Stay tuned for Kirkus’ in-depth columns on The Life of Chuck, a theatrical film based on the Stephen King novella, which appeared in his Kirkus-starred collection If It Bleeds (premiering June 6); and We Were Liars, a Prime Video series based on the YA novel by E. Lockhart, which also received a Kirkus star (premiering June 18). In the meantime, here are four more book-to-screen adaptations coming in June:

June 6: The Survivors (series premiere, Netflix)

In Australian author Jane Harper’s 2021 mystery-thriller, Kieran Elliott returns to his coastal Tasmanian hometown with his partner, Mia, to take care of his ailing father; there, he reunites with friends Sean, Olivia, and Ash. Twelve years earlier, a boating accident claimed the lives of Kieran’s brother, Finn, and Sean’s sibling, Toby; Olivia’s sister, Gabby, also went missing the same night, apparently another victim of the brutal storm. In the present, Olivia’s housemate, Bronte, turns up dead, kicking off what Kirkus’ reviewer praised as a “layered and nuanced mystery.” This streaming series features an intriguing cast, including Charlie Vickers, who memorably portrayed the villainous Sauron in the Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, as Kieran; Yerin Ha, who starred in the ambitious but underseen Paramount+ series Halo, as Mia; and Underground’s Jessica De Gouw as Olivia.

June 13: How To Train Your Dragon (theatrical film premiere)

This live-action theatrical film, written and directed Dean DeBlois, is loosely based on the bestselling 2004 children’s fantasy novel by Cressida Cowell. DeBlois not only helmed the hugely popular animated How To Train Your Dragon film trilogy (released between 2010 and 2019), but also the much-loved Disney classic Lilo & Stitch (2002). In this live-action movie, Mason Thames—who was excellent in the 2022 horror film The Black Phone—stars as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a young Viking who encounters and befriends a likable young dragon known as Toothless. The latest trailer’s extensive CGI animation promises an impressive spectacle, and the cast includes the always-welcome Nick Frost as the vividly named blacksmith Gobber the Belch. Gerard Butler also appears as Hiccup’s father, Stoick the Vast, the chieftain of the Viking village of Berk; Butler provided the voice of the same character in all three animated films.

June 18: The Buccaneers (Season 2 premiere, Apple TV+)

This streaming series, which premiered two years ago, is based on the novel by Edith Wharton, which was unfinished upon her death in 1937 but completed by Marion Mainwaring in 1993. The story, set in the 1870s, focuses on the fortunes of a group of young American debutantesfrom newly wealthy families, hoping to find suitable husbands. They find themselves shunned in New York’s old-money social circles, so they hope to have better luck in London with the help of governess Laura Testvalley. Culture clashes and unhappy marriages ensue, and one young wife, Annabel “Nan” St. George, later seeks a divorce so that she may find happiness with her true love, Englishman Guy Thwarte. This show, whose first season ended with Nan’s marriage, adds a modern, pop-song soundtrack and many other new elements to the narrative, including a same-sex romantic relationship. The talented Kristine Frøseth, as Nan, leads a fine cast that features some pleasantly familiar actors, including Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks and, new to this season, Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester.

June 27: Hot Milk (theatrical film premiere)

In Deborah Levy’s Kirkus-starred 2016 novel, 25-year-old Englishwoman Sofia Papastergiadis left her doctoral studies in anthropology behind to take care of her mother, Rose, whose ailments include a strange paralysis in her legs. They’ve traveled to the Gómez Clinic in Spain to pursue a possible cure, although the source of Rose’s illnesses is unclear. While there, Dr. Gómez urges Sofia to become more decisive in her life, which she does by becoming more sexually adventurous, but she still struggles with anxiety and loneliness. A new film adaptation features a stellar cast, including Sex Education’s Emma Mackey as Sofia and Andor’s Fiona Shaw as Rose; Phantom Thread’s Vicky Krieps co-stars as Ingrid, a woman with whom Sofia has a fraught relationship. It’s the directorial debut of playwright and screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz, who also penned the screenplay for the acclaimed 2022 film She Said.

David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.