Books becoming movies in 2018

By Bryanne Salazar 8:47am PST, Dec 15, 2017

Book lovers rejoice! As the New Year approaches, so do new movies that are based on our favorite novels. Wonderwall.com scanned the shelves to find out which books are being turned into films in 2018… starting with "A Wrinkle in Time." The cinematic masterpiece stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Storm Reid, Chris Pine and Zach Galifianakis and tells the story of a girl named Meg (played by Storm) who's sent on a journey across the universe with her friends to rescue her missing father. Based on the book by Madeleine L'Engle, the film arrives in theaters on March 9, 2018. Keep reading to see which other stories are set to arrive on the big screen soon…

Based on Mike Mignola's Dark Horse comic series, "Hellboy" is returning to the big screen — this time with "Stranger Things" actor David Harbour in the title role — on Jan. 11, 2018. The story — which isn't part of either the Marvel or DC universes — follows Hellboy as he heads to England to battle evil forces (like the nefarious Blood Queen) to prevent the world and life as we know it from coming to an end.

Based on the biography "Horse Soldiers" by Doug Stanton, "12 Strong" tells the tale of a chosen group of Green Berets who responded to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks by deploying to Afghanistan, where their only chance to take down the Taliban meant working with a known warlord. The film stars Chris Hemsworth and is due in theaters on Jan. 19, 2018.

The first book in author Heidi McLaughlin's Beaumont Series, "Forever My Girl," arrives on the big screen on Jan. 19, 2018. The film version, starring Jessica Rothe and Alex Roe, tells the tale of a country music star who comes home to reunite with the lost love he left behind (and promises to make everyone in the audience sniffle).

Dylan O'Brien reprises his role as Thomas in the sequel "Maze Runner: The Death Cure," which is based on the young adult novel series from author James Dashner. The movie, about Thomas' dangerous journey to find a cure for a fatal disease known as the "Flare," also stars Giancarlo Esposito, Dexter Darden and Rosa Salazar. It's scheduled to arrive in theaters on Jan. 26, 2018.

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson star in "Fifty Shades Freed," the sexy third film in the "Fifty Shades" trilogy, which is based on the novel of the same name by author E.L. James. Now married, Christian and Ana Grey set out to enjoy life as ultra-rich newlyweds, but new drama on the horizon threatens to ruin their marital bliss. The film arrives in theaters on Feb. 9, 2018.

Our favorite childhood story is coming to the big screen! Based on the children's book series "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter, the animated adventure "Peter Rabbit" promises to be seriously nostalgic. Featuring James Corden as the voice of said bunny (who's trying his best to sneak some veggies from a nearby farmer's garden), the film debuts in theaters on Feb. 9, 2018.

We first met the screen version of T'Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman) in the 2016 superhero adventure "Captain America: Civil War." Finally, this long-beloved Marvel comic legend (created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966) is getting his own movie with "Black Panther" scheduled for release on Feb. 16, 2018. The storyline follows T'Challa as he returns home to his African kingdom of Wakanda to ascend the throne after the death of his father, the king.

One of the most classic love stories ever is coming to the big screen: "Samson," based on the story of Samson and Delilah from the Old Testament's Book of Judges, stars Taylor James in the title role and Caitlin Leahy as Delilah. This biblical tale of love, loss and ultimate sacrifice arrives in theaters on Feb. 16, 2018.

Based on the novel by James VanderMeer, "Annihilation" arrives in theaters on Feb. 23, 2018, and promises to keep audiences (and readers) on the edge of their seats. The film stars Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, Oscar Isaac and Tessa Thompson in a riveting post-apocalyptic story about a scientist's search for her missing husband and her encounter with a mysterious force wreaking havoc on the world.

Based on the hilarious novel by Robert Kimmel Smith comes the feature film "The War with Grandpa" starring Robert De Niro as Grandpa Ed and Oakes Fegley as his grandson, Peter. The family comedy follows Peter (who's kicked out of his room and moved to the attic when his grandfather comes to live with his family) as he tries every trick in the book to make his grandpa move out. The only problem? Grandpa knows what he's up to and decides to get even. The movie arrives in theaters on Feb. 23, 2018.

"Death Wish" is an action-packed crime drama starring Bruce Willis as a murderous vigilante who's out to get revenge after a horrific crime rips apart his family. Based on the novel by Brian Garfield, the film blazes into theaters on March 2, 2018.

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Russian intelligence agent Dominika Egorova in "Red Sparrow," which is based on the novel by James Matthews. In the film, Dominika is a trained Russian operative who uses her sexuality to entice her targets — but she finds trouble when her first mission involving a CIA agent threatens to risk more than she bargained for. The fast-paced thriller arrives in theaters on March 2, 2018.

