M. Night Shyamalan has had one of the strangest and most fascinating bodies of work in Hollywood. Few filmmakers can claim one of the best horror movies of all time as beloved as The Sixth Sense, a pop culture phenomenon as divisive as The Village, a late-career comeback as satisfying as Split, and also the maligned Avatar: The Last Airbender adaptation. The director contains multitudes, and apparently, his next movie is already testing extremely well, and one hot fact has me so hyped.

Shyamalan revealed during Warner Bros. Discovery’s upfront presentation (via ScreenRant) that his upcoming psychological thriller Remain is the highest-testing movie of his career. That is a very bold thing to say when your career includes not only The Sixth Sense, which remains one of the great theatrical crowd-pleasers of the last several decades, but also Unbreakable, Split, and Knock at the Cabin.

Remain stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Tate Donovan, an architect struggling with depression who relocates to Cape Cod and meets a mysterious woman named Wren, played by Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor. Julie Hagerty is also part of the cast, but the movie is unfortunately not slated for the 2026 movie calendar. If you're as excited to catch the flick in cinemas as I am, we have a bit of a wait, as it is currently set to hit theaters on February 5, 2027.

That premise already sounds like prime territory for the Signs filmmaker. Give him an isolated coastal setting, a grief-haunted protagonist, a mysterious woman and the promise of supernatural dread, and I’m going to start sniffing around for hidden clues like a raccoon in a movie theater dumpster. But the real hot fact here is the testing claim. Shyamalan’s movies are often engineered around the audience experience, whether that means the slow dawning horror of The Sixth Sense, the chamber-piece pressure of Signs or the gleeful genre trap of, well, Trap.

The other fascinating wrinkle is that Remain is not just an upcoming Shyamalan movie, but is also tied to a novel he co-created with Nicholas Sparks, the author behind The Notebook. Sparks wrote the book version, while the Knock at the Cabin director developed the movie, meaning both artists are telling the same core story in different mediums rather than simply adapting one version into the other.

On paper, that pairing sounds almost genetically engineered to scramble my brain. It is also such a strange idea that it just might work. Interestingly, the approach is not without precedent. Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke developed 2001: A Space Odyssey in a similar way, with the film and novel evolving side by side. Fans of both know the two versions are different, but each works on its own terms.

Maybe that is what makes Remain so intriguing. Shyamalan brings dread, mystery and the possibility of a rug-pull. Sparks brings romance, longing and big emotional swings. Together, those sensibilities could make Remain too much of a movie, or exactly enough of a movie. Either way, I’m excited to sit in a theater and find out.

There is also something exciting about the writer-director talking this confidently before the movie is even out. Test screenings are not destiny. Plenty of movies test well and vanish, while others stumble early and find their people later. But “highest-testing movie of my career” is not a small flex. It suggests audiences may be responding to the exact blend of romance and dread he and Sparks were aiming for.

Jake Gyllenhaal is another reason this has my attention. He is one of the better actors at playing men who seem one bad night away from unraveling completely. Dynevor, meanwhile, has the kind of screen presence that can make a mystery feel elegant rather than gimmicky. If Remain uses both performers well, this could be more than another twisty thriller.

For now, there is still a long wait before Remain reaches theaters. But M. Night Shyamalan saying this is the highest-testing movie of his career is enough to move it way up my radar. I do not know what the twist is, or if there even is one, but I do know I’m already suspicious of everyone in Cape Cod. Heck, maybe I'll pick up the novel while I wait for the page-to-screen adaptation.

While it may seem kind of random to some that M. Night Shyamalan would team up with beloved romance author Nicholas Sparks for a movie, their collaboration for Remain, a book-to-screen adaptation makes a lot of sense to me.

M. Night Shyamalan made a name for himself with horror movies and thrillers, but the filmmaker has explored other emotions beyond fear and suspense in his movies, and that very much includes love. Though romance has played a role in some of his best films, none of those movies would be described as romances first and foremost, so I'm looking forward to what these two have in store. Let's get into what we know about both the book, which came out in 2025, and the movie, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor, and is set to release in 2027.

Remain Movie Release Date

The book came out in the later part of 2025, and the movie adaptation is set to come out on February 5, 2027. The film was originally lined up to be among new horror movies in theaters on the 2026 movie schedule, but M. Night Shyamalan recently confirmed the new 2027 date on his Instagram. It's a bummer that we'll have to wait a bit longer for the movie, but given that there's a romantic element to the story, February seems like a great date for it.

Written by Nicholas Sparks, with M. Night Shyamalan, Remain: A Supernatural Love Story hit shelves in October 2025. The book, which you can pick up at Barnes & Noble and Amazon, overlaps genres, as it features a paranormal element, but is also part romance, part mystery-thriller.

What Is Remain About?

On to the plot of Remain. As mentioned, it's a supernatural love story. The romance aspect is no surprise if you're familiar with Nicholas Sparks' writing. His novels, many of which have been adapted for the screen, include The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Safe Haven, Dear John and The Choice. Of course, with Shyamalan involved, it practically goes without saying that there's more going on with the story, as the Sixth Sense director is undoubtedly known for incorporating sci-fi and supernatural elements into his stories.

The story follows Tate Donovan, an architect grieving the loss of his sister, who -- before she died -- revealed to him that she was able to see spirits. Tate ends up going to Cape Cod to design a summer home for his friend, and he meets a young woman named Wren, with whom he forms a connection. That's where the love story comes in, though there's some urgency to the situation, as Tate begins to get to know Wren and finds himself trying to figure out the truth about her.

So... yeah, there are bigger things going on here beyond a dramatic love story, which makes total sense when we factor in Shyamalan's involvement.

I debated whether or not I would read the book before seeing the movie, knowing that it would mean going into the film with a head full of spoilers. I did end up reading the book (don't worry, no spoilers here!), and while I now know how it all plays out, I'm still excited to see how Shyamalan brings it to the screen. Also, as Deadline puts it in their casting report (more on that in a bit), both the movie and book are based on the same concept, and will have the same characters, "but tailored to their respective mediums." So I'm curious to see what kind of tailoring happens from book to screen with this story.

