If you're a fan of sci-fi, Hollywood has you covered with several exciting upcoming movie adaptations of novels in the genre. Taking the biggest pieces of written work in this realm and turning them into films is something Hollywood has been doing for decades. The results speak for themselves, with Blade Runner, Jurassic Park, and The Martian among the best sci-fi book-to-movie adaptations.
This can often be a roadmap for success, as we've seen in recent years with The Wild Robot, Dune: Part Two, or Mickey 17. Every studio is searching for the next big sci-fi hit, even if they don't always work, like with Netflix's The Electric State. And there's still no shortage of incredible pieces of literature in this genre that deserve to be adapted.
Luckily, many great, beloved sci-fi books are getting movie adaptations in the near future. Some are coming out in just a few weeks, while others are heating up through development – and some are still searching for the right path forward years after they've been announced. In any case, these upcoming sci-fi movies based on books could be really special.
8 One Second After
Josh Holloway as Roarke Morris smiling in Yellowstone
William R. Forstchen's best-selling sci-fi novel One Second After is getting the movie 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 was eyed for adaptation almost immediately.
While the One Second After movie began as a Warner Bros. title and then transitioned to a TV series, MPI Original Films has moved it back to a feature project. Scott Rogers is directing based on a script by J. Michael Straczynski, the comic book writer who has also penned Babylon 5, World War Z, and Sense8.
The film does not have a confirmed release date, but it is likely to be released sometime in 2026, following the start of production this year. Josh Holloway (Lost) headlines the cast as John Matherson, with Famke Janssen (X-Men), Hannah John-Kamen (Thunderbolts*), and Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves) also set to appear.
The book's great premise, franchise potential, and cast make it quite an exciting project to look forward to.
7 Starship Troopers
Casper Van Dien and and alien in Starship Troopers
With so many great sci-fi movies based on books already made, its become common for some to get redos. That is what is happening with Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel, Starship Troopers.
Audiences have already seen this novel brought to the big screen with the 1997 film directed by Paul Verhoeven. That movie has its fans, but it was not a huge hit, 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 the novel that has Neill Blomkamp (District 9) set to write and direct. His take is said to be closer to Heinlein's story, leaning into the military sci-fi elements.
Blomkamp's involvement is a main reason to be excited for the Starship Troopers remake, especially with no casting details known. District 9 is one of the best modern sci-fi movies, and I really like Elysium, even if it was more divisive. Starship Troopers could be hit latest great entry in the genre.
6 Hyperion
Hyperion book covers
Back in 1989, author Dan Simmons launched what became the Hyperion Cantos
The popularity of the first novel and its follow-ups has left Hollywood searching for a way to bring it to life for years. Scott Derrickson eyed an adaptation in 2009, but Bradley Cooper is now spearheading the latest iteration of the project.
Cooper's plans to adapt Hyperion were announced in November 2021, with Watchmen's Tom Spezialy writing and Warner Bros. distributing. While Cooper is not attached to direct or star, he has wanted to adapt the book for over a decade.
There is some uncertainty about whether this version of a Hyperion movie is still in development, but the Hugo Award-winning novel is ripe for adaptation. Hopefully, this one does still happen at some point.
5 The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping logo
A film adaptation directed by franchise vet Franchise Lawrence was greenlit immediately after the book was confirmed. Sunrise on the Reaping is confirmed for a November 20, 2026, release date, giving us just over one year until we can see it in theaters.
While Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel, Collins did an amazing job weaving in major surprises that enhance the stories that come after it in the franchise timeline. Seeing the events of the second Quarter Quell, the returning characters interact, and more provide lots of reasons to be excited about this sci-fi book movie adaptation.
4 Rendezvous with Rama
Amy Adams in Arrival
After orchestrating a defining sci-fi book and movie with 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke did it again in 1973 with the Hugo Award-winning book Rendezvous with Rama. Taking place in the 2130s, the story follows humans who discover an alien spaceship.
Its status as a sci-fi classic has led to previous adaptation attempts. After David Fincher and Morgan Freeman tried and failed to make it in the 2000s, 2021 brought news that Denis Villeneuve would make the Rendezvous with Rama movie at last.
He's been busy adapting another major sci-fi book, Dune, but there are still plans for Villeneuve to make it once his commitments with Arrakis end. The combination of his strengths as a director, especially in this genre, and Clarke's seminal source material, Rendezvous with Rama has the potential to be another modern sci-fi masterpiece.
3 The Running Man
Glen Powell's Ben looking worried with a fire behind him in The Running Man
Just as Starship Troopers is getting a redo, so is Stephen King's The Running Man. Originally made for the screen in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger starring, it brought the 1982 novel to life in a very loose way, resulting in King not liking the movie adaptation.
Fast-forward to 2025, and Glen Powell is starring in a new take, one that's meant to be more faithful to the source material. The new The Running Man comes from director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) and is set for release in 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 an exciting one. The former is a rising, charismatic star, while the latter has made some of the most fun genre movies in recent memory.
This one also has King's endorsement, so fans of the book especially should be more pleased with how The Running Man tackles the sci-fi thriller.
2 Project Hail Mary
Ryan Gosling in Project Hail Mary
A Project Hail Mary movie is among the biggest sci-fi movies releasing 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 adapting Weir's The Martian into a movie, Hollywood was interested in Project Hail Mary before the book was even released. MGM acquired the rights in 2020 with Ryan Gosling already attached to star. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, 22 Jump Street) are directing.
Amazon MGM has done an exceptional job building hype for the movie, positioning it as one of the most anticipated movies of next year, regardless of genre. Gosling looks like the perfect choice to lead this adaptation, and the impressive visuals, adventure comedy tone, and Lord and Miller's involvement make it all the more exciting.
If you'd say this is the most exciting upcoming sci-fi movie based on a book, it'd be an understandable stance to take. But, there's also one other that is a bit more fascinating.
1 Dune: Part Three
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Two
Denis Villeneuve tackled Frank Herbert's original novel in spectacular fashion, splitting it into two epic movies. He's now facing an arguably even bigger challenge by making Dune: Part Three, which is believed to be an adaptation of the author's follow-up novel, Dune Messiah.
The 1969 sci-fi book is a very different entry into the series than the original classic. It's less dense, but more complex. There are new additions to the lore that expand things in surprising and weird ways. And, it works as a response to the misreadings of Paul's savior journey through the first novel.
It'll be fascinating to see how Villeneuve brings the many aspects of Dune Messiah to life on the big screen. He might even be including elements from other books that came after, twisting the third film into something that's less faithful to a singular novel to better wrap up Paul's arc and leave the franchise in a position to continue without its star and director.
Considering how incredible Dune and Dune: Part Two are, the excitement levels for what comes next are clear. The mystery surrounding how Villeneuve plans to bring all aspects of this sci-fi book to life add another layer of intrigue too.
