Most Anticipated Adaptions of 2021

2021 is already proving to be an exciting year, as some of our beloved stories and adventures are finally being released on the big (and small) screen! When adapting books to movies there’s always the worry that the writers and directors are going to change elements and cut important and much-loved parts from the script but I’m quietly optimistic for this year’s releases. I don’t want to wish my life away but there’s a few shows this year I’d happily sell my soul to watch early, the excitement is killing me!

Always and Forever, Lara Jean (February 2021)

Always and Forever, Lara Jean, Volume 3 To All the Boys I've Loved Before:  Amazon.co.uk: Han, Jenny: Books

The final instalment to what I consider to be one of the best YA adaptations EVER! Netflix has managed to capture the heartwarming and beautifully romantic journey that is Lara Jean’s love life and has successfully shared her story with the world. It’s great seeing all my friends fall in love with this story and I’ve even managed to get them to read the books as they’re desperate to find out what happens next. It’s fair to say that I’ve got high expectations for this final film and I just hope they give Lara and Peter the epic conclusion they deserve.

The Nightingale (December 2021)

The Nightingale: Amazon.co.uk: Hannah, Kristin: 9781509848621: Books

I’ve yet to read the book to this adaptation but it sounded so good that I couldn’t help but include it on my list. Starring both Dakota and Elle Fanning, this film follows the lives of two sisters living in France who are torn apart at the onset of World War II. I have a huge appreciation and love for films about both World Wars, with favourites such as Atonement, Dunkirk, Fury, and Jojo Rabbit, so I already know that I’m really going to love this one.

The Selection (TBA)

The Selection - Wikipedia

This adaptation has been going around the rumour mill for a while now, but we could be finally seeing this classic YA romance on our screens soon! Netflix has yet to announce anything about the cast or anything else for that matter but all we know is that author Kiera Cass is just as excited as us!

Nine Perfect Strangers (TBA)

Nine Perfect Strangers: The Number One Sunday Times bestseller from the  author of Big Little Lies eBook: Moriarty, Liane: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

I absolutely loved Big Little Lies, so to see more of Liane Moriarty’s books being adapted is great! This book has been sat on my bookshelf for ages so I think it’s about time I finally dive into this thrilling mystery.

The Pursuit of Love (TBA)

The Pursuit of Love: Amazon.co.uk: Mitford, Nancy, Heller, Zoë:  9780241974681: Books

One of my favourite books ever is finally getting the BBC adaptation treatment and I’m beyond excited. Starring Lily James, Andrew Scott and Emily Mortimer, I’m quite confident that I’m going to absolutely adore it! The book follows an upper class English family during the war and focuses love, class and relationships, its a classic light-hearted storyline that audiences will love.

Conversations with Friends (TBA)

Conversations with Friends (181 POCHE): Amazon.co.uk: Rooney, Sally:  9780571333134: Books

After the huge success that was Normal People, I’m not surprised to see Rooney’s other book getting the adaptation treatment! And it’s good to hear that the same core team who made Normal People will once again be working together to bring Conversation with Friends to our screens!

Chaos Walking (March 2021)

Chaos Walking: The Complete Trilogy by Patrick Ness

Starring Tom Holland AND Daisy Ridley this film already looks epic! I’ve yet to read this series but the dystopian world Ness has created has certainly made me curious. Plus that trailer looks intense! Todd Hewitt has been raised to believe that a viral germ has killed all women and unleashed Noise, the special ability to read people’s and animals’ minds. Alone, he must face a planet erupting in war—that is, until he meets Viola, the source of the silence.

Shadow and Bone (TBA)

Shadow and Bone: Book 1 (THE GRISHA) eBook: Bardugo, Leigh: Amazon.co.uk:  Kindle Store

Word’s can’t describe how excited I am for this series to hit our screens, and for these characters and Bardugo’s wonderful Grishaverse to come to life. Transporting this world from page to screen isn’t a small feat but such responsibility has been embraced by executive producers Eric Heisserer and Shawn Levy, with Leigh Bardugo also on board as a producer. I have total and utter faith that this adaptation will stay true to the books and will successfully embody everything we as the fans cherish in this series. 