The Remain Cast

In January of this year, Deadline reported that Jake Gyllenhaal would be starring in M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks' new movie, though no title was mentioned at that time. In March, Deadline reported that Phoebe Dynevor had joined the cast. Finally, in July, Deadline reported additional cast members, including Julie Hagerty and Tracy Ifeachor. Here's the cast list as we know so far:

• Jake Gyllenhaal
• Phoebe Dynevor
• Ashley Walters
• Julie Hagerty
• Jay O. Sanders
• Tracy Ifeachor
• Hannah James
• Caleb Ruminer
• Kieran Mulcare
• Maria Dizzia

An M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks Collaboration

As mentioned, the book and film are both collaborations between filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and author Nicholas Sparks. When Sparks posted about the projects on Instagram in July 2025, he talked about how he'd hoped to work with M. Night Shyamalan someday, and noted that it turned out, Shyamalan had been wanting to make a love story for a while:

Production on Remain

On July 18, 2025, M. Night Shyamalan announced the start of production on the film with the Instagram post above, showing him standing behind a clapboard for the movie, with a seaside view behind him. And one month later to the day, on August 19, star Jake Gyllenhaal posted on his own Instagram that production for the film had wrapped. In his post, he thanked the cast and crew for what he described as "one of the most joyful and inspiring experiences."

So the movie is in the can, and now it's presumably just a matter of post-production. Though we were originally going to see it in October of this year, it's looking like there's a bit of a delay. But it does have a new date, and it's not so far away. Of course, those who don't want to wait until February 2027 have plenty of time to read the book!

Alan Ritchson has been on a roll for a while, and things seem to only be getting better for him. That’s because a few days after the announcement that he’d be starring in Amazon MGM Studios’ book-to-screen adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ Counting Miracles, Prime Video revealed the release window for Reacher’s third season while also breaking the news that it has already been renewed for Season 4 too.

Reacher Got An Early Renewal For Season 4

I don’t really think anyone is shocked Reacher got renewed for Season 4. However, it is surprising that it happened so fast. Per Variety, Amazon decided to renew the Alan Ritchson-led show for its senior season at the same time it was revealed that Season 3 will be on the 2025 TV schedule.

Before this, we knew Season 3 would be based on Lee Child’s Persuader and that a lot of the cast, including Maria Sten, Anthony Michael Hall and more would be back. Now, along with questions about the upcoming junior installment, we can start to ponder which book Season 4 will be based on, among other things, which is thrilling.

Along with this renewal news, it was announced last week that an untitled Neagley project was in the works. That series will focus on Maria Sten’s character, private investigator Frances Neagley.

Basically, what I’m saying here is Amazon has a lot of confidence in the Reacher franchise, and that makes sense. It’s one of Prime Video’s best shows, and it’s one of the most viewed too. Plus, not only does the streamer love Jack Reacher’s universe, it also adores the guy who plays him, because this news came right after Alan Ritchson’s new movie with the platform was announced.

This News Comes Right After It Was Announced That Alan Ritchson Would Be Leading A Prime Video Movie

Last week, it was announced that Alan Ritchson’s streak of making book-to-screen adaptations for Amazon would expand past Reacher as he’s set to star in Counting Miracles. The actor has a three-picture deal with Amazon MGM Studios, and this Nicholas Sparks adaptation will be part of that.

The book this movie is based on was released last week, and it is already a bestseller. It follows an Army Ranger named Tanner who goes back to his hometown to find his estranged dad. During that trip, he also meets a single mother named Kaitlyn. As Sparks’ books go, a love story ensues, and you’ll probably need tissues when you read and/or watch it.

Overall, this is fantastic news for Ritchson, Amazon and fans of the actor and these projects. On top of both Reacher and Counting Miracles adapting beloved stories, they will also give viewers the chance to see this actor’s full range.

As we learn more about both these projects, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, you can stream the first two seasons of Reacher with an Amazon Prime subscription.

For the past few years, Alan Ritchson has successfully led a streaming adaptation of Lee Child’s beloved Jack Reacher books. Ahead of Reacher Season 3 seeing the actor back in action in the TV series, Ritchson is switching gears to star in another one of Hollywood’s upcoming book adaptations with a Nicholas Sparks romance. Amidst the news of the project, the actor shared a moving story about watching The Notebook for the first time.

Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Is Set To Star In A Nicholas Sparks Adaptation

Just last week, Nicholas Sparks released his latest novel, Counting Miracles, and it’s already among the New York Times bestseller list. Counting Miracles is about a former Army Ranger named Tanner Hughes who returns to his hometown in Asheboro, North Carolina to find the father he never knew. During his search, he meets a doctor and single mother named Kaitlyn Cooper, whom he finds an instant connection with.

Per Variety, Ritchson is set to play Tanner in a Counting Miracles movie along with producing the project. The film is part of a three-picture deal Alan Ritchson signed with Amazon MGM Studios. From how it sounds, once the movie has been made, those with an Amazon subscription will be able to see this in-the-works romance flick!

Ritchson Shares Sweet Story About Watching The Notebook

Counting Miracles sounds like a solid role for Alan Ritchson to tackle, and we have zero worries he’ll be a good lead in a romance. (It also doesn’t hurt that he puts so much work into his health that he apparently has 10 percent body fat). But the actor shared the personal reason why he wanted to star in a Nicholas Sparks adaptation on his Instagram as the news came out, and it’s a sweet story.

While the actor is very successful today, he started by saying when he first moved to Los Angeles and was pursuing acting, it wasn’t easy by any means. He said each job was “a lifeline”. Here’s what he said next in his own words:

While The Notebook is thought of as one of the best movies of the 2000s, when it came out, it certainly had a reputation of being simply a “chick flick.” Here’s how his viewing went:

While his fiancée actually dozed off while watching the romantic drama, Ritchson was completely locked up until the bittersweet ending where the two romantic leads literally die together as elderly people in a retirement community. Sufficed to say, the actor was moved, and he’s excited to be the star of a Sparks adaptation. He also said this:

It’s a great addition to Ritchson’s upcoming projects which includes starring with Arnold Schwartzenegger in a Christmas movie and returning for the next Fast and the Furious. Well, now we cannot wait for Counting Miracles, too!

