing this article, a network has not picked up the series. A screenwriter has been hired to write the pilot, and the series has been outlined for future seasons and potential spin-offs within the series bible. The enthusiasm and passion for the show are apparent from all involved, but it needs to find the right home. In my opinion, House of Night would be a perfect candidate for a show on Peacock, Amazon Prime or Netflix. There's a rich cast of characters and compelling storylines that would translate beautifully on screen.

Shiver — Film adaptation. Current Status: Pre-Production.

Shiver is another 2009 novel which follows the relationship of Grace Brisbane and Samuel K. “Sam” Roth as tensions between humans and wolves/werewolves rise throughout the small town of Mercy Falls in the wake of the attack of a schoolboy.

Deadline reported that Andy Fickman (One True Loves) has recently been attached to direct the film adaptation. Producer Addam Bramich (Russell Crowe’s Poker Face) optioned the book, published by Scholastic in 2009, the first in Stiefvater’s globally bestselling series The Wolves of Mercy Falls and spent more than 40 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.

I read the original trilogy back in the day but did not read the fourth book, which focused on the supporting cast. Stefvator's writing painted a vivid and beautiful, romantic and gothic story, and I was hooked from the first page. At the moment, there is no screenwriter or casting attached to this movie yet. This film is in the very early stages of development, and with the right script under Fickman’s direction and a strong cast, this has the potential to be a compelling story for the big screen.

Have you read these books? What are your thoughts on these upcoming adaptations, and are there any other books you’d like to see on the big or small screen?

Let us know in the comments!