If you are a fan of science fictionHollywood offers you several exciting film adaptations of novels of the genre to come. Taking the greatest written works in the field and turning them into films is something Hollywood has been doing for decades. The results speak for themselves, with Blade Runner, Jurassic ParkAnd The Martian among the best science fiction book-to-film adaptations.
This can often be a road map to success, as we have seen in recent years with The wild robot, Dune: part twoOr Mickey 17. Every studio is looking for the next big sci-fi hit, even if it doesn’t always work out, like with Netflix’s. The Electric State. And there is still no shortage of incredible literary works in this genre that are worthy of adaptation.
Fortunately, many popular science fiction books will soon be adapted into films. Some are releasing in just a few weeks, while others are warming up to development – and some are still finding the right path years after their announcement. Either way, these upcoming sci-fi movies based on books could be really special.
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A second later
William R. Forstchen’s bestselling science fiction novel A second later gets the film treatment. The 2009 book follows a group of characters in North Carolina after an electromagnetic pulse attack on America.. Its popularity launched a trilogy about the main character, John Materson, and an adaptation was considered almost immediately.
While the A second later The film started as a Warner Bros. title, then moved to a television series, MPI Original Films brought it back to a feature film project. Scott Rogers is directing a screenplay based on a screenplay by J. Michael Straczynski, the comic book artist who also wrote Babylon 5, World War ZAnd Sens8.
The film does not have a confirmed release date, but is expected to be released in 2026, after production begins this year. Josh Holloway (Lost) headlines the cast as John Matherson, with Famke Janssen (X-Men), Hannah John-Kamen (Love at first sight*), and Mary McDonnell (Dances with Wolves) should also appear.
The book’s excellent premise, franchise potential, and casting make it an exciting project to look forward to.
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Space Soldiers
With so many great science fiction films based on books already made, it has become common for some to be remade. This is what happens with Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 novel, Space Soldiers.
Audiences have already seen this novel brought to the big screen with the 1997 film directed by Paul Verhoeven. This film has its fans, but it wasn’t a huge success, losing money at the box office. It also took a more satirical approach to the source material.
As announced in March, Sony is behind a new adaptation of Neill Blomkamp’s novel (District 9) ready to write and direct. Its view is said to be closer to Heinlein’s story, drawing on elements of military science fiction.
Blomkamp’s involvement is one of the main reasons to be excited about the Space Soldiers remake, especially without casting details known. District 9 is one of the best modern science fiction films, and I really like Elysiumalthough it was more controversial. Space Soldiers could be the last great entry of the genre.
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Hyperion
In 1989, author Dan Simmons launched what became the Songs of Hyperion series with the first novel, which follows characters across different timelines as they travel to the time tombs of Hyperion in the hopes that the Shrike will grant their wish.
The popularity of the first novel and its sequels left Hollywood searching for years for a way to bring it to life. Scott Derrickson considered an adaptation in 2009, but Bradley Cooper is now spearheading the latest iteration of the project.
Cooper’s adaptation plans Hyperion were announced in November 2021with GuardiansTom Spezialy writes and Warner Bros. distributed. Although Cooper is not attached to the director or star, he has wanted to adapt the book for over a decade.
There is some uncertainty as to whether this version of a Hyperion The film is still in development, but the Hugo Award-winning novel is ready to be adapted. Hopefully this will happen again at some point.
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The Hunger Games: Sunrise over the Harvest
THE hunger games books and films are a modern phenomenon, so it’s no surprise that Suzanne Collins’ work continues to find new life. This includes the 2025 version of The Hunger Games: Sunrise over the Harvesta prequel novel about Haymitch Abernathy’s time in the 50th Hunger Games.
A film adaptation directed by Franchise veteran Lawrence was greenlit immediately after the book was confirmed. Sunrise over the harvest is confirmed for a release date of November 20, 2026which leaves us a little over a year before we can see it in theaters.
While Sunrise over the harvest is a prequel, Collins has done an incredible job of creating major surprises that enhance the stories that follow in the franchise timeline. Seeing the events of the second Quarter Quell, returning characters interact, and more provide plenty of reasons to be excited about this film adaptation of a science fiction book.
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Meeting with Rama
After masterminding a defining science fiction book and film with 2001: A Space OdysseyArthur C. Clarke did it again in 1973 with the Hugo Award-winning book Meeting with Rama. Set in the 2130s, the story follows humans who discover an alien spaceship.
Its status as a science fiction classic has led to previous attempts at adaptation. After David Fincher and Morgan Freeman unsuccessfully tried to make it big in the 2000s, 2021 brought the news that Denis Villeneuve would make the Meeting with Rama a film finally.
He’s busy adapting another major science fiction book, Dunebut Villeneuve is still expected to achieve this once his engagements with Arrakis are complete. The combination of his strengths as a director, particularly in this genre, and Clarke’s foundational source material, Meeting with Rama has the potential to be another masterpiece of modern science fiction.
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The running man
Just as Space Soldiers is being remade, just like Stephen King’s The running man. Originally made for film in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role, it brought the 1982 novel to life in a very loose fashion, leading King to dislike the film adaptation.
Fast forward to 2025, and Glen Powell stars in a new takeone that is meant to be more faithful to the source material. The new The running man comes from director Edgar Wright (Baby driver) and is scheduled to hit theaters next week, November 14, courtesy of Paramount.
Even with so little time to wait before this sci-fi book is brought to the big screen again, the combination of Powell and Wright is exciting. The former is a charismatic rising star, while the latter has made some of the funniest genre films in recent memory.
This one also has King’s approval, so fans of the book in particular should be happier with how The running man takes on the sci-fi thriller.
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Hail Mary Project
A Hail Mary Project The film is among the biggest science fiction films released in 2026. Andy Weir’s 2021 novel about a man who wakes up in a spaceship without his memory and discovers his mission to stop the sun from dying. The book was praised for its story, themes, and Weir’s overall writing.
After seeing the success Ridley Scott had in adapting Weir’s film The Martian in a film, Hollywood was interested in Hail Mary Project even before the book came out. MGM acquired the rights in 2020 with Ryan Gosling already attached to star. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, 22 Jump Street) direct.
Amazon MGM has done an exceptional job of building hype for the film, positioning it as one of the most anticipated films of next year, regardless of genre. Gosling seems like the perfect choice to direct this adaptationand the impressive visuals, adventure comedy tone, and involvement of Lord and Miller make it even more exciting.
If you said it’s THE most exciting sci-fi film based on a book, that would be an understandable position to take. But there is also another one that is a little more fascinating.
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Dune: Part Three
Denis Villeneuve tackled Frank Herbert’s original novel in spectacular fashion, splitting it into two epic films. He now faces an arguably even greater challenge in making Dune: Part Threewhich would be an adaptation of the author’s next novel, Messiah of the dunes.
The 1969 science fiction book is a very different entry in the series from the original classic. It’s less dense, but more complex. There are new additions to the lore that expand things in surprising and strange ways. And it works as a response to misreadings of Paul’s savior journey throughout the first novel.
It will be fascinating to see how Villeneuve brings the many aspects of Messiah of the dunes to life on the big screen. It could even include elements from other later books, turning the third film into something less faithful to a singular novel to better wrap up Paul’s arc and leave the franchise able to continue without its star and director.
Given the incredible Dune And Dune: part two are, the levels of enthusiasm for what comes next are clear. The mystery surrounding how Villeneuve plans to bring all aspects science fiction The book to life also adds another layer of intrigue.
