2023 is racking up to be an amazing year for LGBTQ+ movies and TV shows! Following the backlog of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year will see many of the decade’s halted adaptations finally land on our screens. And for us avid readers, we know that reading the original material before the media release is a must! At this early stage, it’s hard to get a feel for the overall shape of the year — hell, half of the adaptations on this list don’t have official release dates yet — but I can confidently say that 2023 will continue the very 2022 trend of cross-genre queer excellence.
Whether you want to laugh, cry, get scared — or do all three at once — there’s an LGBTQ+ film or show for you coming out this year. Follow along to discover some of the new and upcoming on-screen adaptations of books that we’re looking forward to!
1. Heartstopper Season 2: August 3rd
Get ready, because season 2 of the hit TV series based on Alice Oseman’s bestselling graphic novels into a teenage coming-of-age is coming back! Season 2 will be released on August 3rd with the return of schoolboys Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and their close friends. The new season will follow the events of Volume 3. We’ll finally see Nick and Charlie ease into the new normal of their romance and the romances of their friends.
The entire main cast of Heartstopper will be back for the second season, and they’ll be joined by a plethora of new faces, with Bel Priestley, Ash Self, and Thibault De Montalembert all joining the original movers and shakers.
The second season of Heartstopper will explore all the nuances and heartwarming moments of Charlie and Nick’s romance as they navigate exams, a school trip to Paris, and a prom! The official plot for season 2 also teases unforeseen challenges for Tara and Darcy, while Tao and Elle work out if they can ever be more than just friends.
While there’s no official trailer yet, they gave us this amazing teaser on Twitter!
Streaming Service: Netflix
2. Red, White & Royal Blue: August 11th
The film adaptation of the beloved gay rom-com novel recently wrapped production in England, meaning we’re just a few steps away from seeing the love story between Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) play out on-screen. To say the anticipation for the Red, White & Royal Blue movie is high would be an understatement. The 2019 novel, written by author Casey McQuiston, hit the New York Times bestseller list shortly after it was published, and Amazon Studios snapped up the film rights thereafter.
The story follows the star-crossed, secret romance between the son of the President of the United States and the Prince of England. The two high-profile young men have been engulfed in a long-running feud since they were kids — but after a silly brawl turns into an international scandal, the two must work together to do some serious damage control. What was first a friendship/publicity stunt eventually turns into one of the grandest love stories the world has ever known. However, if come to light, their secret romance could have irreversible political consequences.
Uma Thurman has been cast as Alex’s mother, newly elected United States President Ellen Claremont. Also joining the cast in undisclosed roles are Rachel Hilson, Clifton Collins Jr., Stephen Fry, Sarah Shahi, Ellie Bamber, Aneesh Sheth, Polo Morin, Ahmed Elhaj, Sharon D. Clarke, Malcolm Atobrah, Thomas Flynn, and Akshay Khanna.
Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
3. They Both Die At The End: To Be Determined
Adam Silvera’s beloved YA novel, They Both Die at the End, will soon be making its way to our TV screens. The book made history as the first YA novel with queer Latinx characters to hit No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2021, it quickly became a BookTok favorite because of its uplifting plot that pulls at readers’ heartstrings. Through the upcoming TV adaptation, Silvera’s characters Mateo and Rufus will be brought to life in a way we haven’t seen them before.
While the title of the book and show definitely reveals the ending, the story is enthralling and emotional, keeping you invested until the very end. In Silvera’s book Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day. There’s no confirmation on whether major changes will be made, but we can hold out hope that the series will do its source material justice.
While there isn’t much info on the series just yet, there’s still so much to look forward to!
Streaming Service: Netflix
4. More Happy Than Not: To Be Confirmed
Another one of Adam Silvera’s bestselling novels is getting an on-screen adaptation, this time with HBO Max! The show is set to be a one-hour series from Drew Comins at Creative Engine Entertainment and eOne. Though the show is still searching for its writer and director, Comins and Silvera are attached to executive produce.
More Happy Than Not follows 16-year-old Aaron Soto, who’s trying to find happiness again after the unexpected suicide of his father. Even with the support from his mother and his girlfriend, Aaron struggles to remember what happiness is — that is, until he meets Thomas, a new kid in the neighborhood. After the two become friends, Aaron soon realizes he may have feelings for Thomas beyond friendship and struggles to accept them. Convinced he can never be happy because of feelings, and, more deeply, his identity, Aaron turns to a memory-altering procedure from the Leteo Institute.
It’s a harrowing and emotional story about happiness and what it means to find it, even if you have to lose a part of yourself to get it.
Streaming Service: HBO Max
5. Felix Ever After: In The Works
Kacen Callender’s young adult novel Felix Ever After is getting the TV treatment with Amazon Studios developing an adaptation with Field Trip Productions. The story of a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time was published in May 2020 by HarperCollins and has been getting rave reviews.
The book follows Felix Love, who has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge.
What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle. But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself. If you haven’t read this book, do yourself a favor and get a copy. It will have you smiling and crying and yelling at the people trying to hurt Felix.
Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
6. The Girls I’ve Been: To Be Determined
The Girls I’ve Been is an upcoming Netflix Original thriller based on the novel of the same name by author Tess Sharpe. Actress Milly Bobby Brown will star in the lead role in the movie, and will also executive produce through her production studio, PCMA Productions. She will be accompanied by Ozark actor Jason Bateman who is an executive producer through his own production, Aggregate Films.
Nora O’Malley has worn the faces of many girls, from a sister to an ex, and to a secret girlfriend, she is the daughter of a con artist, who targets criminal men for a living. By growing up as her mother’s protege, Nora has learned some exceptional skills. In a twisty, exhilarating thriller centering around this young and beautiful con artist, she must use her powers of persuasion and impersonation to get herself, her girlfriend, and her ex-boyfriend free during a hostage situation at a bank.
Netflix has yet to mention a release date, but hopefully, we’ll start to see something soon!
Streaming Service: Netflix
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For more LGBTQ+ book recommendations, click here!