Do you love reading the book before the movie or TV show? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Maybe this is the year you make the resolution to read more books attached to theatrical and streaming releases. And, there’s plenty of page-turners getting adaptations soon among upcoming 2026 movies and the 2026 TV schedule!

From a movie based on Colleen Hoover’s Verity to the new Harry Potter series, there are a lot of great adaptations to get to first in your TBR. Browse this bookshelf, and pick up the titles that make you want to say ‘I read that one’ before they become a major movie or TV show.

The Magic Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)

Back in the 1930s and 1940s, English author Enid Blyton wrote The Faraway Tree series for children, which is about a magic tree that transports children into a world where they can meet mythological beings like fairies, goblins and elves. Now a movie has been made based on her imagination from the screenwriter of Paddington 2, Christopher Robin and Wonka. It stars the likes of Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Nicola Coughlan, Rebecca Ferguson and Dame Judi Dench.

The Dog Stars (Peter Heller)

Ridley Scott’s next movie (and book adaptation) is for Peter Heller’s 2012 dystopian book, The Dog Stars. In the book, a man named Hig has survived a deadly pandemic that has killed off everyone he knows, and resides in a small abandoned airport with his dog and a man named Bangley. The movie stars Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce and Benedict Wong.

The Whisper Man (Alex North)

Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Michael Keaton and Hamish Linklater have assembled to tell the story of The Whisper Man, which is a crime thriller novel from 2019. Keaton will play a serial killer named Frank Carter, who would lure his victims by whispering at their windows at night before getting caught. The story centers on a father, Tom (Adam Scott in the movie), and son who relocate to the town where The Whisper Man is from to get a new start after a tragedy. But when Tom’s son mysteriously disappears, signs point back to the Whisper Man.

The Book of Magic (Alice Hoffman)

After Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman starred in Practical Magic in 1998 to adapt Alice Hoffman’s beloved series about witches, the pair of movie stars have reunited for the sequel that is said to be based on the 2021 sequel, The Book Of Magic. Three generations of Owens women come together to break their family’s curse that has plagued their ability to love for generations. The movie’s cast also features Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Joey King, Xoli Maridueña, Maisie Williams and Lee Pace, and wrapped filming in September.

Verity (Colleen Hoover)

Another one of Colleen Hoover’s top sellers on the way is Verity. The movie will star Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett, Dakota Johnson and Ismael Cruz Córdova. The title is the name of the character, Verity Crawford, who is a bestselling author herself who has been having trouble finishing her book series. Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer with financial issues who strikes gold when she’s hired by Verity’s husband to help complete the remaining books. While attempting to work on it, Lowen finds a manuscript for Verity’s autobiography that brings to attention a terrifying secret she’s hiding. The first look at the movie promises a spicy thriller we can’t wait for.

Incidents Around The House (Josh Malerman)

Josh Malerman’s horror novel, Incidents Around The House has only been around since summer 2024, but the author of Bird Box has already caught the eye of Hollywood for a Universal/Atomic Monster movie called Other Mommy. In the story, an eight-year-old girl becomes haunted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy.” The cast includes Jessica Chastain, Dichen Lachman, Jay Duplass and Karen Allen, and director Rob Savage, who has done recent movies like Host and The Boogeyman. Sounds like a perfect movie for Halloween!

Sense & Sensibility (Jane Austen)

Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen’s first published book, is getting another movie adaptation this fall with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Caitriona Balfe, George MacKay and Fiona Shaw. The classic is about the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (who signifies sense) and Marianne (who signifies sensibility) as they deal with being young women in Regency-era England. Emma Thompson was previously in a 1995 movie version.

Whalefall (Daniel Kraus)

After Daniel Kraus’s Whalefall was named one of the best books of 2023 by many critics, it’s becoming a movie with Austin Abrams, Josh Brolin and Elisabeth Shue. A man named Gardiner travels to the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California to find his father’s remains… in the ocean, and finds himself swallowed by a whale in the thrilling process. Brian Duffield has a great track record of making unique and thought-provoking movies, such as with Spontaneous and No One Will Save You.

Klara And The Sun (Kazuo Ishiguro)

Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel Klara and the Sun has been a sci-fi favorite since it came out and it’s about to be the next movie from Taika Waititi. It follows a robot named Klara, who will be played by Jenna Ortega, whose job is to be an Artificial Friend. Also part of the cast is Amy Adams, Natasha Lyonne and Steve Buscemi.

Wildwood (Colin Meloy)

Stop-motion studio Laika, which has previously adapted Coraline, is putting their own take on the fantasy middle grade novel, Wildwood. The book has friends Prue and Curtis uncovering a hidden magical forest and becoming intertwined with its world. The movie features the voice talents of Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, and Jake Johnson and is helmed by ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings filmmaker Travis Knight. You can check out the Wildwood teaser trailer on YouTube.

The Cat In The Hat (Dr. Seuss)

Who can forget Dr. Seuss’ beloved 1957 children’s book, The Cat In The Hat, where the titular cat in the hat pays a girl and her brother a visit on a rainy day when her mother is away to entertain them as his friends Thing One and Thing Two wreck the house. It was previously adapted for live action in 2003, but the latest version will be an animated movie starring Bill Hader as the cat along with Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang and Xochitl Gomez also among the voice cast. Ahead of the The Cat in the Hat release date, the first trailer may have just won us over on the reboot.

The Good Daughter (Karin Slaughter)

Another book pulled from the “Thriller” section that’s becoming a TV show is Karin Slaughter’s The Good Daughter. It follows two sisters, Charlotte and Samantha, who both experienced a violent attack at their family home 28 years prior that left their mother dead and them and their father traumatized. The book promises “shocking” twists and turns at the center of the night that changed their lives forever. The Peacock series stars Meghann Fahy, Rose Byrne, Brendan Gleeson and was created by the author herself.

