There’s a vast world of horror beyond movies out there, especially in the literary space. So much so that novels frequently inspire new horror adaptations, whether brand new publications or enduring horror lit classics. In a year that’s already delivered an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Monkey and Adam Cesare‘s YA slasher novel Clown in […]
There’s a vast world of horror beyond movies out there, especially in the literary space. So much so that novels frequently inspire new horror adaptations, whether brand new publications or enduring horror lit classics.
In a year that’s already delivered an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Monkey and Adam Cesare‘s YA slasher novel Clown in a Cornfield, there’s still plenty more on the way.
Here are seven upcoming adaptations of horror novels that we can’t wait to check out.
The Long Walk – September 12
The first Stephen King adaptation arriving in the back half of 2025 is a doozy based on King’s 1979 novel of the same name. Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, Constantine) directs from a script by JT Mollner (Strange Darling). The R-rated film centers on a grim annual contest in which 100 teens must journey, nonstop and under strict rules, until only one is left alive. Expect a bleak adaptation ahead. Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus), Garrett Wareing (“Manifest”), Tut Nyout (“Witcher: Blood Origin”), Charlie Plummer (The Clovehitch Killer), Ben Wang (Karate Kid: Legends), Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit), Jordan Gonzalez (“Pretty Little Liars: Origin Sin”), Joshua Odjick (Welcome to Derry), Josh Hamilton (“Walking Dead”), Judy Greer (Halloween), and Mark Hamill (The Life of Chuck) star.
The patron saint of monsters, Guillermo del Toro, gives his spin on Mary Shelley’s literary classic this Fall for Netflix. “Monsters have become my personal belief system,” the visionary recently said of his adaptation, one that aims less to scare and more to dig into the emotional aspect of Shelley’s famous tale. We can expect a breathtaking feature ahead. Oscar Isaac (Dune) stars in Del Toro’s movie as mad scientist Victor Frankenstein, with Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) as Frankenstein’s monster, Mia Goth (MaXXXine) as Elizabeth Lavenza, and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) as Dr. Pretorius.
The Running Man – November 7
Glen Powell stars in Paramount Pictures’ “THE RUNNING MAN.”
Stephen King’s The Running Man is headed back to the big screen from director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Last Night in Soho), with Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, Twisters) taking over the role played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 movie. King’s novel, published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, was released in 1982, and followed a desperate man as he signed up for an ultraviolent competition that requires him to stay alive for 30 days as he’s hunted by elite enemies. Glen Powell plays the role of Ben in Wright’s The Running Man, with Colman Domingo (Candyman), Josh Brolin (Weapons), Lee Pace (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies). and Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding) also starring in the film.
The Housemaid – December 2025
Pictured: Sydney Sweeney in ‘Immaculate’
Ghostbusters and A Simple Favor director Paul Feig is back this Christmas with a twisty psychological thriller based on Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel. Sydney Sweeney stars as Millie, a struggling young woman looking for a fresh start. When she accepts a job as a housemaid for a wealthy couple, Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew (Drop’sBrandon Sklenar), she discovers their secrets may be far more dangerous than her own. Rebecca Sonnenshine (“The Boys”) adapts McFadden’s psychological thriller novel, which has two sequel novels, for the big screen. With Feig at the helm, we can expect some bloody fun this holiday season.
Whalefall – October 16, 2026
A scuba diver in search of his deceased father’s remains gets swallowed by an 80-foot, 60-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out in Daniel Kraus’ 2023 genre-bending novel that’s getting adapted by writer/director Brian Duffield (Love and Monsters, No One Will Save You). While ultimately a poignant meditation on grief, the novel also unleashed pure claustrophobic dread and nightmare fuel in the form of gastric aquatic terror. And the adaptation has one hell of a cast: Austin Abrams (Weapons), Josh Brolin (Weapons), Elisabeth Shue (“The Boys”), Jane Levy (Evil Dead), John Ortiz (Kong: Skull Island), and Emily Rudd (Fear Street Part Two: 1978).
Cold Storage – TBA 2026
COLD STORAGE, StudioCanal 2023
Joe Keery (“Stranger Things“) and Georgina Campbell (Barbarian, The Watchers) embark on the wildest night shift ever when a parasitic fungus escapes to explode flesh in this upcoming sci-fi horror comedy. Jonny Campbell (“Dracula,” “Westworld”) directs from a script by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Jurassic World: Rebirth, Presence), who adapts his 2019 novel of the same name. Koepp’s novel brought pulpy fun, delivering a fast-paced sci-fi thriller with humor, and the recently released teaser trailer indicates that the horror comedy will earn its R-rating for gore. That teaser also gives hope that Cold Storage will arrive earlier in 2026 than later.
Victorian Psycho – TBA 2026
Maika Monroe in ‘Watcher’
A release date hasn’t been announced yet for this adaptation of author Virginia Feito’s (Mrs. March) 2025 novel, but production kicked off this summer, signaling that 2026 is likely. The 1858-set novel introduced quirky governess Winifred Notty as she arrives at a remote gothic manor to begin her new job, only for murder to ensue. Zachary Wigon (Sanctuary) is directing from a script by Feito, with Maika Monroe (Watcher, Longlegs) set to star alongside Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) and Jason Isaacs (“White Lotus”).
