For Vogue, by MICHELLE RUIZ.
The end of “Big Little Lies” — in all of its sexy, psychotic glory — has left a glaring hole in our prestige television regimens. What will become of Sunday nights? Thankfully, a spate of juicy, epic, and brilliant best-sellers may be headed to the screen soon enough. Paging Reese Witherspoon, queen of the Hollywood book adaptation — we’re waiting...
The Mothers Brit Bennett’s The New York Times best-selling debut novel about a love triangle and a mother’s dark past in a small, God-fearing Southern California town is not only slated for big-screen treatment courtesy of Warner Bros., but also has Kerry Washington signed on to produce. If fans are lucky, she’ll cast herself as the mysterious mother of the main character, Nadia Turner.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Like Big Little Lies, Maria Semple’s 2012 novel is teeming with tiger moms and mystery. Now, everyone’s go-to smart, snappy vacation book recommendation is heading to the silver screen, with director Richard Linklater, Cate Blanchett as the titular missing mother, and Kristen Wiig in talks to play her neighborhood nemesis. Though Hollywood is notorious for optioning books but never making them (The Secret History starring Gwyneth Paltrow, we hardly knew ye), Bernadette could actually happen, thanks to the presence of super-producer Megan Ellison.
The Girls Emma Cline’s moving novel about a group of teens sucked into a fictionalized Manson cult is begging for the Sofia Coppola treatment, whether as a movie or a highly addictive, BLL-style miniseries. If anyone can and will execute it, it’s Oscar heavyweight Scott Rudin, who has already bought the film rights. (Our two cents? Matthew McConaughey is the natural choice for the magnetic cult leader, Russell.)
Fates and the Furies The National Book Award finalist (and one of President Obama’s favorites) has beautiful yuppies, a dysfunctional marriage, and plenty of seaside scenes — everything HBO could dream of! Note to the powers that be: Tap Paltrow as the elegant, seemingly perfect wife, Mathilde.
All the Light We Cannot See The heartrending World War II epic by Anthony Doerr already has a Pulitzer Prize. Now it just needs Steven Spielberg behind the camera — and let the Oscars roll in.
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