Follow Us
Join Us
Netflix has a wide array of content to office all its viewers across the globe. From Netflix series to original films and a lot more content, this OTT giant is our go-to for fresh and exciting content. But did you there are quite a few originals on this streaming platform that are based on books?
We are not kidding, and below are 7 popular Netflix series that were originally novels. From 13 Reasons Why To YOU & The Queen’s Gambit – check out the list.
13 Reasons Why (2017 – 2020)
13 Reasons Why is a teen drama based on the 2007 novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This Netflix series revolves around high school student Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette), and what happened follows the suicide of another high school student Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford).
The show explores various social issues affecting modern youth like suicide, s*xual assault, bullying, racism, mental health, drug addiction, alcoholism and a lot more. The first season was released on Netflix on March 31, 2017, and the second on May 18, 2018. The show’s season 3 premiered on August 23, 2019, while the fourth and final season streamed from June 5, 2020.
Trending
Mindhunter (2017-2019)
Mindhunter is a psychological crime thriller that stars Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford, Holt McCallany as Bill Tench, Anna Torv as Wendy Carr and others. This Netflix series is based on the 1995 true-crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit written by FBI agent John E. Douglas and author Mark Olshaker. The show follows a group of FBI agents who interview serial killers to get insights into their minds and motives.
The first season of Mindhunter premiered on Netflix on October 13, 2017, followed by a second season on August 16, 2019. In January 2020, Netflix announced that a potential third season was on indefinite hold as executive producers, showrunner and director David Fincher wanted to pursue other projects.
YOU (2018-Present)
Though this series first aired on Lifetime, YOU gained worldwide popularity once it started streaming on Netflix. The first season is based on Caroline Kepnes 2014 novel of the same name. The Netflix series follows Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg, a bookstore manager and serial killer who falls in love with a customer named Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail).
Season two was released as Netflix Original and was based on the sequel novel, Hidden Bodies by Kepnes. In January 2020, the series was renewed for a third season by Netflix,
The Witcher (2019 – Present)
The Witcher premiered on Netflix on December 20, 2019, and was one of the most popular series on the platform. Most credit for the same can be credited to the star power of Henry Cavill, who features as Geralt of Rivia in it. The Netflix series is based on the book series of the same name by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
This Polish-American fantasy drama is set in the fictional, medieval-inspired landmass known as the Continent. On November 13, 2019, Netflix announced a second eight-episode season, the production of which is currently underway.
Cursed (2020)
Starring Katherine Langford as Nimue, the fantasy drama began streaming on Netflix on July 17, 2020. The period drama, that received mixed reviews upon its release, was adapted from Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name.
The series depicts a re-imagined version of the Arthurian legend, told through the eyes of a Young Frey girl, Nimue, who is destined to become The Lady of the Lake. The series also starred Devon Terrell as Arthur, Gustaf Skarsgård as Merlin, Daniel Sharman as the Weeping Monk/Lancelot, Sebastian Armesto as King Uther and Shalom Brune-Franklin as Sister Igraine/Morgana.
The Haunting Of Bly Manor (2020)
Released on October 9, 2020, The Haunting of Bly Manor is a drama-gothic romance starring Victoria Pedretti (Danielle Clayton), Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Peter Quint), Amelia Eve (Jamie Taylor), T’Nia Miller (Hannah Grose), Rahul Kohli (Owen Sharma) and others.
This Netflix series is mostly an adaptation of Henry James’ 1898 book The Turn of the Screw. The series also includes elements from James’ other works and things created mainly for the show.
The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
Featuring Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, this Netflix series is based on Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel of the same name. The Queen’s Gambit is written and directed by Scott Frank, the series begins in the mid-1950s follows the life of an orphaned chess prodigy as makes a name for herself in the chess world while struggling with drug and alcohol dependency.
Released on October 23, 2020, this series has received much love and appreciation. It has won two Golden Globe Awards, a Critics’ Choice Television Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Which Netflix series did you know was a book adaptation? Let us know in the comments.