The Last Letter from Your Lover (March 2021)

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes | Vulpes Libris

Another Jojo Moyes adaptation? I’ll grab the tissues! Starring Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley, Callum Turner and Joe Alwyn, the book focuses on a young journalist who becomes obsessed with a series of letters she discovers that recounts an intense star-crossed love affair from the 1960s.

There’s Someone Inside Your House (February 2021)

There's Someone Inside Your House: Amazon.co.uk: Perkins, Stephanie:  9780525426011: Books

If you’re a fan of Pretty Little Liars, then the chances are that you’re going to love this adaptation too. The graduating class at Osborne High is being targeted by a masked assailant, intent on exposing the darkest secret of each victim, and only a group of misfit outsiders can stop the killings. I read this book ages ago but I can’t remember a thing! Looks like I’m going to have to have a quick re-read before it’s release!

Death on the Nile (September 2021)

Death on the Nile (Poirot): Amazon.co.uk: Christie, Agatha: 9780007119325:  Books

I’m a sucker for a good murder mystery, and there’s no one better than Agatha Christie. I really enjoyed the recent adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express and I’m equally excited to see this book get it’s own A-list adaptation! Starring Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Letitia Wright and other famous faces, this film is guaranteed to be a hit.

Dune (October 2021)

Dune by Frank Herbert | Waterstones

I need something to fill the sci-fi void in my heart and I think this adaptation will do just the trick. The cast looks incredible, and will star Oscar Isaac, Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa and more!

I was gutted that this film wasn’t released last year, but this film deserved to be experienced on the big screen rather than at home so I’ll happily wait a little bit longer. Plus that gives me more time to finally read the book!

P.S I Still Love You Film Review – Romance Week 2020

Lara Jean is back with the second instalment in Jenny Han’s most beloved series, and after the huge success and positive response of the first film it was fair to said that I had high expectations! I will admit I didn’t love this film as much, as I felt it lacked the light-hearted fun and feel-good elements of the first film, but nevertheless it was an enjoyable watch and the perfect film for a cosy night in.

What I loved the most about this film was the addition of all the new relationships, we of course have Lara Jean and John Ambrose but we also have Chris and Trevor and Trina and Dr. Covey. There’s just something about a blossoming romance that warms your heart and the snippets we saw of them both together were adorable. As always the on screen chemistry between Lana Condor and Noah Centineo is simply natural and both perfectly embody young love. In the first half of the film we get to witness the beginning of their real relationship and a few of their fairy-tale first dates and its not until the second half of the film when doubt creeps in and causes cracks to form. It’s only right that I talk about John Ambrose! Jordan Fisher played him so well, he was charming, kind, adorable and was a suitable rival for Peter.

Family is another thing that is hugely important in these films and learning about Lara Jean’s Korean heritage and mother was just so lovely, I particularly enjoyed the whole story about the green beans! Another thing they included from the book was the whole storyline around Genevieve’s parent divorce and her past close friendship with Lara Jean, and hopefully we get to see this develop in the next film. Stormy will always be one of my favourite characters from this series, she’s so fabulous and Holland Taylor played her perfectly.

As I mentioned earlier, I felt like this film was missing some light-hearted fun moments that the first film had, I wish they had included the game of Assassins and extended the treehouse scenes as I really wanted to see more character interactions within the group. So far this series still remains one of my favourite and most accurate adaptations, both films are fun, light-hearted and romantically enchanting adventures that everyone can’t help but love.

& Juliet Review – Shaftesbury Theatre

This week I had the pleasure of seeing Max Martin’s wonderful jukebox musical & Juliet, a high energy performance that creatively subverts Shakespeare’s most beloved show, Romeo and Juliet, by exploring an alternative ending and an innovative rewrite.

Pocketed with pop hits from the likes of the Backstreet Boys, Britney and Katy Perry, & Juliet will have audiences grinning from ear to ear with joy. Each song on the soundtrack is cleverly intertwined into the story and makes 21st pop classics humorously relevant in Shakespearean plays, especially the use of Britney’s 2000 hit ‘Oops I Did It Again’ which is genius and the bundle of power anthems that give Juliet her heart and passion!