A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a very famous holiday story that has had many iterations over the years, with movies like 1992’s The Muppets Christmas Carol, and the Jim Carrey-led motion-capture version from 2009. This tradition is continuing this holiday season with A Christmas Carol movie from horror director Ti West. It will star Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge, with Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, and Sam Claflin also in the cast. The first trailer was shown at CinemaCon, and audiences called Depp’s transformation “unrecognizable” along with talking about how it’s more comedic than expected.

Way of the Warrior Kid (Jocko Willink)

In 2017, United States Navy SEAL Jocko Willink wrote a children’s novel called Way of the Warrior Kid. In it, a fifth-grader named Marc’s life turns around when his Uncle Jake, a Navy SEAL, comes to stay for the summer and makes a plan to turn his nephew into a “warrior.” The movie stars Chris Pratt as Uncle Jake and is helmed by McG, best known for the 2000s Charlie’s Angels movies.

Sunrise On The Reaping (Suzanne Collins)

After the success of the first Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, both as a novel in 2020 and movie in 2023, Suzanne Collins and Lionsgate aren’t done with Panem yet. A followup novel called Sunrise on the Reaping tells telling the backstory of Haymitch Abernathy’s Hunger Games was announced at the same time as the movie , less The cast that has been announced for the production is already making fans’ dreams come true and rumor has it the movie might be bringing back some of the actors from the original movies.

Dune Messiah (Frank Herbert)

After Denis Villeneuve adapted the first Dune book across two films to massive success, he has continued the saga with book 2, Dune Messiah. The sci-fi sequel continues the story of Paul Atreides 12 years after his rise to power. He’s emperor, but the weight of the war he has caused begins to weigh on him. Dune is coming out the same day as Avengers: Doomsday, making for a big weekend at the movies. You can check out a first look over on YouTube.

Harry Potter & The Sorceror’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)

Somehow, it’s been fifteen years since the Harry Potter movies ended, and it’s been decided it’s time to pass the wand to a new generation! HBO has made a Harry Potter TV show, which will start the story from the beginning with a brand new cast of actors in the roles. Season 1 covers the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and is named as such. You can check out the first teaser ahead of the series premiering this Christmas!

The Children of Blood and Bone (Tomi Adeyemi)

In January 2025, it was announced that Paramount is adapting Tomi Adeyemi’s beloved YA novel, The Children of Blood and Bone, and the cast is stacked. Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Chiwetel Ejifor and Amandla Stenberg are among the stars in the fantasy film that blends West African mythology and the Yoruba culture with fantastical elements inspired by the likes of Harry Potter. The director of The Old Guard and The Woman King, Gina Prince-Bythewood is the writer/director behind the adaptation.

Remain (Nicholas Sparks & M. Night Shymalan)

In an unlikely pairing, thriller filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and romance author Nicholas Sparks, have collaborated on Remain. The book sees a New York architect, Tate, venturing to Cape Cod to get a fresh start in life after being in a psychiatric facility for acute depression following the loss of his sister. She had a revelation to Tate on her deathbed: the ability to see spirits still tethered to the living world runs in their family. When Tate strikes up a connection with a woman named Wren in his new dwelling, he’s challenged to face his family secret.

The Magician’s Nephew (C.S. Lewis)

After Greta Gerwig brought back Barbie in a big way with 2023’s smash hit, her next passion project is adapting the Narnia books for Netflix. She’s reportedly starting with one of the installments from C.S. Lewis’s series that has never become a movie before, The Magician’s Nephew. While it’s technically the sixth Narnia book that was published, it’s often thought of as the first in the series due to the timeline it's set in, and how it explains the origins of many of the world’s characters and elements. Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan and Emma Mackey lead the movie’s cast.

The Nightingale (Kristen Hannah)

We’ve been hearing for years about the Fanning sisters wanting to collaborate on the adaptation for Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, with THR originally announcing the project in 2019. It was finally made official with a release per a Deadline report in July 2025, and started production in late March, per an Instagram post from the author. It’s about two sisters being separated in France during World War II and having their own epic journeys in order to survive.

The Exorcist (William Peter Blatty)

The horror phenomenon is coming back to haunt us (again), thanks to writer/director Mike Flanagan. The Exorcist started as a 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, allegedly based on true events of a child’s demonic possession in the 1940s. Blatty wrote the screenplay for the iconic 1973 movie based on his book, which follows a mother grappling with her 12-year-old daughter Regan’s possession. The upcoming take on The Exorcist will star Scarlett Johansson, Diane Lane, Jacobi Jupe, Chiwetel Ejifor, Laurence Fishburne, Sasha Calle and many more. Flanagan has proved to be incredibly capable of delivering us with solid adaptations of horror stories, so even though this is a remake, we expect this to enlighten us in ways we’ve yet to see on film.

The Housemaid’s Secret

After Freida McFadden’s bestselling mystery The Housemaid became a commercial success, Lionsgate is already getting going on the sequel called The Housemaid’s Secret. The movie will once again star Sydney Sweeney as Millie, the housemaid and convicted felon, but this time Kristen Dunst will star as her new client. The source material follows Millie as she works for another wealthy couple, the Garricks, which once again have an abusive relationship that Millie uncovers behind the scenes while working for them.

The Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer)

Marissa Meyer’s bestselling YA fantasy series The Lunar Chronicles is getting an exciting animated adaptation from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Locksmith Animation, per Deadline. Each one of The Lunar Chronicles are science fiction twists of classic fairytales for Cinderella in Cinder, Little Red Riding Hood for Scarlet, Rapunzel for Cress and Snow White for Fairest. There are not enough adaptations that get the animation treatment, so we’re especially hyped for this one.

