‘The Odyssey,’ ‘Every Year After’ and more of summer’s best book-to-screen adaptations

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It is officially the summer of the page-turner. From packed movie theaters to streaming queues, books with built-in fanbase have been taking over Hollywood, turning the most highlighted chapters into the most talked-about pop culture moments of the season.

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Whether it is Christopher Nolan bringing fans a highly-anticipated ancient epic blockbuster or streaming platforms translating nostalgic, sun-drenched beach reads into multi-part drama series, there is a distinct literary pulse driving entertainment right now.

No genre is capturing this wave quite like the explosion of young adult romance. Case in point: Prime Video’s massive new hit series Off Campus, which brought the tight-knit, high-stakes world of elite college hockey and sizzling fake-dating to life based on Elle Kennedy’s viral bestseller, The Deal. Between sports romances dominating television and gritty memoirs and sci-fi epics taking over the big screen, readers aren’t just consuming stories this summer — they are watching them come alive.

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Here are some of the most anticipated book to screen adaptations releasing in theaters and on streaming platforms in Canada this summer.

Tony

The adaptation: A gritty biographical drama directed by Matt Johnson and distributed by A24. It stars Dominic Sessa as Bourdain, alongside Antonio Banderas and Leo Woodall.

Where to watch: In theaters (August 7)

What it’s about: Stepping away from a traditional cradle-to-grave biopic, this film zeros in on the hot, chaotic summer of 1976. It follows a teenage Tony Bourdain as he takes a grueling kitchen job in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and gets his first taste of the high-pressure culinary underworld.

Every Year After

The book: Carley Fortune’s quintessential cottage-country romance bestseller, Every Summer After.
The adaptation: A sun-drenched, nostalgic 8-episode drama series starring Sadie Soverall and Matt Cornett.
Where to watch:Prime Video
What it’s about: Spanning two decades in the scenic lake town of Barry’s Bay, the series tracks the deeply intertwined lives of childhood sweethearts Percy and Sam. It follows the magical summers that brought them together, the devastating mistake that tore them apart, and the modern-day reunion forcing them to face their past.

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The Odyssey

The book:Homer’s ancient epic Greek poem
The adaptation: A massive, big-budget theatrical blockbuster directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring an ensemble cast of A-listers: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron.
Where to watch: In theaters and IMAX (July 17)
What it’s about: A gritty, cinematic retelling of Odysseus’s brutal, ten-year journey home from the Trojan War to reclaim his kingdom and family.

The Five-Star Weekend

The book: The 2023 coastal drama novel by Elin Hilderbrand.
The adaptation: A star-studded drama miniseries starring Jennifer Garner, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, and Chloë Sevigny.
Where to watch: Peacock/Stack TV
What it’s about: After a major loss, a popular food blogger brings together four friends from different eras of her life for a luxury weekend in Nantucket, where old secrets quickly start boiling over.

Lucky

The book:Marissa Stapley’s bestselling thriller, a Reese’s Book Club pick.
The adaptation: A limited crime-thriller series starring and executive produced by Anya Taylor-Joy, alongside Annette Bening and Timothy Olyphant.
Where to watch: Apple TV+
What it’s about: When a massive multi-million dollar heist goes completely sideways, a brilliant con artist named Lucky is forced to go on the run and try to survive while navigating her past.

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Heartstopper Forever

The book:Based on Alice Oseman’s acclaimed graphic novels (Volume 6) and her spin-off novella Nick and Charlie.
The adaptation: A standalone, 114-minute feature-length film serving as the grand, emotional finale to the beloved series.
Where to watch: Netflix (Premieres July 17)
What it’s about: As Nick prepares to head off to university and Charlie enters his final year of school, the reality of a looming long-distance relationship begins to weigh heavily on them. The film follows the core friend group as they navigate the bittersweet transitions of growing up, packing bags and saying goodbye to an era.

The Dog Stars

The book: The acclaimed 2012 post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel by Peter Heller.
The adaptation: A feature film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin and Margaret Qualley.
Where to watch: In theaters (August 28)
What it’s about: In a world devastated by a global flu pandemic, a pilot living in an abandoned Colorado hangar risks everything to follow a mysterious random voice on his airplane’s radio.

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The Whisper Man

The book: Alex North’s bone-chilling 2019 crime thriller novel.
The adaptation: A psychological horror-thriller film starring Robert De Niro and Adam Scott.
Where to watch: Netflix (August 28)
What it’s about: A grieving father and his young son move to a new town for a fresh start, only to find themselves targeted by a serial killer who mimics a notorious child abductor from 20 years ago.

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