Books By Women Are Dominating Movie Adaptations In 2025-2026

In recent years, talented female screenwriters have dynamically shifted the literary landscape by adapting more women’s novels into films. This exciting trend challenges the status quo of a predominantly male-dominated screenwriting industry, yet women screenwriters still account for just a small percentage of screenplay credits.

Despite these odds, women in film are reshaping storytelling with profound narratives that resonate with audiences and critics. By transforming beloved novels into cinematic experiences, they are not only honoring the original works but also bringing fresh, nuanced perspectives to the screen, illuminating diverse female experiences and emotions. Some, like Collen Hoover, are even stepping forward to adapt their work for the screen themselves.

“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” is the third novel in the popular Bridget Jones series by Helen Fielding, while it is the fourth movie adaptation from the series. Since Helen wrote the movie’s screenplay and produced the film, critics consider the movie a faithful adaptation of the book.

“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” captures the next chapter in Bridget’s life, focusing on her journey as a single mother navigating the modern dating world after the loss of her beloved Mark Darcy. The story intertwines her famous humor with emotional depth, exploring themes of love, loss, and self-discovery.

The novel delves into Bridget’s inner thoughts and diary entries, providing readers with a rich, introspective look at her struggles and growth. While maintaining the essence of the book, the movie adaptation modifies certain elements for cinematic appeal; for example, it changes Bridget’s job from a writing role in the TV world to a producing role, which is easier to portray visually. The screen adaptation often streamlines some plot points for pacing, focusing on visual storytelling rather than introspection. As a result, some of Bridget’s internal monologues and detailed narrative may be less emphasized in the film.

“Hamnet” is a 2020 novel by Maggie O’Farrell that tells the story of how the death of Shakespeare’s only son, Hamnet, affected his marriage and fueled his career as a playwright. The movie adaptation is written and directed by Academy Award winner Chloe Zhao, with Maggie herself as one of the screenwriters.

Both versions rely heavily on the themes of love, grief, and family, as well as life transcending death through art; however, Maggie’s original novel has a non-linear structure, beginning with Hamnet and Judith already existing, while the movie has a normal timeline, starting with the love story between the Shakespeares. The movie also heavily expands William Shakespeare to a main character, while the novel revolves around Agnes much more than him.

“Regretting You” is a romantic drama novel by Colleen Hoover that explores the relationship between the two main characters, Morgan, and her teenage daughter, Clara, after dealing with a death in the family. The movie adaptation is written by Susan McMartin.

The core premise of both the novel and the movie is the same. After a car crash kills her husband and her sister, Morgan Grant realizes they were having a long-term affair, and her nephew was actually a product of it. The themes of both adaptations rely on grief, secrecy, and second chances. However, the novel has a darker tone, focusing more on financial issues and the weight of teenage pregnancy, while the movie emphasizes both Clara’s and Morgan’s love stories.

“Die My Love” is an Argentinian novel by Ariana Harwicz originally written in Spanish in 2012. The 2025 Hollywood movie adaptation starring Jennifer Lawrence was written and directed by Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay.

Due to the complete Hollywood rewrite, there are a lot of differences between the book and movie, from the setting moving from Europe to America, to giving the main character the name of Grace, and fleshing out all the secondary characters. Both stick to the storyline of a young mother being isolated in a rural home and slowly losing her sanity, with the main theme of motherhood being a domestic trap, something we saw similarly in last year’s “Nightbitch“

“Reminders of Him” is another novel by Colleen, with the movie adaptation set to release March 13, 2026, this time with her writing the screenplay herself.

The story “Reminders of Him” follows a newly released inmate who was imprisoned for vehicular manslaughter after inadvertently causing her partner’s death in an accident. She attempts to reconnect with her young daughter and his grieving family. It’s a story about motherhood, grief, and forgiveness, not only about seeking forgiveness from others, but from yourself. As the movie is still unreleased, we don’t know extensively how the screenwriters are changing it, but one update is that it will take place in Wyoming, while the original novel does not specify the location.

These adaptations recognize female voices’ growing significance in both literature and film, allowing creators to share diverse narratives and perspectives on a grand scale. Whether it’s a humorous take on modern life, a poignant exploration of historical and personal tragedy, or the raw emotional journeys, each adaptation offers a unique lens through which to view women’s lives and struggles. By acknowledging and supporting these stories and the talented women who bring them to life, the industry takes a significant step toward a more inclusive and representative cinematic landscape.