The intensity and enthusiasm of every scene and musical number is what truly makes this show so memorable and colourfully impactful, its clear that every member of this show never fails to give anything less than an 110%! The choreography and staging go hand in hand with the rest of the performance and provides an additional layer of imaginative brilliance, I found it hard to stay seated as I would have loved to have joined them on stage. The show easily avoids becoming an overly dowdy spectacle, and instead presents an unexpectedly funny and imaginative masterpiece that deserves all the praise it’s receiving.

If you like what you’ve just read then I highly recommend that you check out the soundtrack on Spotify and Apple Music, as its wonderfully uplifting and I can guarantee that it will instantly improve your mood!

Mary Poppins Returns – Film Review

*Minor Spoilers Ahead*

It’s fair to say that I was a little skeptical when they announced that they were remaking Mary Poppins and that Emily Blunt would be bringing Julie Andrew’s iconic character back to the big screen. However, those doubts have been completely crushed as everything about this film was wonderful. I laughed, I cried and I had a smile on my face throughout the entire film. They truly have pulled out all the stops for this film, everything is bigger, brighter and can I even go as far as to say better? It was touching to see so many little nods to the original and it was lovely to see the Banks children all grown up and I loved the fact that we were able to follow their children’s adventures with Mary Poppins.

Emily Blunt brought this iconic character back to life in her own wonderful way, her Poppins was warm but stern and gave us everything you would want from a character and more. Also I wasn’t expecting Mary Poppins to be such a good match maker and I need more of the blossoming romance between Jack and Jane! I also need a Mary Poppins of my own to come and help me with my love life.

Everyone’s raving about how wonderful Emily Blunt is but the real star of this film has to be Lin Manuel Miranda who’s enthusiasm and passion for this film and it’s beautiful music is evident. There’s a scene which Jack (Lin Manuel Miranda) and the other London lamplighters perform ‘Trip a Little Light Fantastic’ and the choreography for that number was incredible. The original score is so iconic that it was always going to be difficult for the new one to be as memorable but nevertheless all the songs were fun and catchy with some of my favourites being ‘A Cover is not a Book’ and ‘The Place Where Lost Things Go’!

This film warmed my little heart with its adorable storyline, characters and incredible score. I’m not surprised that this film is getting a lot of attention as it truly is a feel good film that is bursting with love and joy.

Most Anticipated YA Adaptations 2019

There aren’t many YA adaptations being released this year but nevertheless, I’m excited about all the ones on this list and even when researching I’ve discovered a few which I had forgotten about! When adapting books to movies there’s always the worry that the writers and directors are going to change everything and miss important and much-loved parts from the films but I’m quietly optimistic for this year’s releases. Most of the book to movie adaptations I’ve seen recently have all been really good and the elements they’ve changed and added I felt have been beneficial, my favorite of last year is still To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. If you haven’t seen it yet then you are seriously missing out!

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (May 2019) – This book was such a powerful and impactful read for me so I’m really hoping that they don’t mess this one up and that the book’s message comes through in the film. I was really disappointed by the adaptation of Everything, Everything so I’ve got all my fingers crossed for this film! The film is about two teens, Daniel, the son of Korean shopkeepers, and Natasha, the daughter of undocumented Jamaican immigrants who cross paths in New York City and slowly fall in love.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Dec 2019) – The cast for this film is literally out of this world and the fact that Greta Gerwig is directing it makes this film one of my most anticipated films of the year, the only downside is that we’ve got to wait till December to see it! Starring Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, Saoirse Ronan, and many many others, this film is guaranteed to be a perfect watch! I really enjoyed Ladybird directed by Greta Gerwig so I’ve got high expectations for this adaptation!

Chaos Walking: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness – I totally forgot about this film and I can’t think why because it has such a good cast! Starring Tom Holland AND Daisy Ridley this film already looks epic and we haven’t even got a trailer yet! I will admit I haven’t read these books yet but it’s definitely on my TBR list (along with lots of other series! Todd Hewitt has been raised to believe that a viral germ has killed all women and unleashed Noise, the special ability to read people’s and animals’ minds through a stream of images, words, and sounds. After discovering a patch of silence, free of Noise, Todd is forced to flee his town. Alone, he must face a planet erupting in war—that is, until he meets Viola, the source of the silence.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven – Netflix is seriously killing it at some of its YA adaptations so I’m quietly confident that they’re going to do a good job at adapting this powerful read!

