Bestselling Books Turned Movies That Are About To Hit SA Cinemas

From family, musicals and drama to comedy and horror, there's something for everyone.
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Between June and August, expect to be entertained by movies adapted from books hot off the bestseller list. From family and musicals to drama, comedy and horror, there is something for everyone — and still enough time to read one or two of the books on which these movies are based.

1. "On Chesil Beach" (based on the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan) – June 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? In 1962 England, a young couple dates and marries in quick succession, but immediately runs into trouble on their honeymoon night.

Genre: Historical

Who's in it? Saoirse Ronan, Emily Watson, Anne-Marie Duff

2. "Love, Simon" (based on the novel "Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda") - June 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? The book follows a high school student whose life is turned upside down when his classmate threatens to out him as gay.

Genre: Young adult, coming-of-age

Who's in it? Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel

3. "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (based on the Marvel comics with the same title by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby) - July 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? As Scott Lang balances being a superhero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.

Genre: Superhero, adventure, sci-fi

Who's in it? Evangeline Lilly, Hannah John-Kamen, Paul Rudd

4. "The Meg"(based on "Meg, A Novel of Deep Terror" by Steve Alten) - August 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? Seven years ago, and seven miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Dr Jonas Taylor encountered something that changed the course of his life. Now he must confront his fears and return to the crushing depths to save those trapped in a sunken submersible.

Genre: Suspense, thriller, sea adventure

Who's in it? Ruby Rose, Jason Statham, Rainn Wilson

5. "Asinamali" (based on the play of the same title by Mbongeni Ngema) - August 2018

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Nu-Metro

(Movie poster)

What's it about? Adapted from Mbongeni Ngema's Broadway production of "Asinamali". In the prison yard on Robben Island, a man named Nelson Mandela told Msizi Dube: "Go and do it for all of us, for all our people. So one day we may join you in a free South Africa."

Genre: Drama

Who's in it? Kevin White

6. "The Darkest Minds" (based on the novel of the same title by Alexandra Bracken) - August 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? Imprisoned by an adult world that now fears everyone under 18, a group of teens form a resistance group to fight back and reclaim control over their future. For fans of "Divergent" and "The Hunger Games".

Genre: Young adult, sci-fi, thriller

Who's in it? Mandy Moore, Amandla Stenberg, Gwendoline Christie

7. "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" (based on the novel of the same name by Mary Ann Schaffer) - August 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? A writer forms an unexpected bond with the residents of Guernsey Island in the aftermath of World War II, when she decides to write a book about their experiences during the war.

Genre: Drama, historical, romance

Who's in it? Lily James, Matthew Goode, Michiel Huisman

8. "Crazy Rich Asians" (based on the novel of the same title by Kevin Kwan) - August 2018

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What's it about? Three wealthy Chinese families prepare for the wedding of the year. When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country's most eligible bachelor.

Genre: Comedy, romance

Who's in it? Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding

9. "The Wife" (based on the novel of the same title by Meg Wolitzer) - August 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? A wife questions her life choices as she travels to Stockholm with her husband, where he is slated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. But behind the compromises, the disappointment and disillusionment, there lies a secret...

Genre: Drama

Who's in it? Christian Slater, Elizabeth McGovern, Glenn Close

10. "Black KkKlansman" (based on "Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime" by Ron Stallworth) - September 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? Ron Stallworth, an African-American police officer from Colorado, successfully managed to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan and became the head of the local chapter.

Genre: Comedy, biopic, thriller, drama, crime

Who's in it? Adam Driver, Topher Grace, Laura Harrier

11. "Submergence" (based on the novel of the same title by JM Ledgard) - September 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? In a room with no windows on the east coast of Africa, a Scotsman, James More, is held captive by jihadist fighters. Thousands of miles away in the Greenland Sea, Danielle Flinders prepares to dive in a submersible to the ocean floor. In their confines they are drawn back to the Christmas of the previous year, where a chance encounter on a beach in France led to an intense and enduring romance.

Genre: Thriller, romance, drama

Who's in it? Alicia Vikander, James McAvoy, Alexander Siddig

12. "A Simple Favor" (based on the novel of the same title by Darcey Bell) - September 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? Stephanie, a mommy vlogger, seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emily's sudden disappearance from their small town.

Genre: Crime, mystery, thriller

Who's in it? Blake Lively, Linda Cardellini, Anna Kendrick

13. "The House with a Clock in Its Walls" (based on the novel of the same title by John Bellairs) - October 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? A young orphan named Lewis Barnavelt aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world.

Genre: Adventure, fantasy, horror, thriller

Who's in it? Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Sunny Suljic

14. "Venom" (based on the Marvel comics by Todd McFarlane and David Michelinie) - October 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? When Eddie Brock acquires the powers of a symbiote, he has to release his alter-ego, Venom, to save his life.

Genre: Horror, sci-fi, thriller, superhero

Who's in it? Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson

15. "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" (based on the novel "Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Memoirs of a Literary Forger" by Lee Israel) - November 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? Melissa McCarthy stars in the adaptation of the memoir "Can You Ever Forgive Me?", the true story of bestselling celebrity biographer Lee Israel. When Israel falls out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception.

Genre: Biopic, comedy, drama

Who's in it? Melissa McCarthy, Julie Ann Emery, Richard E Grant

16. "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" (based on the classic story of The Nutcracker by ETA Hoffmann) - November 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? A young girl is transported into a magical world of gingerbread soldiers and an army of mice.

Genre: Adventure, ballet, family, fantasy

Who's in it? Keira Knightley, Eugenio Derbez, Mackenzie Foy

17. "The Girl in the Spider's Web" (based on the novel of the same title by David Lagercrantz) - November 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? Young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist find themselves caught in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials.

Genre: Crime, thriller

Who's in it? Claire Foy, Lakeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks

18. "Hunter Killer" (based on the novel "Firing Point" by George Wallace) - November 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? An untested American submarine captain teams up with U.S. Navy Seals to rescue the Russian president, who has been kidnapped by a rogue general.

Genre: Action, thriller

Who's in it? Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, Ryan McPartlin

19. "The Grinch" (based on the book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr Seuss) - December 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? A grumpy Grinch plots to ruin Christmas for the village of Whoville.

Genre: Adventure, animation, children, comedy, family

Who's in it? Benedict Cumberbatch

20. "Robin Hood" (based on the novel "The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood" by Howard Pyle) - December 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? A war-hardened crusader and his Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography and a timeless romance.

Genre: Adventure

Who's in it? Taron Egerton, Jamie Dornan, Eve Hewson

21. "Mortal Engines" (based on the book of the same title by Philip Reeve) - December 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? Many years after the Sixty Minute War, cities survive on a now desolate Earth by moving around on giant wheels, attacking and devouring smaller towns to replenish their resources.

Genre: Fantasy, sci-fi, adventure

Who's in it? Hugo Weaving, Frankie Adams, Stephen Lang

22. "Mary Poppins Returns" (based on the books by P.L. Travers) - December 2018

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Amazon

What's it about? In Depression-era London, a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael's three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins. Through her unique magical skills, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.

Genre: Family, musical

Who's in it? Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth