5 New & Upcoming TV Shows Based on Popular Films That We're Excited For!

'Welcome to Derry', marks one of the many announcements in the past few years of adaptations taking a swing at the episodic world. This follows a trend of film-to-series transformations. The streaming show version of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, that came out early 2024 was a huge development within this trend. As well as the "Sexy Beast" TV series on Hulu starring James McArdle and Emun Elliott. 

Here are all the other films trying on the series look that are expected in the next couple years (and where to watch them when they come out)!

1. "Welcome To Derry" (Max)

The series is an adaptation of the horror movie It, which itself is the adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name. A two-part film series was released in 2017 and 2019, starring Finn Wilfhard, Jaeden Martell, and Bill Skarsgard. The series is set to welcome Bill Skarsgard back in his role as the terrifying Pennywise the Clown. Joining him are Madeleine Stowe ("Revenge"), James Remar (Oppenheimer), and Jovan Adepo (Babylon). "Welcome To Derry" will follow the town of citizens of the small Maine town of Derry and will serve as a prequel to the events of the film and set in the 1960s. With a release date in 2025, you’ll be able to stream the series on Max!

2. "Elle" (Prime Video)

Reese Witherspoon made the announcement in May that her classic 2001 film Legally Blonde will be adapted into an Prime Video prequel series. "Elle" is also set to release in 2025. Because of its early stages, not much is known about this adaptation except that it will follow Elle Woods in her high school years. 

3. "300" (TBA)

Warner Bros. is currently in the early stages of development adapting the 2006 action film 300 into a series for a streaming platform. Due to the early stages, not much is known about the future of the series. The production is presently in negotiations with Zach Synder, who was the director behind the original film version of 300 as well as a co-writer. Having him on the series project as a director shows promise for the series to honor the original medium. No writer is attached to the project as of this writing, but a team of producers are prepping the production to develop further. There is currently no release date, so stay tuned for further updates. 

4. "The Conjuring" (Max)

It was announced in 2023 that Max was in early stages of development with a TV series based on The Conjuring movie franchise. Max shared that the series would "continue the story established in the feature films." They also shared that the film’s original director, James Wan, will be involved with both development and production, with ties already announced to his production house Atomic Monster. While the film series follows the story of demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, as played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, the actors have not confirmed their involvement as of yet. A release date in 2026 was announced in the most recent update, and the series will be available to stream on Max. 

5. "Time Bandits" (Apple TV+)

Time Bandits originally released in 1981 starring Sean Connery, Shelley DuVall, and John Cleese, and now it’s a tv series! Starring Kal-El Tuck and Lisa Kudrow, with directors Taiki Waititi, Jeff Tomsic, and Yana Gorskaya, the story follows a similar plot as the film in a series platform -- a young boy and his adventures with time traveling pirates setting out for treasure. The series is now available to stream on Apple TV+.