From Books to Screen: Harry Potter and Other Literary Favourites Adapted into Movies and TV Shows

Harry Potter, an incredibly popular book series written by British author J.K. Rowling, tells the story of the titular boy wizard and his adventures at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Eventually, he learns the secret of his birthmark and counters the dark forces led by Lord Voldemort.

While the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in 1997, the seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published in 2007. By 2018, over 500 million Harry Potter books in 80 languages were sold all over the world.

Eight movies were made on the books, each having the same title as the source material. The movies launched the careers of actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, who starred as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, respectively, in the franchise. Six of the films received a total of 12 Oscar nominations.

It is noteworthy that though the Fantastic Beasts film franchise is set in the Harry Potter world, it is basically a spin-off and not based on an original book series. Rowling wrote a book titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2001 as a companion book to the main book series in which it was first mentioned.

A TV series on the seven Harry Potter books was announced in April 2023 by HBO. It is expected to premiere in 2026 and will be aired for 10 seasons over 10 years.

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Movie: One Day (2011)

TV series: One Day (2024)

One Day was published in 2009 and was awarded the Galaxy Book of the Year at the Galaxy National Book Awards (now British Book Awards) in 2010. The story follows the lives of Dexter and Emma over 20 years as they fall in love, part ways, and face their respective personal issues before coming back together — until tragedy strikes.

The book was first adapted into the film of the same name in 2011 by director Lone Scherfig. Anne Hathaway played Emma while Jim Sturgess essayed Dexter. In 2024, the book was adapted into an acclaimed Netflix series starring Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall as Emma and Dexter, respectively.

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Movies: The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003), The Hobbit (2012–2014)

TV series: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022–)

Widely hailed as one of the greatest literary masterpieces of the 20th century, The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel by English literary icon J.R.R. Tolkien. The novel is a sequel to Tolkien’s 1937 book, The Hobbit, but, over the decades, has become far more popular than its predecessor.

The book was adapted into a trilogy by Peter Jackson. The films were tremendously successful, earning over USD 2.9 billion worldwide in their lifetime. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), the third film in the trilogy, won 11 Academy Awards and is the joint record holder of the most Oscars won by a movie with Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997). Overall, the film franchise won 17 Oscars.

Jackson also adapted The Hobbit book into a prequel trilogy, which, too, earned over USD 2.9 billion globally but wasn’t as critically acclaimed as The Lord of the Rings.

In 2022, Amazon Prime Video adapted the history of Tolkien’s world as described in the appendices of the book for its TV show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

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Movies: Pride and Prejudice (1940), Pride & Prejudice (2005)

TV series: Pride and Prejudice (1980), Pride and Prejudice (1995)

One of the most widely adapted books of all time, Jane Austen’s 19th-century literary classic revolves around its famous protagonist Elizabeth Bennet and her relationship with Fitzwilliam Darcy. Their worlds and clear attraction for each other clash as Elizabeth is the daughter of a country gentleman while Mr Darcy is a wealthy aristocratic landowner.

The 1940 film stars Greer Garson as Elizabeth and Laurence Olivier as Mr Darcy. It won an Oscar for Best Art Direction, Black and White. The 2005 version was an even bigger hit. Starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen as the two main characters, it earned four Oscar nominations.

The 1980 and 1995 television adaptations, both by BBC, are the most popular ones among several adaptations of the novel for the small screen.

The 1995 adaptation was particularly noted for the performances of Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth as Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, respectively. Ehle won a BAFTA TV award for best actress, while Dinah Collin received a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special.

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Movies: Emma (1996), Emma (2020)

TV series: Emma (1996), Emma (2009)

Emma Woodhouse is a beautiful young lady who comes from money but interferes in everyone’s lives, thinking she can make it better. This causes a series of somewhat amusing confusions, amidst which Emma realises she is in love with George Knightley.

Among all the on-screen adaptations of the classic 19th-century novel, the 1996 film and TV versions as well as the 2020 movie and 2009 series stand out as the best due to the critical acclaim they received. While the 1996 film version won an Oscar for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score, the TV version from the same year won two Primetime Emmys. The 2009 TV adaptation also won an Emmy out of its four nominations, while the 2020 film was nominated for two Oscars.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Anya Taylor-Joy, Kate Beckinsale and Romola Garai played the role of Emma in the 1996 film, 2020 film, 1996 TV and 2009 TV adaptations, respectively.

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Movie: The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

TV series: Ripley (2024) 

Highsmith’s 1955 psychological thriller novel was received with critical acclaim at the time of its release. It won the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in 1957 after a nomination for Best Novel at the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award the year prior.

Though the story is gripping and dark, it showcases a stark portrayal of a young man coming of age in a way where he must kill to live. The protagonist, Tom Ripley, or the titular Mr. Ripley, is a con man. By a twist of fate, he is hired to bring back Dickie Greenleaf – the rich and amoral son of a shipping magnate – from Italy to the US. Tom befriends Dickie in Italy and soon finds himself drawn to him and his lifestyle. When he fails in his mission to convince him back home, Tom takes extreme measures which affect everyone who knows Dickie.

