The Academy Awards are right around the corner, and, once again, films adapted from books have snagged multiple nominations! From a hauntingly beautiful take on a classic monster to a wacky and violent adventure, these adaptations caught the eye and the hearts of the critics this year. You still have time to read their literary inspirations before the big show on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Oscar Nominated Books to Films
One Battle After Another
In the backwoods of 1980s Northern California, a ragtag group of hippies lives away from law and society. When news reaches them that FBI agent Brock Vond has a team from the Justice Department ready to storm their community, radical Zoyd Wheeler skips town with his teenage daughter, Prairie. This sends her on a revelatory journey wherein she learns the truth about her parents and their involvement in movements dark and strange. Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland looks at how the United States transformed between the 1960s and 80s. Loosely based on this novel, the film One Battle After Another premiered in theaters on September 26, 2025.
- Nominated for: Best Actor, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Casting, Cinematography, Directing, Film Editing, Music, Best Picture, Production Design, Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay
Frankenstein
Inspired by the little-known story of William Shakespeare’s son, who died tragically young, Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Frankenstein explores the personal life of the bard and how it may have influenced his most famous work. Starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, the film adaptation premiered in theaters on December 12, 2025.
- Nominated for: Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Cinematography, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music, Best Picture, Production Design, Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay
Hamnet
Inspired by the little-known story of William Shakespeare’s son, who died tragically young, Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet explores the personal life of the bard and how it may have influenced his most famous work. Starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, the film adaptation premiered in theaters on December 12, 2025.
- Nominated for: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Casting, Costume Design, Directing, Music, Best Picture, Production Design, Best Adapted Screenplay
Train Dreams
Denis Johnson’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated novella, Train Dreams, tells the story of a hardworking laborer, married late and widowed early. A beautiful and slow meditation on life, grief, and regret. The film adaptation, starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones, premiered on Netflix on November 21, 2025.
- Nominated for: Cinematography, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay