This post was originally published on Audible.com.
There’s nothing quite as exciting as hearing the news that a listen you truly loved will soon be available in a new format thanks to a page-to-screen reimagining. Following along with the latest news and casting information on an adaptation’s development is the only thing that makes the wait bearable.
These stories, written by Black creators and largely performed by Black voice actors, have all been tapped by film and television studios for upcoming adaptations. While books get optioned for television and film all the time, and only a portion of them make it to the screen, we’re holding out hope that these exceptional listens will make it through production. See you at the theater!
Can’t wait for a film to make it through production? Here’s one adaptation that’s already available for your viewing pleasure. Taj McCoy’s debut romance is full of food, family, and fulfillment. Adenrele Ojo brings her usual grace and charm to the performance of the story, told entirely from Savvy’s point of view, keeping listeners enthralled by her determination to improve her life by making a few changes. The film version, part of the partnership between The CW/CTV and Harlequin, is available to watch in the US and Canada on each country’s respective networks, and pulls the best parts of the book together to translate into a heartwarming, swoon-worthy movie.
Bianca Drew and Winston James narrate this heartfelt, unforgettable series from J.L. Seegars, which has been picked up by Hill 5.14 Media. It’s still in the earliest stages of development, but is slated to be a British-led television series distributed by Sony Pictures Television. The story, which is full of not just will-they-won’t-they agony but also do-we-deserve-it angst, will translate brilliantly to television, bringing the romance to dramatic new heights.
Kennedy Ryan’s Skyland Series consists of three interconnected romances about a trio of friends finding—or rediscovering—love in their 40s. Starting with Before I Let Go, in which divorced couple Yasmen and Josiah deal with co-parenting and working together, narrators Wesleigh Siobhan, Jakobi Diem, and Inés del Castillo expertly build out the lives of the six central characters. The series is in development with Universal and slated to air on Peacock at some point in the near future, with Ryan herself serving as an executive producer. No acting announcements yet, but they’ll have to be pretty amazing to match the performances of the audiobook narrators.
An all-star cast is at the center of this supernatural thriller, in which a modern-day woman believes she is the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary. An Audible Original, The Prophecy stars Kerry Washington, Laurence Fishburne, and Daniel Dae Kim, among others. We’ll just have to wait to see if these acclaimed actors will reprise their roles for the Amazon MGM Studios television production. In the meantime, you don’t want to wait to hear this twisty story told in audio.
Jasmine Guillory’s debut novel has long been ripe for adaptation, and it was recently announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell production company and Netflix are partnering to produce a film, with the screenplay penned by veteran comedy writer Tracy Oliver. While we eagerly await to watch, start your Jasmine Guillory journey here with Janina Edwards, who narrates several of Guillory’s earlier books.
If it sounds familiar but you’re not sure why, The Lagos Wife was originally published as The Nigerwife; the title was changed with the paperback release. Author Vanessa Walters has confirmed that in 2024 HBO renewed the option to adapt it into a TV series. Dami Olukoya and Debra Michaels share the work of narrating this suspenseful mystery about a woman who has gone missing and the aunt who ventures to Lagos to find out what might have happened to her.
While it’s not S.A. Cosby’s first book, we can only hope that a page-to-screen take on All the Sinners Bleed will lead to the author’s backlist getting similar adaptation treatment. Led by Sope Dìrísù, the upcoming Netflix limited series will likely be a great example of the twisty, turny suspense thrillers Cosby has become known for. In audio, Adam Lazarre-White drives the text in compelling ways, bringing accents and acting to the next level.
The agony and ecstasy of second-chance romance is handled exquisitely in this drama from Tia Williams, narrated by vocalist and voice actor Mela Lee. Felicia Pride, founder of production company Honey Chile, will be the writer and showrunner for Amazon Prime’s adaptation. She’ll also act as executive producer alongside Tia Williams. While we wait for more news, listen in and hear why this audiobook was selected for our Best of 2021 list upon its publication.
The first installment in the Legacy of Orïsha, an epic fantasy trilogy inspired by West African myth and legend, is set to be a feature film produced by Paramount and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Narrated by Bahni Turpin, Children of Blood and Bone brings us into a fantasy world unlike any other, and pushes us through an urgent plot to rise against the oppressor. Bonus: The third book in the series is narrated by superstar Cynthia Erivo, of Wicked fame.
When The Davenports first arrived on the young adult fiction scene a few years ago, there weren’t many books for any age group centering the lives of wealthy Black families in the early 1900s. So it’s no surprise that the desire to translate that into television—with all the most gorgeous costumes, sets, and scenery imaginable—led to an option by Amazon MGM Studios and partners for Amazon Prime. With showrunners and writers connected to The Gilded Age involved, we know it’ll be done well. In the meantime, you’ll be able to dig into that world of parties, balls, and Black elites with the original and its sequel, The Davenports: More Than This, both narrated by the spectacular Joniece Abbott-Pratt.
If you start now, you might make it through the entirety of the epic Legendborn Cycle, also narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, by the time we get any much-anticipated updates on the potential television series that was optioned in 2022. The mystery, the agony, the drama, the romance, all resonate impressively through the audiobook in ways that aren’t quite captured by reading the text. We have our fingers and toes crossed that we hear more on this sure-to-be-exceptional adaptation soon.
Nonfiction books that aren’t memoir, history, or biography don’t often get optioned for film, but sometimes the concept is so good that it can break the mold. Pastor Michael Todd’s well-being and relationships guide isn’t getting a direct adaptation, but it did serve as the inspiration for a film of the same name, starring Kelly Rowland and Method Man. The author is executive producing, and the book's themes are prominent in the story. While you wait for this one to drop in February, listen to narrator Ameen Gaines share Pastor Todd’s relationship advice.
Yvonne Orji is set to produce an adaptation of this heartbreaking, gut-wrenching audiobook as part of a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television. Gyasi’s novel digs into the lives of a family of Ghanaian immigrants, one of whom seems to have her life together while her relatives are slowly deteriorating. Bahni Turpin serves as the story’s sole narrator, lending so much depth and nuance to this gorgeous family saga.
Heather Agyepong narrates this coming-of-age story about a young woman living in London with her Ghanaian family. The humorous, sometimes snarky tone of the narrative shines through Agyepong’s skilled performance, leading to an elevated listening experience. While the book was optioned by Jenna Hager Bush and Universal International Studios in 2023, we haven’t seen any announcements of creative or acting talent connected with it just yet. Here’s to hoping more news arrives in 2026.
One more recommendation for you, and this one is streaming now! Originally published in 1997, the timeless Friends and Lovers explores the relationships among a group of friends whose connections shift and evolve as life events unfold. Listen to the late Eric Jerome Dickey tell the story himself, and then watch the two-part movie event on Lifetime starring Naturi Naughton, Simone Missick, Kendrick Sampson, and RonReaco Lee.