Matt Damon played Tom Ripley in the 1999 film. Jude Law portrayed Dickie and Gwyneth Paltrow as Dickie’s girlfriend Marge Sherwood. The film received five Oscar nominations, one of which was a Best Supporting Actor nod for Law. Netflix adapted the novel into an eight-episode TV series in April 2024 titled Ripley. It stars Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf and Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood.

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Movie: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

TV series: Ratched (2020)

Published in 1962, the novel is set in a psychiatric hospital in Oregon and focuses on the injustice and exploitation the inmates are subjected to. Kesey wrote the novel based on his own experiences as a paid volunteer at a psychiatric hospital in California and on his personal condition after taking psychotropic drugs as an experimental subject.

The book was voted as one of the Top 200 best-loved novels in the UK by BBC’s Big Read in 2003. TIME magazine included it in its list of ‘All-TIME 100 Novels’ from 1923 to 2005.

The 1975 film came 12 years after the novel was first adapted for a play starring Kirk Douglas. The actor bought the rights to the work, which was turned into a film by his son, Michael Douglas. Directed by Czech-American auteur Miloš Forman, the film starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif, and Will Sampson in the main roles was a massive hit. Critics and audiences loved its theme of one man against the system.

It received nine Oscar nods and won five — Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Nicholson), Best Actress (for Fletcher), and Best Screenplay. It thus became only the second film to win in all five major Oscar categories, after It Happened One Night (1934). It also won five BAFTAs and six Golden Globes, among several other major awards.

In 2020, the book was adapted as a TV show for streaming giant Netflix. Titled Ratched, it followed the life of Nurse Mildred Ratched, the character played by Fletcher in the 1975 movie, before the events of the film. The character was played by Sarah Paulson. Ratched was supposed to be a two-season series but was cancelled after the first season despite multiple Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

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Movies: Jack Reacher (2012) and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

TV series: Reacher (2022–)

Jack Reacher is the name of a series of novels and short stories by British author Jim Grant, who writes under the pen name Lee Child. All the stories revolve around the titular character — a former United States Army Military Police Corps officer who becomes a drifter and takes up dangerous jobs independently. In Too Deep, the 29th novel in the series is set for release in October 2024.

The 2012 film was the first adaptation of the book series. Starring Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, it was based on One Shot (2005), the ninth novel of the series in order of publication. In it, Reacher is asked to investigate a mass shooting and its connection to an apprehended, highly trained military sniper from his past.

Cruise returns as Reacher in the 2016 sequel, which is based on the 18th novel Never Go Back (2013). In it, Reacher must find evidence that would help clear his name in a murder conspiracy and expose a powerful military contractor. While the 2012 film earned over USD 200 million worldwide, the sequel was not as successful.

In the Amazon Prime Video streaming TV series based on the stories, Reacher is played by Alan Ritchson. To date, it has had two seasons. The first season was based on the first book, Killing Floor (1997), and the second was based on the 11th book, Bad Luck and Trouble (2007). The series will be having a third season, which will be based on the 7th novel, Persuader. Unlike the films, the TV series has been received with critical acclaim largely due to its acting, action, and Ritchson’s physical appearance which matches the book’s description of Reacher.

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Movies: It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019)

TV series: It (1990)

Widely hailed as one of King’s best-known works, It is a horror novel published in 1986. It revolves around a group of seven children who are terrorised by a malevolent entity which takes the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The novel is set in two time periods, with the first following the main characters in their childhood in 1958 and the other in their adulthood in 1985. In both time periods, they must defeat Pennywise.

The novel was first adapted into a two-part miniseries on ABC in 1990. It was a phenomenal success for the broadcaster and earned two Primetime Emmy nominations.

The movies, both of which were directed by Andy Muschietti, received worldwide critical acclaim upon release. The first of the two films replaces the 1958 setting with that of 1988, while revolving around the time when the main characters were children. The second is set 27 years later, in 2016.

Jaeden Martell as Bill Denbrough, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom, Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh, Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier, Wyatt Oleff as Stanley Uris, Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie Kaspbrak and Chosen Jacobs as Mike Hanlon play the seven kids.

James McAvoy, Jay Ryan, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, Andy Bean, James Ransone and Isaiah Mustafa play the adult versions of Bill, Ben, Beverly, Richie, Stanley, Eddie and Mike, respectively, in the second film.

Bill Skarsgård played Pennywise in both films.

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Movie: Interview with the Vampire (1994)

TV series: Interview with the Vampire (2022–)

It took American author Rice only five weeks to write her debut novel, Interview with the Vampire, and it became her best-known work to date. The book, published in 1976, is the first in Rice’s Vampire Chronicles — a long-running series of novels which also includes works such as The Vampire Lestat (1985), The Queen of the Damned (1988), The Vampire Armand (1998), Blood Canticle (2003), Prince Lestat (2014), and Blood Communion (2018) among others.

