Four years ago, I did a post on Books I’d Like to See Adapted for the Screen. In that time, I’m sorry to report that not only did the major studios and streamers not pay much attention to my instructions (I’m as shocked as you are), they also failed to finish promising adaptations like the Shadow and Bone series on Netflix (actually shocked and saddened by that one).

Of that list of 5 adaptations, one is in production (Narnia), and a release date has been set for another (The Lunar Chronicles) in 2028, though no word on when production begins, so I figured it was time to remind Hollywood about some of the others and add a few more to the list.

1. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

I imagine seeing this one in a traditional theater rather than on a streamer. In the right hands, it could even have Oscar potential (think It’s a Wonderful Life meets Everything Everywhere All At Once). It’s a story both intimate and universal, there’s room for a lot of creativity in how the story could be told visually, and there’s definitely opportunity for powerful acting performances.

2. The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty

Now moving up on the list, The Daevabad Trilogy could work well as a movie franchise or a streaming series, but either way, it just needs to be done. If it went the streaming route, there’s a lot of backstory that could be explored and expanded with the added run-time, and the details of a certain time-jump in between books could be fleshed out…but it certainly has the big blockbuster moments movie studios like to capitalize on.

3. The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas

I still stand by this book being a great YA rom-com, with super-heroes as the added cherry on top. When I first made this list four years ago, that combination seemed like a good fit for Netflix, but Amazon Prime has been doing some solid YA adaptations lately with The Summer I Turned Pretty and We Were Liars, so maybe they’re the ones who can actually make this work…

4. Pride by Ibi Zoboi

With Jane Austen making a resurgence lately, why not adapt a modern adaptation of her greatest work, instead of yet another remake of the classic? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the original BBC Pride and Prejudice and the Keira Knightley version, but if we’re going to do this story on screen again, let’s do something different! With its teen leads, this also feels like something that could fit with Amazon Prime’s recent offerings.

5. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

This may be an even longer shot now that PBS has been sentenced to death, but I still think it would make for a compelling mini-series. For starters, it’s a period piece (pre-industrial China), but not one that is often dramatized for western audiences. Secondly, the scope of the drama, showcasing one family’s rising, falling, and rising again over several decades, is well-balanced with the quiet struggles of the marriage that is the foundation of this family, giving the story a feel that is both expansive and intimate at the same time. The book has a more detached, surreal tone, so I think seeing it onscreen might help more people grasp the pathos underneath that, and the themes are certainly ripe for reexamination.