2020 Adaptations We CANNOT Wait to See

There are always a lot of things to be excited about in the new year, and a new slate of films and shows are definitely part of that. Included in this list are some books that might not be strictly considered horror, but their legacy has contributed to horror fiction today.

Lovecraft Country (HBO)

This has been featured in our most-anticipated adaptations episodes for two years in a row, but it looks like it actually is going to happen this year (Promise!) The series is based off the anthology novel by Matt Ruff. It “follows Atticus Black as he joins his friends Letitia and his Uncle George to embark on a road trip across 1950’s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father. What follows is a struggle to overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from an H.P. Lovecraft paperback.”

The Outsider (HBO)

This book was first mentioned on our first New Releases episode is going to be an HBO miniseries premiering January 12. HBO says, It “begins with a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a young boy. But when an insidious supernatural force edges its way into the case, it leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything they believe in.” Cast includes Jason Bateman Ben Mendelsohn and Cynthia Ervivo.

Locke and Key (Netflix)

This upcoming Netflix show based on the graphic novel series by Joe Hill is set to premiere February 7. The plot of Locke and Key revolves around “three siblings who, after the gruesome murder of their father, move to their ancestral home in Massachusetts only to find the house has magical keys that give them a vast array of powers and abilities. Little do they know, a devious demon also wants the keys and will stop at nothing to attain them.” Jackson Robert Scott who played Georgie in the 2017 will be playing Bode Scott with Connor Jessup and Emilia Jones as Tyler and Kinsey.

The Woman in the Window (Theatrical)

Amy Adams is starring in The Woman in the Window, a psychological mystery thriller based on the AJ Finn book follows an “agoraphobic woman living alone in New York who begins spying on her new neighbors, only to witness a disturbing act of violence.” While technically a dark thriller, I think the Rear Window nods with an unreliable narrator is a great setup for a suspenseful story. It’s set for a theatrical release of May 15. Watch the trailer here.

The Turning (Theatrical)

This modern take on the 1898 Henry James novella The Turn of the Screw will hit theaters January 24. Universal Pictures says, “For more than 100 years, a deeply haunting tale has been passed down to terrify audiences…The Turning takes us to a mysterious estate in the Maine countryside where newly appointed nanny Kate is charged with the care of two disturbed orphans, Flora and Miles. Quickly though, she discovers that both the children and the house are harboring dark secrets and things may not be as they appear. Finn Wolfhard and Brooklyn Prince star as the children to Mackenzie Davis’ nanny.

Buy a copy of the great new reprint of The Turning featuring other stories by Henry James

Rebecca (Netflix)

Currently in post-production this Netflix movie is based off the classic Daphne DuMaurier novel in which we follow an unnamed narrator who marries the wealthy Maxim DeWinter and takes her to his Cornwall estate. The memory of his first wife still haunts the home- and the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers is still loyal to the first Mrs. DeWinter and her place in Manderly. Personally, I am on board with the casting of Lily James (Cinderella, Yesterday) as the unnamed protagonist and Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name) as the mysterious Maxim.

The Devil All the Time (Netflix)

This Netflix movie is based on the dark, gritty novel by Donald Ray Pollock. Set in post WWII Ohio, this book follows an ensemble cast of characters as their lives intertwine. Netflix describes it as, “desperate to save his dying wife, a man turns to prayer– and more extremem meausures. A Gothic drama starring Tom Holland and Chris Evans.” The impressive cast also boasts such talent as Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgard, Eliza Scanlen, Sebastian Stan, and Mia Wasikowska.

The Stand (CBS All Access)

Voted one of your favorite books in our Stephen King episode, The Stand is getting an updated mini-series adaptation on CBS All Access. While IMDB says that “after the world is in ruins, due to a man-made plague, a battle of literally Biblical proportions ensues between the survivors.” Which seems like a decent way to sum up the events that occur in one of Mr. King’s heftier page-count titles. The cast includes: James Marsden, Jovan Adepo, Whoopi Goldberg and Amber Heard.

Fear Street Trilogy

If you’re like me, RL Stine was your introduction to the horror genre, and Fear Street was exciting because it was a little sleeker and edgier than the Goosebumps series, because it revolved around teenagers. “In 1994, a group of teenagers find out that the terrifying events that have occurred in their town of Shadyside, Ohio may be connected to each other, and that they may be the next targets.” I am very interested in this project, especially in the fact that the plan is to release this trilogy within a month of each other. Wikipedia says the first film is scheduled to be released in June. Cast includes Gillian Jacobs, Sadie Sink and Benjamin Flores Jr.