Before any Netflix show hits your screen, there’s a quiet, unglamorous first step: someone at the company buys the rights to a book. Netflix has spent the past year doing exactly that — over 25 times — and the resulting list reveals exactly where the streamer’s ambitions lie next.
What a “Book Option” Actually Means
An option is a deal that lets Netflix potentially adapt a book into film or TV — it’s not a guarantee of production. Many optioned titles quietly stall. But last year’s options included S.A. Cosby’s King of Ashes, which turned into a bidding war eventually won by Netflix with Michelle and Barack Obama’s Higher Ground attached — proof that this list is a genuine early look at what’s coming.
The Big Patterns
Four clear trends emerge from this year’s haul:
- Doubling down on hits — new Richard Osman and Harlan Coben titles expand existing franchises
- Swoon-worthy romance — multiple picks feed the Virgin River / Nobody Wants This audience
- Historical survival stories — a shift away from standard true-crime documentaries
- Prestige literary swings — headlined by Toni Morrison’s classic
Standout Options at a Glance
| Title | Author | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| We Solve Murders | Richard Osman | Mystery |
| Drop Shot | Harlan Coben | Thriller |
| Girl Dinner | Olivie Blake | Horror satire |
| The Bird’s Nest | Shirley Jackson | Psychological horror |
| The Bluest Eye | Toni Morrison | Literary drama |
| Right as Rain | George P. Pelecanos | Crime |
| The Gunfighters | Bryan Burrough | Historical nonfiction |
| The Bering | Sean Flynn | Survival thriller |
The Prestige Play: The Bluest Eye
The most significant title on the list is easily Toni Morrison‘s 1970 debut novel — a landmark of American literature following a young Black girl in post-Depression Ohio who longs for blue eyes to fit an exclusionary beauty standard. Adapting a Nobel laureate’s foundational work is a serious statement about Netflix’s prestige ambitions, and the choice of director will be closely watched.
Romance and Horror Get Real Investment
Bestselling romance author Tia Williams landed two separate options (Seven Days in June and A Love Song for Ricki Wilde), while Olivie Blake’s cannibalistic sorority satire Girl Dinner suggests Netflix is hunting for its next You-style dark thriller. Meanwhile, Shirley Jackson’s The Bird’s Nest signals another attempt to replicate the success of The Haunting of Hill House.
For more Netflix development news and release trackers, check out the entertainment coverage on TechnoSports.