Upcoming Book Adaptations Without A Release Date

• All The Sinners Bleed TV show (by S.A. Cosby)
• Beach Read movie (by Emily Henry)
• The Bell Jar movie (by Sylvia Plath)
• Book Lovers movie (by Emily Henry)
• Bridgerton Season 5 based on When He Was Wicked (by Julia Quinn)
• The Chain TV show (by Adrian McKinty)
• A Court Of Thorns And Roses TV show (by Sarah J. Mass)
• The Dark Tower TV show (by Stephen King)
• Dungeon Crawler Carl TV show (by Matt Dinniman)
• Fairy Tale TV show (by Stephen King)
• Fourth Wing TV show (by Rebecca Yarros)
• Funny Story movie (by Emily Henry)
• Heated Rivalry Season 2 (by Rachel Reid)
• The Midnight Library movie (by Matt Haig)
• The Mist movie (by Stephen King)
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow movie (by Gabrielle Zevin)
• The Love Hypothesis movie (by Ali Hazelwood)
• The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo movie (by Taylor Jenkins Reid)
• Recursion movie and TV series (by Blake Crouch)

Anyone else ready to head to the library and the bookstore to get caught up on these? There are so many upcoming book-to-screen adaptations on the way, and following along with what's next via your reading list is a great way to enjoy these movies and TV shows even more!

No matter where you fall in the romantic movie debate, you have to admit that A Walk to Remember is a pretty great romantic drama. Both Mandy Moore and Shane West had acting experience prior to the film-West was appearing in the critically acclaimed series Once and Again, and had done other teen movies, and Moore had hit pop songs playing all over the radio, and she had supporting roles in movies like The Princess Diaries-- but A Walk to Remember really propelled both actors’ careers.

The romance between Landon (Shane West) and Jamie (Mandy Moore) is the kind of fictional love story that you just don’t forget. Jamie and Landon’s love story has made A Walk to Remember a romantic movie classic, and some of the film’s behind the scenes facts explains why it was such a success.

Director Adam Shankman worked hard behind the scenes to ensure that viewers had their own memorable walk through this film. It was a labor of love for the entire crew. Here’s some of A Walk to Remember’s most interesting behind the scenes facts.

Mandy Moore Turned 17 While Filming The Movie

Mandy Moore filmed A Walk to Remember in April and May of 2001. This happened to coordinate with her 17th birthday. Shankman spoke in A Walk to Remember DVD commentary about how, as a minor, Moore couldn’t work longer than 10 hours a day. While Mandy Moore was only 17 at the time, West was nearly 23 during the filming, but his young facial features made it easy for him to play a teen character.

In 2015, Moore even shared a behind the scenes picture of her on set getting ready for her “Only Hope” scene, and on the Instagram post, she mentions remembering turning 17 on the set.

A Walk To Remember Was Shot In 39 Days On A Nearly $12 Million Budget

Despite Moore’s limited filming schedule, the film was shot in 39 days. Shankman mentioned in an interview with Parade that A Walk to Remember was one of his fastest filming projects. What makes A Walk to Remember’s quick filming schedule even more incredible is that Shankman made it all work on a $11.8 million budget. The film went on to gross over $47 million worldwide, so it more than earned back the budget.

By today’s standard, $11 million for a film is a very small budget, and even by 2001 and 2002 standards, it’s small. Other romantic movies that also premiered in 2002, like Sweet Home Alabama, Two Weeks Notice, and Punch Drunk Love had nearly double or four times A Walk to Remember’s budget. The larger budget could be because the lead stars in these movies had proven box office success at the time, and therefore probably required a bigger paycheck that West and Moore did at the time.

Shane West And Mandy Moore Were Both Making Music At The Time Of Filming

Prior to A Walk to Remember, Mandy Moore had pop hits like Crush, I Wanna Be With You, and Candy on constant radio rotation. Her singing skills were even showcased throughout A Walk to Remember. So Moore’s singing talents were very well known before the film premiered, but many may be surprised to know that Shane West was also making music at the time.

He was the lead singer in a punk rock band called Jonny Was. They also contributed music for the A Walk to Remember soundtrack under the name West, Gould, and Fitzgerald. Their song was titled “So What Does It All Mean?” In an interview with Rolling Stone, West said that he played with his band for seven or eight years. He also mentioned in the article that he always thought he would be making music more than he thought he would be acting.

A Walk To Remember Was Adam Shankman’s Second Film Directing Job

Adam Shankman is a jack of all trades, being a successful dancer, actor, judge on So You Think You Can Dance, and director. In 2001, he made his feature film directorial debut with the Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey romantic comedy The Wedding Planner. The following year, he directed A Walk to Remember.

Shankman’s directing credits now include nearly a dozen films, including Rock of Ages, What Men Want, Hairspray, and upcoming Enchanted sequel Disenchanted. He is also going to direct the future Hocus Pocus sequel for Disney+.

A Walk To Remember Is Inspired By True Events

On Nicholas Sparks’ website, he goes into detail how Jamie is based on his sister, Danielle, who also died from cancer. Sparks tells how his sister also met someone and he asked her to marry him, despite knowing that she was sick. He said that he wrote A Walk to Remember so that more people could know his sister and the wonderful things her husband did for her.

Also like Jamie, she died at a young age, but not as a teen. Sparks’ sister was thirty-three when she passed away. His sister died in June 2000, about eight months after A Walk to Remember was published, and a few years before the book would become a hit movie.

Mandy Moore Had A Crush On Shane West While Filming A Walk To Remember

In 2017, Entertainment Weekly interviewed Shane West and Mandy Moore about their experience during the filming of A Walk to Remember. They both discussed how they quickly bonded and everyone on set formed a close relationship.

When asked about what she remembers about meeting Shane, Moore had this to say:

Later in an interview with Access Live, West also shared that he thinks that they both fell in love with each other, and it was an opposites attract sort of thing because he did punk rock music and she was a pop star. In 2016, West also spoke to Harper Bazaar about Mandy Moore and him reconnecting when she got her role on This is Us and when the A Walk to Remember 15-year anniversary was coming up.

He shared that:

He also mentioned being old friends with Moore’s This is Us on-screen husband Milo Ventimiglia. West and Moore continue to be there for each other all these years later, as he gave a speech during her Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony.

The Set Of Dawson’s Creek Played A Big Role In The Film

A Walk to Remember was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, which was also the filming location of series like Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill. Dawson’s Creek was still on air during the time of filming, so many of the set pieces and location were borrowed from the show, including Landon’s room, his home, the hospital, and the school.

