Nicholas Sparksranks easily among the most popular romance authors of the past decades, with books that have conquered audiences all over the world and sold an estimated 115 million copies in over 50 different languages. Fans of this author’s work know that each and every one of his stories is an adventure that makes them get involved with the characters, admire their love story, and even shed a few tears along the way. And while his books feature fairly traditional characters and romantic relationships that haven’t changed much over the years, they are still good enough to become New York Times bestsellers in no time.
Because Sparks has such a large audience that follows him, every time one of his novels makes it to the silver screen, many people around the world rush to their nearest movie theater to watch it. Over the years, Sparks has published 23 romance novels and two non-fiction pieces. Of all his novels, 11 have beenadapted to filmstarring some of the industry’s most popular stars.
Among his greatest adaptations to date is, of course,The Notebook, which hit theaters in 2004 with Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling headlining the cast. However, despite the fact that the screen adaptations of his romantic novels have proved to be box office hits, most of themhave not earned positive reviews. That has not stopped fans from eagerly awaiting Sparks' latest novels to hit the silver screen and, after several years without updates on the matter, it might actually be happening again in the near future.
Sparks' Deal With Universal Pictures
SinceMessage in a Bottle,starring Kevin Costnerand Robin Wright, hit theaters in 1999, Sparks' stories have taken over the silver screen every couple of years, allowing readers to connect with their favorite characters and, at the same time, making Sparks' work even more popular. To date, the author’s latest novel to make it to theaters isThe Choice, a 2016 film starring Benjamin Walker and Teresa Palmer that follows two neighbors who fall in love and embark on a messy relationship. In this Ross Katz film, Nicholas Sparks also serves as producer.
Six years after his last film adaptation premiered, Sparks made headlines again after announcing his partnership with Universal Pictures and Anonymous Content to produce three films based on his novels to be released in the next few years. According toDeadline, Sparks is clearly excited about this deal. “An author could not ask for better producing partners than Anonymous Content, whose taste and history of making award-winning film and television are undisputed. Zack, David and Dawn are as savvy and sophisticated as they come,” he stated. “Furthermore, it has always been my dream to have my film adaptations at Universal Pictures - they are truly the gold standard, famous for their high-quality dramas of all kinds”.
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The first film to hit theaters as a product of this partnership between Sparks and Universal Pictures will be based on his 2021 novelThe Wish, the author’s second-to-last published book. This love story follows Maggie Dawes, a teenager who, in 1996, is shipped off to live with an aunt in a remote Outer Banks village. Although Maggie struggles with her new reality living with a person she barely knows and far from her friends and family, this journey ends up turning her life upside down once she meets Bryce, a young man fascinated by photography who will change her future.
In 2019, 23 years after the trip that shaped her teenage years, Maggie is a well-known travel photographer and director of a New York City gallery facing a heartbreaking medical diagnosis. Under these circumstances, she starts to develop feelings for one of her young assistants, with whom she forges a special bond.
Zack Hayden is set to produce this adaptation viaAnonymous Content, and Sparks' literary agent, Theresa Park, will also be involved. However, it is still unclear who will be completing the crew of this production, which actors will join the cast and when it is expected to premiere.
Related:Every Nicholas Sparks Movie Adaptation, Ranked by Box Office Gross
Additional Novels That Could Make It to the Silver Screen
So far,The Wishis the only novel that has been confirmed to get a film adaptation, and there is no word on which of Sparks' books will be optioned for the other two films under the Universal Pictures deal. However, there is speculation that they might be two of the author’s latest novels,The ReturnandDreamland.
The former was released in September 2020 and follows Trevor Benson, a surgeon who is forced to move back to his hometown after an accident in Afghanistan that left him seriously injured. As he settles into an old cabin he inherited from his late grandfather, Trevor meets two women who are about to reshape his life: a deputy sheriff for whom he develops a romantic interest, and a teenage girl who seems to have had something to do with his grandfather’s death.
On the other hand,Dreamlandis Sparks' latest book to date, and follows Colby, Morgan, and Beverly, three characters with very different backgrounds whose paths connect as they debate how much they are willing to risk in order to fulfill their dreams and put the past behind them.
