5 Best Upcoming Crime Novel Adaptations

At a little over a hundred years old, cinema is a relatively new art form. Literature, on the other hand, has been around for thousands of years. There’s an endless well of stories out there, many of them with established fanbases. Over the years, film studios have acquired the rights to countless literary works, bringing their stories and characters from the page to the screen. And one of Hollywood’s favorite genres to adapt is the crime novel. Despite their often complex stories and characters, these films are usually easier to produce and come with relatively low budgets when compared to, say, sci-fi movies or action blockbusters.

Crime films ooze with suspense and mystery, filled with unexpected twists and turns. It may be a classic whodunnit murder mystery, or a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse. Whatever the case (and we mean that literally, since these movies usually involve a detective and an investigation), crime films typically leave viewers on the edge of their seat, desperate to learn more. Here are five upcoming adaptations of crime novels, in both film and TV, to be on the lookout for.

5

‘Long Bright River’

March 13, 2025

Long Bright River

Release Date

March 13, 2025

Network

Peacock

Directors

Hagar Ben-Asher

Cast

• Nicholas Pinnock

  Truman Dawes

Long Bright River is a limited series based on the book of the same name by Liz Moore. Set in Philadelphia, it follows a police officer working a crime-ridden neighborhood, who takes it upon herself to investigate the murder of three women and the disappearance of her drug-addict sister.

This is reportedly as much of a tale about sisterhood as it is a crime drama. The police officer will be played by Amanda Seyfried, who received critical acclaim for her performance in the TV series, The Dropout. Meanwhile, her character’s sister will be played by Ashleigh Cummings. Interested? Don’t worry, you won’t have to wait long to check out this show. It premieres on Peacock on March 13, 2025.

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4

‘The Stolen Girl’

April 16, 2025

The Stolen Girl is a British TV series that captures a Europe-wide manhunt after a woman’s daughter is kidnapped from a play date. It was adapted from the novel Playdate by Alex Dahl (no relation, apparently, to the famous Norwegian children’s author, Roald Dahl).

This crime drama stars a mostly British cast that’s led by Holliday Grainger, who recently appeared in Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi comedy, Mickey 17. It’s set to release on April 16, 2025 on Disney+. Not exactly the place you’d expect to find a crime drama about a child’s kidnapping, is it?

3

‘Crime 101’

TBA 2025

Crime 101

Director

Bart Layton

Writers

Bart Layton, Don Winslow, Peter Straughan

Producers

Derrin Schlesinger, Eric Fellner, Shane Salerno, Tim Bevan, Chris Hemsworth, Ben Grayson

Crime 101 is an upcoming film based on the novella of the same name, written by renowned crime author, Don Winslow. The movie will follow a detective trying to stop a high-level jewel thief, who adheres to a code that he calls “Crime 101″ – a strict set of guidelines to pull off the perfect heist.

Crime 101 boasts an all-star cast that reunites MCU co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, along with rising star Barry Keoghan and seasoned veteran Halle Berry. Amazon won an intense bidding war for the rights to Crime 101 in 2023. Although the official premiere date hasn’t yet been released, the film is expected to come out later this year.

2

‘Thursday Murder Club’

TBA 2025

The Thursday Murder Club

Writers

Chris Columbus, Richard Osman, Katy Brand, Ol Parker, Adrian Wenner, Suzanne Heathcote

Producers

Eleanor Columbus, Jennifer Todd

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman was a huge bestseller in the UK. It’s since expanded into a bestselling series of novels, with a fifth book planned for a 2025 release. Netflix will adapt the original novel into a good old-fashioned crime dramedy. The Thursday Murder Club will follow a group of elderly amateur sleuths, as they attempt to solve a murder.

The film will feature a seasoned ensemble cast that includes Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley. It’ll also be directed by legendary director Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Home Alone and Harry Potter films. Between its talented veteran cast and director and its home on streaming giant Netflix, this is a film that’s sure to pique the interest of older audiences, and maybe even younger ones, too.

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1

‘Kill Your Darlings’

Likely 2026

Kill Your Darlings is an upcoming crime drama, not to be confused by the 2013 film of the same name. This one is a unique, but not entirely uncommon, situation. It’s based on a book that hasn’t even been published yet. Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson will hit the shelves on June 10, 2025. Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists immediately acquired the rights and are already working on the adaptation. Legendary actress Julia Roberts is already attached to the project, set to both co-produce and star in the film. James Gray, the filmmaker behind 2019’s Ad Astra, has been tapped to direct.

Why is there so much buzz already about this book? It might have something to do with the story’s unique and compelling premise. It’s a murder mystery told in reverse, tracing a marriage back twenty-five years to uncover the dark and terrible secret at its heart. The premise is a little reminiscent of Memento, though it’s unclear how its story will unfold on screen. It’s also unclear when Kill Your Darlings will actually hit theaters. Some people are speculating a late 2025 release, though it’s more likely that we’ll see it in 2026.

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