During the same EW interview, West shared that even the water seen during the first scene in A Walk to Remember was the water used in Dawson’s Creek.

Four Switchfoot Songs Appear In A Walk To Remember

Mandy Moore famously covers Switchfoot’s song “Only Hope” during A Walk to Remember. The original version also plays during the film. A Walk to Remember’s music supervisor, Jon Leshay, heard Switchfoot’s music and instantly wanted to feature their songs in the movie. They contributed four songs to the soundtrack: “Dare You to Move,” Learning to Breathe, “Only Hope,” and “You.”

Being featured in the movie helped gain the band mainstream recognition.

Al Thompson Created Landon And Eric’s Handshake

Before Landon kind of dumps his friends to be with Jamie, he’s pretty close with Eric (Al Thompson), Belinda (Lauren German), and Dean (Clayne Crawford). He even has a handshake with Eric that he does at the beginning and ending of A Walk to Remember.

West shared during his EW interview that the handshake was completely created by Al Thompson for the film. He made it so that they could have something unique to the characters’ relationship. They had to get permission from Shankman, who told them the studio was fine with it. They just needed to make sure that they did it throughout the movie.

Shane West Bought The 67 Camaro From The Movie

Landon is seen driving a 67 Camaro in A Walk to Remember. In 2015, Shane West revealed to The Wrap that he bought the vehicle after filming ended. During his Live Access, he clarified that he spent more than $5,000 but less than $10,000 to buy it. He also revealed that he might sell it, but for way more than $10,000.

A Walk to Remember will always be one of my favorite tearjerkers, and for those who share the love of A Walk to Remember, can catch it on Netflix in July.

The course of true love never did run smooth, and the same can apparently be said of romantic dramas on The CW. The project based on the Nicholas Sparks romance novel The Notebook that was first confirmed several months ago is now being redeveloped for the network. A Weaveworld series based on the Clive Barker book of the same name is also in redevelopment. The CW evidently has a lot of faith that viewers will tune in for book adaptations even if they don't feature vampiric love triangles.

The original Notebook project on The CW was intended to follow the drama of Noah and Allie’s courtship in the post-WWII South. Their love story would unfold against the backdrop of economic inequalities, racial politics, and changing social expectations. Basically, it was going to be a television sequel to the movie based on the book.

According to Deadline, the premise remains pretty much the same even with redevelopment. The biggest change seems to be that the original writer Todd Graff has left the project. Luckily, Nicholas Sparks is still attached as an executive producer, and if there’s any person who could craft an ongoing period drama out of a 2-hour movie based on a 250-page romance novel without running out of steam and/or steaminess by the second episode, that person would have to be Nicholas Sparks.

Of course, The Notebook has never exactly been the most complicated love story ever told, and the time gap in the movie between when young Noah and Allie were last seen on screen and the scene of old Noah and Allie dying in each other’s arms – spoiler alert? – spans several decades. The show has plenty of blanks that it can fill in easily enough. It will remain to be seen if The CW can manage to pull off any of its typical love triangles when the main couple already overcame a major love triangle to be together in the film. Hopefully, the redevelopment means that the project will stand out from others of The CW’s romance series over the years in more ways than just old-fashioned clothes and technology.

Given that the Notebook craze has died down somewhat in the years since the movie hit the big screen in 2004, the series may introduce a whole new generation to the love story of Noah and Allie without subjecting them to the ending that had unsuspecting moviegoers leaving their theaters in tears. The time might be right, and The CW might well be the perfect network to bring this story to the small screen following its redevelopment. After all, it's not like people have stopped enjoying Nicholas Sparks' works.

Clive Barker’s Weaveworld fantasy novel was incredibly different from Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook, but they're both going through similar redevelopment periods. Barker is on board as an executive producer, so it should be interesting to see if The CW handles one genre better than the other.

There’s no saying just yet when we might see The Notebook or Weaveworld hit The CW, but check out our list of summer TV premiere dates to see what great shows you’ll be able to watch in the meantime.

Nicholas Sparks is a man known for one thing: sappy love stories that somehow manage to both reduce audiences to tears and win them over as fans for life. He cornered the market of the genre as a best-selling author, as well as with his big screen adaptations. It therefore comes as no surprise that he’s made the jump to the small screen. What is slightly surprising is that Sparks will be branching out from his typical subject matter for his new project, entitled The Next Chapter. In fact, Nicholas Sparks’ new project for ABC will actually be about…well, Nicholas Sparks.

Sort of.

The Next Chapter will center on the life of top-selling romantic novelist Ben Diamond, who is modeled after Sparks. Deadline reports that following a divorce that forces him to deal with the public fallout as his image as an expert on love is tarnished, Ben must figure out his own feelings toward romance as he begins a life after the end of his marriage. Sparks is set to exectuive produce the project, along with Theresa Park and Austin Winsberg.

Suffice it to say, The Next Chapter will probably not be featuring many couples making out in the rain or vowing their eternal love or cursing cruel fate for tearing them apart to a swelling soundtrack. The plot of the new half-hour comedy certainly doesn’t sound like it has been drawn from a deleted chapter of A Walk to Remember or a post-credits sequence from The Notebook. Nevertheless, there can be little doubt that it comes from Nicholas Sparks himself.

Sparks rocked the world – well, the world of pop culture, anyway – in early 2015 when the man who has crafted some of the most popular romances of recent years announced a separation from his wife of two and a half decades.

It was kind of a bummer to Nicholas Sparks fans, but it looks as though Sparks himself has hit the ground running with mining his new life for meaty material for a series. The Next Chapter is still in the early stages of development, with no casting or premiere date yet announced. The writing duties have fallen to Winsberg, who is best known for his small screen work on Gossip Girl and The Sound Of Music Live! He’ll be pulling double duty with The Next Chapter as he works on a music-themed series for ABC Family.

