Writers Rebuild Classic Novels for New Screen Adaptations

A cluster of major screen adaptations based on classic literature is arriving in the same period.

Zoe Kazan’s Netflix limited series East of Eden, Christopher Nolan’s take on Homer’s The Odyssey, Emerald Fennell’s version of Wuthering Heights, and new productions of Sense and Sensibility and A Tale of Two Cities are all set to release soon. The writers behind these projects say they chose these specific texts because they offer a ready audience and substantive material.

Diana Reid, the screenwriter for the new Sense and Sensibility, describes the source material as free IP. She notes that audiences often seek stories set in different times with different customs, yet find deep satisfaction in recognizing shared emotional lives. She also expresses relief that her version does not need to be definitive, as many Austen adaptations have already been made.

Zoe Kazan first read John Steinbeck’s novel at age 15 and spent 20 years wanting to adapt it. While her grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 film, she aimed to cover more of the book’s content. Kazan views this process as a connection across time, calling it the opposite of AI because it avoids regurgitation.

Daniel West, who wrote the four-part A Tale of Two Cities for MGM+, points out that Dickens’ 1859 novel had gone without a major screen adaptation for nearly 40 years. West and his team considered a contemporary reimagining but dropped the idea because the injustice in the story already feels relevant to 2026. He stated that the audience does not need the modernity spoon-fed to them.

The writers focused on reshaping characters to drive the narratives. West made Lucie Manette more active, having her drive the investigation in early episodes, and introduced a new character named Hester, played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster, to replace Jarvis Lorry and Miss Pross. Kazan centered her adaptation on Cathy Ames, played by Florence Pugh, and framed the story as a bond between brothers Adam and Charles. Reid allowed Marianne and Elinor Dashwood to influence each other and staged a duel between Colonel Brandon and John Willoughby that Austen only mentioned.

Sales data indicates a renewed interest in the source material. Since East of Eden debuted on Oct. 1, Penguin Classics reported that sales of the novel rose nearly 200 percent across all formats. The book reached No. 1 on Amazon’s bestsellers list 74 years after its publication. The Economist reported that U.S. sales of The Odyssey quadrupled this year, while Wuthering Heights topped Britain’s bestseller list. West hopes these projects will nudge people toward bookshops, and Kazan says the goal is to help young people find pleasure in reading.