October 2025 Book Adaptations Watchlist: Films & Shows Coming Soon
From Netflix thrillers to haunting HBO series, here are the October 2025 book adaptations you won’t want to miss—plus why they belong on your watchlist.
The Biggest Book-to-Screen Adaptations Coming This October
Fall always feels like the perfect season for book adaptations – sweeping dramas, spooky thrillers, and atmospheric retellings that pair beautifully with cozy nights in. October 2025 is especially packed with premieres, from Netflix thrillers to stage-worthy dramas and gothic horror. Below, I’ve rounded up the biggest book-to-screen adaptations arriving this month, with what they’re based on and why they deserve a spot on your watchlist.
The Watch List (October 2025 Book Adaptations)
Steve
Watch on Netflix, Oct. 3
Based on Shy by Max Porter
Porter’s slim but powerful novel follows Shy, a troubled teen caught between chaos, anger, and the faint possibility of grace. Netflix’s adaptation, renamed Steve, flips the lens: Cillian Murphy stars as the headteacher at a school for boys with behavioral issues, a man whose own mental health is in steep decline. Expect a raw, intimate drama that blends Porter’s lyrical style with Murphy’s trademark intensity-perfect for viewers who like character studies that leave you unsettled and thoughtful in equal measure.
The Woman in Cabin 10
Watch on Netflix, Oct. 10
Based on The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Ruth Ware’s atmospheric thriller gets the full Netflix treatment with Keira Knightley as journalist Lo Blacklock. Sent to cover the maiden voyage of a luxury cruise, Lo witnesses a woman being thrown overboard-but every other passenger insists she never existed. For my full opinion on this adaptation, check out: The Woman in Cabin 10: Netflix vs Book (Honest Review).
Kiss of the Spider Woman
In Theaters, Oct. 10
Based on Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig
Manuel Puig’s groundbreaking novel-part love story, part political meditation-arrives as a big-screen musical directed by Bill Condon. Jennifer Lopez and Diego Luna star in this adaptation about two cellmates who forge a complicated, transformative relationship. With its roots in both political resistance and forbidden intimacy, expect a sweeping story full of emotional highs, aching lows, and show-stopping numbers.
Fairyland
In Theaters, Oct. 10
Based on Fairyland by Alysia Abbott
Abbott’s memoir chronicles her childhood with her father, the poet Steve Abbott, in 1970s San Francisco-a coming-of-age shaped by counterculture, queerness, and eventually the AIDS crisis. This adaptation stars Emilia Jones as young Alysia, with Scoot McNairy as Steve and Geena Davis as her grandmother. Expect a moving father-daughter story that’s as much about love and resilience as it is about loss.
Frankenstein
In Theaters, Oct. 17
Based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Guillermo del Toro brings his vision to Shelley’s classic tale of creation and monstrosity. With Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature, this promises to be a gothic feast-part horror, part tragedy, all atmosphere. Expect something visually lush and emotionally layered, true to Shelley’s exploration of hubris, humanity, and the cost of playing god.
Regretting You
In Theaters, Oct. 27
Based on Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover adaptations are practically a genre unto themselves at this point, and Regretting You may be her most emotional yet. The story follows Morgan Grant, a young mother reeling after a family tragedy, and her teenage daughter Clara, with whom she struggles to connect. Starring Allison Williams and McKenna Grace, this one is set to be a tearjerker about grief, forgiveness, and the messy bonds between mothers and daughters.
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IT: Welcome to Derry
Watch on HBO, Oct. 26
Based on IT by Stephen King (Prequel series)
HBO dives back into Stephen King’s terrifying world with a prequel series exploring how Pennywise’s reign of terror began. Expect nine episodes of slow-burn dread, small-town secrets, and nightmare fuel-perfect for spooky season. If you loved the recent IT films, this series will dig even deeper into Derry’s haunted history.
Talamasca: The Secret Order
Watch on AMC, Oct. 26
Based on The Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice
Anne Rice’s universe keeps expanding with this series about the Talamasca, a secret society tracking supernatural beings from witches to vampires. With crossovers from Interview with the Vampire and The Mayfair Witches, this show is designed for Rice’s loyal readers and for anyone who loves a gothic, interconnected supernatural universe.
Hedda
Watch on Prime Video, Oct. 29 (Limited theatrical earlier in the month)
Based on Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen
Tessa Thompson takes on the iconic role of Hedda Gabler in this sharp, modern adaptation of Ibsen’s play. Directed by Nia DaCosta, Hedda explores a woman trapped in her own boredom, manipulating those around her with devastating results. Expect a stylish, psychologically charged drama that breathes new life into a classic text.
Final Thoughts
October is absolutely stacked with adaptations, from gothic horror to heart-wrenching memoirs and family dramas. Whether you’re here for the scares (IT: Welcome to Derry), the swoons (Regretting You), or the prestige (Steve), there’s something for everyone this month. Which one are you most excited to watch-and which book-to-screen projects are you still hoping will get adapted next?