Fortunately for fans of Nicholas Sparks’ traditional works, he has an adaptation of The Notebook in the works for The CW in addition to The Next Chapter for ABC. For viewers looking to laugh rather than dissolve into weekly tears for seven months out of the year, however, The Next Chapter may be a fun alternative to any of the old-fashioned sappy love stories that we’ve come to expect of Nicholas Sparks. Besides, he was going to either need to branch out from his typical genre or start a special brand of extra absorbent tissues to sell at movie theaters. Who knows? The Next Chapter may well end up being one of Nicholas Sparks’ greatest successes.

Filmdom has, once again, turned to one of its favorite author’s for romantic source material. The Choice is based on the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name and features a lot of love triangle goodness with an extra dose of adorable puppies and wise old narrators. And now there's a new trailer for you to check out.

The story takes place in a small coastal town in North Carolina, where Travis Parker (Benjamin Walker) enjoys the good pleasures of a simple, single life. He believes that settling down will only cramp his style, but when Gaby Holland (Teresa Palmer) moves in next door, things get more complicated than he ever imagined. Things get pretty ooey-gooey and lovey-dovey, along with a heavy dose of heightened, soap opera level relationship twists, which, as you can see from the trailer, are at least partially given away in less than three minutes.

The movie is the based on Nicholas Sparks’ twelfth novel, and this will be the the eleventh adaptation of one of his books to hit the screen. Sparks’ first literary effort was published in 1996 when he was just 26-years-old, and he’s published one or two books in almost every year since then. He's sold over 100 million copies worldwide in over 50 languages, each of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, and his eighteenth novel, will be published this month.

It’s hard to dispute the unmistakable pull of cash registers ringing for filmmakers and studios looking for a sure investment. It’s also hard to deny that his work has been accused of showing a repetitive and overly saccharine view of life and relationships. Just taking a look at the posters and casts for each of the films based on his books tells you that they’re all about star-crossed lovers in a small town finding each other against the odds or coming together for the first time.

At this point, even though I’ve only ever watched one Nicholas Sparks inspired movie in my whole life (I couldn’t resist the glorious schmaltz of The Notebook, either), I think I speak for a lot of movie lovers when I say that it almost doesn’t feel like a new year until we get another Sparks treatment on screen. 

These films have become so ubiquitous that you can pick the trailers for each new one out of a crowd of romantic drama previews. They're not so easy to tell apart, howver, as they usually feature more than a few similarities that are on display in The Choice. Pretty white people that, apparently, only know other white people, check. Views of the ocean at sunrise or sunset, check. Lovers kissing in the rain, on the beach, or in some other idyllic setting, check. Deep confessions of hot and steamy, yet still comfortably chaste, love, check. Some horrific accident or illness that comes out of nowhere, check.

Well, we won’t have to wait much longer for the next Nicholas Sparks creation to hit the big screen. The film debuts on February 5, 2016. You know, just in time for singles to feel extra alone on Valentine’s Day.

I'm not sure how I've boxed myself into a corner, defending a Nicholas Sparks book, but here we are. I picked up the book of Safe Haven on a whim, knowing I'd probably wind up reviewing the movie and figuring I could use a heads up on what to expect. Then I saw the Safe Haven movie, out in theaters this weekend, and was amazed-- it had the power to make me actually appreciate the book.

If you're a fan of Nicholas Sparks books but you've never gotten on board with the movie adaptations, well, I think I finally know what you've been through. Here are the 5 biggest reasons that Safe Haven the book is far superior to Safe Haven the movie… and given how little time it takes to read a Sparks book, why you might be better off spending a few hours reading the book instead of seeing the movie this post-Valentine's weekend.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SAFE HAVEN-- THE BOOK AND THE MOVIE-- ARE BELOW.

Katie leaves her husband in a hurry instead of planning it out. We see Katie (played by Julianne Hough) escape her abusive husband Kevin (David Lyons) in the very first scene of the movie, but if you're familiar with the book, it all feels wrong. She's throwing clothes in a suitcase, she's bleeding and frantic, and she rushes over to the neighbors' house for solace before taking off for the bus station. In the book Katie is practical and plans out her escape to a T, in a way that lets us know her character as a very smart woman caught in a nasty relationship. In the movie, she's closer to the typical abused woman you see in movies-- desperate to get out but without any idea of how to do it. It's a much less interesting character to follow.

We're not even supposed to know that Kevin is her husband until halfway through the movie. Seriously-- around the midpoint we finally learn that Kevin isn't an ordinary detective on the hunt for a fugitive, but the husband Katie has escaped from. Director Lasse Hallstrom treats this like it's supposed to be some huge reveal, but it's hard to imagine anyone walking into this kind of romance who doesn't already know that. Instead of getting into Kevin's head they way the book does, engaging with his twisted logic and fits of rage, we're watching him as if he's just some good-hearted cop… until he's not! Not only is it unfair to the character, but it's pandering to an audience that's definitely too smart for that kind of needless twist.

We're supposed to wonder if Katie is actually a murderer. As a tactic to hunt her down, Kevin lists Katie in some kind of national detective database as a murderer, which gets a wanted poster put up in the Southport police station with her face on it. It's basically the same idea as keeping Kevin's true identity a mystery-- putting in a potential twist that the audience is way too smart to fall for. Making matters worse, Alex (Josh Duhamel) eventually sees the wanted poster at the police station and confronts Katie about it, somehow also convinced that she's secretly a killer on the lam. It gives them the chance to have the fight scene that always occurs around the 2/3 mark of a movie, but come on, this is a Nicholas Sparks joint-- we all know the score, and it's ok to move past that and back into the kissing in the rain.

There's no actual suspense about how Kevin finds Katie. Surprisingly enough Nicholas Sparks isn't a half-bad detective novelist for half of Safe Haven, following Kevin as he hunts down Katie and getting into his brain as he rationalizes his behavior. It lends the book a lot of tension, as you dread the inevitable moment when he finds her, and helps balance out a lot of the sap of the romantic scenes. In the movie-- maybe because Hallstrom knows everyone bought a ticket for the romance on the beach-- the Kevin storyline feels like an afterthought, and it's generally irritating to cut back to him. The movie has no interest in giving him an internal life, just making him a Terminator on the way to ruin the romance. It shortchanges half of the book's entire story, and if you ask me, the most interesting half.