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott – I hadn’t heard of this book until I watched the trailer and now I’m fully invested in this story and its characters! Starring Cole Sprouse, this film tells the story of two people who meet whilst receiving treatment for Cystic Fibrosis where physical contact could transmit fatal disease.

Crimes of Grindelwald Film Review – 12 Days of Blogmas

COGW

*Caution Ahead Major Spoiler Warning*

I am a huge fan of this entire franchise so I tend to get very excited when titles, trailers and eventually the film is released and that means that I go into these films with high expectations. Therefore it pains me to say that I really didn’t like this film. I love all these characters so it was great to enter back into the wizarding world which was plastered in hidden nods to the other films and significant characters but there was something missing.

J.K Rowling already warned us that these films would be getting darker which wasn’t a problem for me. That was the case before I watched the film and saw that all the darkness had basically snubbed out any of the wonderful magic and fun that we had in the first one. The circus scene for instance only lasted a couple of minutes but I wanted more, I wanted to explore this unique and creative part of the wizarding world. That’s another thing about this film which is that there was almost too much going on but at the same time, not enough. Everything felt a bit cramped and jumpy and I think that’s because there were too many subplots which in turn weren’t explored enough.

Jacob and Queenie are some of my all time favourties but they barely got any screen time together. And the same goes for Newt and Tina, I wanted to see their relationship develop but instead, it felt like they were both strangers whose main priority was to solve a case quickly. Now let’s talk about Leta Lestrange. She was such a complex and interesting character that we deserved to see more of and I don’t understand why they killed her off in general and so early on in the franchise. We were just beginning to understand her and her relationships with the Scamander brothers. In my opinion, it was the biggest mistake of the film.

The entire film was basically an extended episode of Who Do You Think You Are as we follow Credence in his search for his birth mother and true identity, a reveal that by the end of the film I didn’t really care about. I will admit I certainly didn’t expect the ending but it wasn’t one that I liked. It actually really frustrated me because it doesn’t make sense, a lot of Dumbledore’s past has been explained so I don’t understand how you could miss out another brother! Anyway I’m curious to see where they’re going to take this storyline and I really hope they can redeem themselves with the next film.

Mortal Engines Film Review – 12 Days of Blogmas

MORT

Peter Jackson has a talent for bringing extensive and detailed fantasy worlds to life so I had hope for this franchise but I wasn’t in a million years expecting to love this film as much as I did. It’s always a good sign when you immediately want to pick up the books after watching a film adaptation and seeing this unique and wonderful world on screen now has me desperate to explore more of it and its characters.

The film follows the character of Hester Shaw who is a woman on a mission, a mission of revenge that involves the assassination of Thaddeus Valentine, head scientist and politician of London. However, her planned assignation is hindered and must join forces with Tom Natsworthyan outcast from London, along with Anna Fang, a dangerous outlaw with a bounty on her head, to stop Valentine and his plans for destruction.

The whole concept of having monster cities on wheels it so interesting and the stunning visuals help make this world so beautifully intricate and detailed that it honestly feels like you’re apart of this incredible world. The fight sequences were one of my favourite elements of the film and for some reason, I was getting some serious Star Wars vibes? For me, there was a perfect balance between exposition, character development, and action.

Even from the trailer, I knew I was going to love these characters, all of them are complex, compelling and of course badass heroes! I really do need to read the books as I need more of Hester and Tom and especially more of their relationship! We got a taste of their blossoming relationship in the film, but I just need more!

If you’re looking for a fun and action-packed adventure then this film is perfect for you. For me, it was an unexpected enjoyment and I film I know I’m going to watch again and again. If you’ve read the books and seen the film I’d love to know what you thought of the adaptation in the comments!

Dumplin’ Film Review – 12 Days of Blogmas

DUMP

As soon as I saw the trailer for this film I knew it was going to be a goodn’ so I picked up the book with the aim of finishing it before I watched the film, but I couldn’t wait and watched it the morning it came out! I’m so glad that I did though as I watched it a further two times and love every second it. Netflix is seriously killing it at some of its YA adaptations and Dumplin’ is up there with To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and is everything Sierra Burgess Is A Loser should have been.