Nick Robinson stars as Simon in "Love, Simon" — the big-screen adaptation of "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli. The story is about Simon, a gay teen who hasn't yet found the courage to come out to his friends and family, who also happens to have fallen hard for an anonymous person on the internet. This heartwarming coming-of-age tale debuts on March 16, 2018.

The exciting sci-fi action adventure "Ready Player One" starring Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke is based on the debut novel by author Ernest Cline and arrives in theaters on March 30, 2018. The post-apocalyptic tale is set in 2045, when life is bleak. For many, their only sense of purpose and excitement comes from their virtual reality gaming systems. When one of the creators of a popular virtual world dies, he leaves behind clues for other players to solve in a race to inherit his fortune.

Based on the sci-fi horror story "A Novel of Deep Terror" by author Steve Alten, "The Meg" promises to terrify audiences who have long been traumatized by films like "Jaws." Starring Ruby Rose and Robert Taylor, the story follows a disgraced Navy captain who lost half of his crew to what he claims was a Carcharodon Megalodon — a long extinct mammoth shark species over 70 feet long. When his ex-wife is trapped deep below the sea, he's forced to face his fears and the ferocious shark to save her life. The film arrives in theaters on Aug. 10, 2018.

Ryan Gosling is starring in "First man," a biopic about the first man to ever walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong. Based on the biography of the same name by James R. Hansen, the story explores what led up to Neil's historic space mission in 1969, which made him one of the most famous astronauts in the world. The historical drama debuts in theaters on Oct. 12, 2018.

Although it seems like we just saw "The Jungle Book" in theaters (we did, it was 2016), we're getting another major motion picture version of this beloved children's tale by author Rudyard Kipling. This go-round will star Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale and Benedict Cumberbatch in a depiction director Andy Serkis claims is "very truthful to the original book. It doesn't shy away from its darkness." The family drama is scheduled for release on Oct. 19, 2018.

It's about time this famous Dr. Seuss holiday tale returned to the big screen! On Nov. 9, 2018, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" arrives in theaters, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the infamous scoundrel, the Grinch. Although we're all partial to the live-action version starring Jim Carrey from 2000, there's still room in our hearts for a few new Whos from Whoville.

Based on poet and author Sylvia Plath's only published novel, "The Bell Jar" stars Dakota Fanning and Jesse Plemons. Directed by Kirsten Dunst (who also co-wrote the screenplay), the story follows a successful 19-year-old woman named Esther (played by Dakota) who has a mental breakdown and struggles with severe depression and thoughts of suicide. The haunting, emotional drama is due in theaters sometime in 2018.

British actress Bel Powley will star as the lead character in the 2018 historical drama "Ashes in the Snow," which is based on the novel "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys. The story, set in 1941, follows a young girl named Lina who, along with her family, is forced to Siberia during Joseph Stalin's reign of terror. In the cold and bleak wilderness, Lina relies on her passion for art to keep record of the harrowing experience. The film was originally slated for release in 2017 but was later pushed to sometime in 2018.

Josh Hutcherson will star in the James Franco-directed film "The Long Home" based on the 1999 novel of the same name by William Gay. The drama, in which James also acts, is about a young man who unwittingly begins working for the same man who murdered his father. It's slated to arrive in theaters sometime in 2018.

We know next-to-nothing about the upcoming live action Disney remake of Hans Christian Anderson's epic fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" except that award-winning playwright and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda has signed on to write the music. Apparently, Universal Studios is also producing a live-action "The Little Mermaid" that will star Chloe Grace Moretz, meaning there's some competition in the works. There are rumors that Emily Blunt might be taking on the lead role for the Disney version and that it might hit theaters in 2018, but honestly, we have no clue. We're just really, really excited about Ariel coming back to the big screen.

Seth Rogen and James Franco reunite on the big screen for the (hopeful) 2018 release of "Zeroville," which is based on the novel by Steve Erickson. The story is about a young man who arrives in Hollywood with big dreams, but upon realizing success, faces tragedy that teaches him more than his career ever could. The movie, which was also directed by James, was filmed back in 2014 but after losing its distributor, it's has been in limbo. We hope it finally gets its day on the big screen soon.

Based on the biography "I Heard You Paint Houses" by author Charles Brandt comes the crime drama "The Irishman" starring Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Anna Paquin and Al Pacino. The movie is about notorious hitman Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran's alleged involvement in the murder of famed labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa, who mysteriously disappeared in 1975. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film is scheduled for release in 2018 but could arrive theaters (after moving from Paramount to Netflix) as late as 2019.