Jo is basically an afterthought. If you've been reading reviews of Safe Haven, you can tell that a lot of people are completely fixated on this twist-- which, to be fair, is insane in the book too. But at least in the book you get a sense of Jo as Katie's confidant, as an actual person who might exist in the world, with her own backstory that informs her conversations with Katie. In the movie Jo pops in and out of the story basically whenever it's convenient, giving Katie someone to walk with in montages about how she's fitting into the world and to talk about plot-advancing subjects. She's as real as… well, a ghost. Maybe the movie just wanted you to get the twist as fast as possible.

Nicholas Sparks has made a big name for himself as the author of such romantic tearjerkers as The Notebook and Dear John, and is now taking a leap into television with three separate drama projects in the works at three different networks. His books have already been box office gold at the movies, and it appears television could be another way to earn big bucks.

Sparks has written 16 New York Times bestselling novels, seven of which have already been adapted to the big screen. Now, THR is saying the man has projects in development at TNT, ABC Family, and Lifetime. The last two seem like great choices for Sparks’ particular brand of heartstring-pulling drama, but I have to say TNT is a bit of a surprise.

The TNT project is based on Sparks’ novel A Bend in the Road, and takes place in a coastal Georgia town. The project focuses on the local Sheriff who has recently been widowed, as well as his relationship with a second grade teacher. He’s working with John Doe co-creator Brandon Camp on that one. The description does nothing to answer my questions about how it will fit into TNT’s lineup.

The Falls, Sparks’ new project at ABC Family, is a modern re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It seems to be part of a trend aiming to bring The Bard to television lately. In fact, ABC already has a modern version of West Side Story in the works, which is based on the same Shakespeare play. Fox is tackling a modern Hamlet, and Johnny Depp’s production company has been working on another Shakespearean project, as well.

Finally, Sparks has a post-Civil War drama called Deliverance Creek at Lifetime. Of the three networks, Lifetime is the most suited, in my opinion, to Sparks’ style. The story is that of a woman dealing with the aftermath of the war and the lengths she must go to in order to keep her family alive and safe.

Sparks’ latest film adaptation, Safe Haven hits theaters February 8th, 2013. TV Blend will let you know what comes of these possible small screen projects.

A lot of good actors get caught up in cheesy Nicholas Sparks adaptations, from Kevin Costner all the way back with Message in a Bottle to Amanda Seyfried just last year in Dear John. But you have to start worrying when an actor goes back to the Sparks well twice, agreeing once again to weep, fall in love and be shot in soft focus. Sure the money is probably good, but don't you hold yourself to an even slightly higher standard?

So despite the obvious cheesy appeal of the new trailer for The Vow, which debuted at MTV, I really am a little worried about Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, who are listed here as "from Dear John" and "from The Notebook." For McAdams, at least, I thought her cheesy romance days were over-- she and Ryan Gosling were an undeniably great couple in The Notebook, but she moved on from that to the really smart Morning Glory! And to Sherlock Holmes! But here she is playing a woman who comes out of a coma having forgotten her husband, and it's almost like she fell into a coma herself, forgetting she had other options for her career. Take a look below.

The fact that I unabashedly love both of these actors-- yes, including Channing Tatum-- means I'll probably see this anyway, give it a bad review but then watch it every time it comes on TV a few years down the line. But still, I'm a little disappointed in both of them. Hasn't Nicholas Sparks done enough damage already with his gauzy romances? Can't we let these talented actors move on? If you're not concerned with any of these things though, look for The Vow in theaters on February 10.

Zac Efron is making his play toward adulthood with his starring role in this weekend's weepie Charlie St. Cloud, which is basically a Nicholas Sparks movie with an added supernatural element. But you know you've never hit the big time as a matinee idol until you've starred in an actual Nicholas Sparks movie (what, you've never heard that rule?), so Efron is trying to do just that. According to Vulture he's in negotiations to star in The Lucky One, a Sparks adaptation currently set up at Warner Bros. in which Efron would play a former Marine seeking out the woman in a snapshot he considered his good-luck charm while fighting in Iraq.

That sounds about as logical and mopey as any other Sparks adaptation like The Notebook, The Last Song or Dear John, though I admit, Efron is an uncommonly big star to jump on this train. Usually Sparks movies star up-and-comers who just want the exposure-- Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum in Dear John-- or older stars with a lack of better options-- Diane Lane and Richard Gere in Nights in Rodanthe. Charlie St. Cloud really did seem like Efron's attempt at the ladykiller weepie without having to go the low-rent Sparks route. Maybe I'm just underestimating the cultural cachet of movies in which you are guaranteed that one of the major characters will die, every single time?

The Vulture piece also notes that Efron is also looking into starring in Die in a Gun Fight, a kind of an action romance in which he'd played a rich New York kid who falls for the daughter of his father's nemesis. That one sounds like a much more interesting kind of departure for Efron, but given the enduring popularity of movies based on Sparks novels, you can guarantee which one you'll be hearing from first.

Wouldn't you have figured Channing Tatum would have found his way into a Nicholas Sparks movie before now? He's hunky and Southern and non-threatening, which is pretty much the ideal for any male star of the movies based on books by the author of The Notebook, A Walk to Remember and Nights in Rodanthe, among others.

Finally Tatum is taking the role he was born for in Dear John, a new weepie whose trailer has popped up on YouTube and is embedded below. Given how long it is and how rough it looks, I don't think this is an official trailer, so don't be surprised if it gets taken down soon. Still, if you want a good cry, you can't do much better than these three minutes and 50 seconds.

Tatum plays a soldier on leave in North Carolina who meets a local girl (Amanda Seyfried) and starts up a letter-writing romance. 9/11 gets involved somehow, as do multiple tours of duty in the Middle East and, of course, another man. It's directed by Lasse Hallstrom, who has known his way around some tears and romance in movies like Chocolat and The Cider House Rules. Check it all out in the trailer below. Dear John is set for a February 5 release next year.