Adaptation Roundup: June 2024

Netflix, June 13th

The hit show, based on Julia Quinn’s series of romance novels, started its third season in May. The last four episodes of this season premiere on Netflix on June 13th. You can watch the trailer here. This season is adapted from Romancing Mister Bridgerton, and it focuses on Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton’s developing relationship. The Netflix series was also adapted into Bridgerton: The Official Coloring Book in 2023.

Theatrical Release, June 14

This Warner Bros. film is an adaptation of the Gothic horror novel The Watchers by A. M. Shine. It was adapted for the screen, directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan with her father, M. Night Shyamalan, the producer. From the trailer, this movie seems to have a lot of Gothic, creepy elements, such as getting lost in a mysterious forest that appears out of nowhere. Even a parrot imitating people sounds creepy here!

Limited Theatrical Release, June 14^th

This film fictionalizes Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine (or Katherine) Parr, his sixth and final wife. It’s based on the historical novel Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle (not to be confused with THE Queen’s Gambit, which was adapted for Netflix in 2020). The movie, which premiered at Cannes, stars Alicia Vikander and Jude Law as the leads. We know Parr outlived Henry VIII, but a fictionalized depiction of her trying to avoid treason charges could be suspenseful. From the trailer, it looks like a tense thriller. Pop culture is fascinated by Tudor England. The 2000s Showtime show The Tudors, the stage musical Six, and the book and movie The Other Boleyn Girl are just a few examples.

Netflix, June 14^th

This Netflix superhero movie is a collaboration between Netflix and Tsuburaya Productions, the creator of the character Ultraman. The alter ego of baseball player Ken Sato, superhero Ultraman, takes care of a baby kaiju in this movie. From the trailer, it looks heartwarming and funny, with beautiful animation. The long-running Ultraman or Ultra Series has inspired dozens of TV shows, movies, and comic books since the 1960s.

Max, June 16^th

While Game of Thrones was based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire epic fantasy series, House of the Dragon is a prequel based on Fire & Blood, Martin’s pseudo-history book about Westeros. The series depicts the Targaryen dynasty, Daenerys’ ancestors, about 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Trailers from March sided with either Team Rhaenrya or Team Alicent. Like Bridgerton, this series was also recently adapted into an adult coloring book.

Apple TV+, June 26^th

This series is based on the bestselling novel La Tierra de las Mujeres by Spanish author Sandra Barneda. To distance her family from her husband’s crimes, Gala (Eva Longoria) escapes to the same town in northern Spain where her mother once lived. It’s described in press materials as a dramedy about family secrets and was filmed in Spain.

Amazon Prime, June 27^th

This 8-episode limited series is based on the historical fantasy novel My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, the first in their Lady Janies series. In real life, Lady Jane Grey was the contested Queen of England for only 9 days in 1553. This story imagines what might have happened if she hadn’t been executed at age 16 or 17. The tagline says, “the damsel in distress saves herself—and then the kingdom.” From the trailer, it looks like irreverent, PG-13-type fun.