5 Best John Steinbeck Books That Deserve Netflix Adaptation

John Steinbeck’s awards speak for themselves, as he won both the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Pulitzer Prize. Many of his novels have already been adapted, with fans most familiar with The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men. However, among the 16 novels he has written, many more deserve Hollywood adaptations.

Netflix has adapted many novels and IPs over the years, and has even gotten into manga now. The streamer has proven that they are not afraid to explore grounded themes with films like Train Dreams. Here are five of the best John Steinbeck novels that would fit right in at the streaming platform.

5 A Retelling of Arthurian Legend in The Acts of King Arthur

John Steinbeck spent years adapting the Arthurian legend by Sir Thomas Malory, and the manuscript was still unfinished at the time of his death. The author reportedly spent years in a cottage in Somerset with his family while working on the retelling. While he never finished the novel, it was published posthumously in 1976 under The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights.

The novel ends with the death of chivalry in Lancelot. An adaptation would be a great period film, set during Arthurian times and looking at the various tales of the King. A miniseries would be a great way to go about it, while a film could again just be incomplete or rushed through. Netflix already has plenty of experience in the period setting, and can do an interesting take like Bridgerton.

4 The Short Reign of Pippin IV Would Be a Brilliant Satire

Inspired by Steinbeck’s 1954 stay in Paris, this 1957 satire imagines French politicians reviving the monarchy and crowning an amateur astronomer descended from Charlemagne. Hollywood potential rests on its comedy: a gentle, absurdist political farce in the vein of Wes Anderson or The Death of Stalin, with European locations, an ensemble of schemers, and a reluctant king.

Even something like Tom Cruise’s Digger could work wonders. Netflix has shown international comedies travel well, and an eight-episode limited series fits this lighthearted French satire perfectly.

3 A Hollywood Re-do of The Winter of Our Discontent Would Be Incredible

John Steinbeck’s only novel set entirely on the East Coast actually had an adaptation, but it was made for TV and by the Hallmark Hall of Fame. The Winter of Our Discontent follows the story of Ethan, a former wealthy aristocrat who hopes to take back his family wealth and loses his morality in the process. It is a story that definitely needs a Hollywood touch.

We have seen such morality tales, with the protagonist slowly getting corrupted as the story goes on. A Josh Safdie-style character study on the lines of Marty Supreme or Good Time would be perfect for Netflix. The streamer has done slow burn before, and something like this would work brilliantly.

2 To a God Unknown Could Work as a Robert Eggers-esque Folk Horror

One of Steinbeck’s longest novels, the author apparently took five years to complete it. To a God Unknown sees Joseph Wayne start a homestead on a piece of land in California, but tragedies begin to befall him as the years go by. Considering only a sacred rock as the protector of the land, Joseph begins to dedicate his life to the rock.

While the film does not go truly into horror territory, it has a sense of magical realism to it, which would be right in Robert Eggers’ sandbox. A long-form narrative about a man and his connection to the land while tragedy continues to befall him would be a good change of pace for Eggers, who has been doing straight horror films in his career.

1 John Steinbeck’s Cup of Gold Was His First Novel

Steinbeck’s first novel follows Welsh privateer Henry Morgan from farm boy to terror of the Spanish Main, building toward his sack of Panama and his pursuit of a mysterious woman called La Santa Roja.

The book entered the US public domain on January 1, 2025, so rights are no obstacle. Hollywood potential is clear: swashbuckling set pieces, a morally hollow antihero, and a streaming appetite for pirate dramas. Think a prestige limited series. 

Which John Steinbeck novel do you think would make a great Netflix adaptation? Comment below.