The central character of Vampire Chronicles is the vampire named Lestat, who is first introduced in Interview with the Vampire. The first book, and the series as a whole, has been praised for introducing a more sympathetic portrayal of vampires, who have otherwise been seen as ferocious creatures in most books and movies.

Like the first book, the film begins in the 18th century and spans the next two. It follows two vampires, Lestat de Lioncourt (Tom Cruise) and Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt), and their relationship with a young girl named Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), whom Lestat turned into a vampire. The film received two Oscar nods, while Dunst was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

The serialised version, created by Rolin Jones for AMC, follows almost the same story with some changes and a much clearer depiction of the queer love that is present in Rice’s novels. The characters of Louis, Lestat and Claudia are essayed by Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid and Bailey Bass, respectively.

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Movie: The Handmaid’s Tale (1990)

TV show: The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–)

Two-time Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood is known for numerous groundbreaking works in literature. One of her most famous novels is certainly The Handmaid’s Tale. Published in 1985, the book earned Atwood her first Booker Prize nomination the following year. The book won the 1985 Governor General’s Award and the 1987 Arthur C. Clarke Award.

Described as a feminist dystopian classic, The Handmaid’s Tale revolves around Offred — a woman living as a concubine in a near future period where a Christian fundamentalist theocratic regime has taken control of the US and removed all rights of women.

The 2017 streaming service Hulu released the TV series based on the book. It was met with overwhelming critical acclaim. The first season of the show won eight Primetime Emmy Awards as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama.

Elisabeth Moss, who played Offred, won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama Series.

The show will have its sixth and final season in 2025 as well as a sequel based on Atwood’s 2019 novel The Testaments, which is set years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale.

While the TV show has been a major success, the film version, which starred Natasha Richardson as Offred, wasn’t as popular.

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Movies: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)

TV series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023–) 

Percy Jackson & the Olympians is the name of a series of books featuring the titular protagonist. In the books, Percy is a demi-god; he is a son of Poseidon with a human mother and has powers far greater than any mortal. Throughout the books, Percy must join forces with other demigods to prevent a catastrophe that could either lead to the end of the world or save the Greek gods. The books are more geared towards a younger audience and heavily borrow elements from Greek mythology, including the gods, monsters, and legends.

The first book, The Lightning Thief, was released in 2005. Riordan has since written five more books in the original series. The seventh book, Wrath of the Triple Goddess, is expected to be released later in 2024. The larger Percy Jackson universe includes supplementary works and has a total of 17 books to date, including the original series.

The first two books have been adapted into movies. Both were quite successful at the box office, earning over USD 200 million each worldwide. However, Riordan slammed the two movies in a Twitter (now X) post in 2020, saying that the movies were like “my life’s work going through a meat grinder.”

Riordan is associated directly with the TV series version as its creator alongside Jonathan E. Steinberg. Though there are numerous differences between the books and the TV series, including the appearance of some of the characters and events, the series has been received very positively by critics.

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Movie: The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

TV series: The Time Traveler’s Wife (2022)

Niffenegger’s debut novel is about a man named Henry DeTamble and his wife Clare Abshire. Henry has a strange genetic disorder which makes him travel back and forth in time without his will or control over where he will appear. Through these time jumps, he meets Clare and they get married. But their marital life is strained due to Henry’s peculiar disappearances due to time jumps and his reappearances in different versions of himself.

Rachel McAdams played Clare in the movie version, while Eric Bana played Henry. Rose Leslie and Theo James played Clare and Henry, respectively, in the series, which was created by Game of Thrones (2011–2019) showrunner Steven Moffat for HBO. But the show was cancelled after the first season due to poor reception.

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Movie: Jane Eyre (2011)

TV series: Jane Eyre (2006)

For over 170 years since its publication in 1847, Charlotte Brontë’s epic story of the eponymous Jane Eyre has captivated fans of romance like no other work from its time. Brontë redefined the art of storytelling by writing the book in first person and often broke the fourth wall so that readers felt a deeper connection to Jane.

Brontë’s Jane overcomes the curveballs that life has thrown at her since childhood and grows into a confident young woman. Appointed as a governess at Thornfield Hall, she meets and falls in love with her employer, Edward Rochester. Though both are deeply in love with each other, they cannot marry because Rochester is already married. Torn between her desires and her moral dilemma, Jane is forced to leave Edward. But then a tragedy strikes which changes everything in the lives of the two.

Adapted numerous times since the silent film era, an early hit movie based on the book was the 1943 talkie starring Joan Fontaine as Jane and Orson Welles as Rochester. In recent years, Cary Fukunaga’s 2011 film of the same name succeeded in making critics take note. Starring Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fassbender as Rochester, the film earned an Oscar nod for costume design.

Among the TV shows, the four-part BBC TV drama of 2006 starring Ruth Wilson as Jane and Toby Stephens as Rochester has been extremely well received. The drama was nominated for multiple BAFTA TV and Primetime Emmy awards, winning one in the former and three in the latter. Wilson, too, was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.

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