Emily has a PhD in English from the University of Southern Mississippi, MS, and she has an MFA in Creative Writing from GCSU in Milledgeville, GA, home of Flannery O’Connor. She spends her free time reading, watching horror movies and musicals, cuddling cats, Instagramming pictures of cats, and blogging/podcasting about books with the ladies over at #BookSquadGoals (www.booksquadgoals.com). She can be reached at emily.ecm@gmail.com.
A new year means new film and TV adaptations to look forward to watching. And while there are countless adaptations coming out every month, I really wanted to focus on some exciting new shows and movies coming out in 2026 that are adapted from works by authors of color. There are so many excellent stories by BIPOC and Latine authors coming out every year, and yet the vast majority of adaptations continue to be focused on sharing white author’s stories. Hopefully, we’ll see more works from authors of color adapted in 2026, but here are four coming out soon that I’m excited to check out!
Dutchman by Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones)
The upcoming film The Dutchman is an adaptation of Amiri Baraka’s play Dutchman (which was published under the name LeRoi Jones). André Holland stars as Clay, a businessman whose marriage to Kaya (Zazie Beetz) is falling apart due to infidelity. Then he meets Lula (Kate Mara), a white woman who seems to know an alarming amount of details about his life. The Dutchman, directed by Andre Gaines, premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival in March, and it hits theaters on January 2.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
The new series adaptation of Isabel Allende’s magical realism classic is set to premier on Prime Video in 2026. The 8-episode Spanish-language series is a multi-generational tale following the Trueba family through loss, love, and political upheaval. The series will star by Aline Kuppenheim (Chile ‘76) as Nivea del Valle, Fernanda Urrejola (Cry Macho) as Blanca Trueba and Rochi Hernández as Alba. The series is produced by FilmNation, who are known for award-winning films such as Anora and Conclave.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The classic nineteenth-century French novel The Count of Monte Cristo is getting a new Masterpiece adaptation in 2026. The star-studded cast includes Sam Claflin as Edmond Dantès, Ana Girardot as his fiancée Mercedes, Jeremy Irons as Abbé Faria, and Blake Ritson as Danglars. PBS promises viewers a “faithful adaptation” in which “viewers will get to experience the all the drama, complex characters, and epic moments through eight immersive episodes.” You can stream The Count of Monte Cristo starting March 1, 2026 on PBS Passport and on PBS MASTERPIECE on Prime Video.
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
The second and final season of Like Water for Chocolate, based on the Mexican novel of the same name by Laura Esquivel, is out in 2026 as well. Executive producer Salma Hayek Pinault says the final season will be “an intense journey, full of dramatic but also romantic, magical events. I can’t wait for the audience to experience how our story concludes.” The six-episode season will debut on HBO Max on Sunday, February 15. New episodes will debut weekly with the finale premiering on Sunday, March 22.
Book Radar
Sign up for Book Radar to receive exciting book deals and must-read forthcoming titles.
English (US) · 