Like the book, the film is a feel-good watch that had me laughing, crying and smiling throughout. Everything about it is just so damn lovely and I can’t stop raving about it. The thing I loved most about this film was its emotionally impactful message of self- acceptance and the loveable coming of age story that is wrapped in Dolly Parton music, an album that has been on repeat ever since. It is honestly one of those films that will warm your heart with its storyline and characters, all of which are so engaging to the point where I’d want to be best friends with Willowdean!

I’m a hopeful romantic, so I’m a bit gutted that they didn’t show more Willowdean and Bo’s relationship, I’m fully invested in both of them now and I just want more! But we did get a lot of time exploring different and new relationships, especially the growing relationship between Willowdean and her mother, played by the wonderful Jennifer Anniston who absolutely smashed her role!

I don’t want to spoil anything but some of my favorite scenes were preparation for the pagent with the Drag Queens, (I know fans of Ru Pauls Drag Race will certainly spot a few favorites) and also the entire pagent which had me grinning from ear to ear with just how wonderful it was!

If you haven’t seen this film yet then I highly recommend that you go out and get yourself a big bag of popcorn and scheduled a night in on the sofa. I loved it and I really hope you do too, and if you have already seen it then let me know what you thought of it in the comments!

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – Film Review

TATBNS

This film was everything and more! I’m a huge fan of the books so I was very excited and apprehensive about the film as I have been let down before with film adaptations but after seeing the trailer I knew we were in for something special. Like the books, the film was heart-warming, funny and a wonderful representation of love and romance.

Casting recently for YA adaptations have been on point, but this has to be my favorite so far. The chemistry between Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Cons) was something straight off the page and it was lovely to see them both eventually fall for each other. Their scenes in the cafe were among some of my favourites as they both bounced off each other perfectly and had me smiling for ear to ear. Another thing I loved was their connection on an emotional level when they had deep and meaningful conversations about their parents and own struggles, it added another layer to their blossoming romance.

Although the film mainly focused on the romance between Lara Jean and Peter, we were still treated to some lovely scenes between the Song sisters, my particular favourites being those between Lara Jean and Kitty! I spent the entire film smiling, as everything was just wonderful. There’s just something special about seeing one of your favourite fictional characters finally come to life and being able to see their story on the screen in front of you.

Jenny Han’s cameo was a nice little extra as well as all the little bits from the books that I’m sure fans will really appreciate. I’m not even sour that they didn’t include the Halloween scene in the film as everything else was perfect, so thank you Netflix and Awesomeness TV for doing YA adaptation right!

I can’t praise this film enough as it was wonderful, it has already earned a place on my list of favourite romance films! After watching it, I jumped onto Twitter and it was lovely seeing so many other people loving this film as much as me, so fingers crossed that thanks to such a great response they’ll make a sequel. If you want more of Lara Jean and Peter then I highly recommend that you read the books, and I’ll leave my review to the first book here!

The Darkest Minds – Spoiler Free Film Review

TDM

There’s always a worry when one of your favourite YA book series gets turned into a film, and understandably as you care for these characters and their story. So, when I saw the casting for this film I was relieved and had seriously high hopes as everything was perfect, it felt like these characters had literally just been plucked from the page. However, I’m sad to admit I was a little disappointed and feel like this film hasn’t lived up to its full potential.

I can’t praise the casting enough and I felt like they all captured the characters perfectly, especially Skylan Brooks as Chubs! He was just so funny and made those occasional dull scenes so much better. But what I really wanted was more from the characters and more genuine interactions. Everything felt a bit rushed, including Ruby’s and Liam’s relationship which just made it less believable and nothing like it was in the books. Despite this, they were very cute together and I can’t wait to see more of them!

I think my biggest problem with this film was the script as I don’t think the cast was given the goods to work with in order to make this a successful film, which surprises me as it’s from the producers of Stranger Things and Arrival, two incredible pieces of work. It was great however to see key scenes from the book reflected onto the screen some of which felt like they’d also been pulled straight off the page.

If you’re a fan of the books then I recommend you go and see it, as like me I’m sure you’ll love seeing elements of the books and the characters being brought to life. It’s not the best YA film adaptation but it certainly is an enjoyable one and has a pretty good soundtrack to go with it! I’d love to know what you thought about the film so please leave us a comment below.