The Dark Room
Haunting Adeline Movie: What We Actually Know So Far
A film of Haunting Adeline is in development. What H. D. Carlton has confirmed, and the rumours that are not true.
A Haunting Adeline film is on the way, and the internet is already filling the gaps with rubbish. Here is what is actually confirmed.
Carlton announced it in July 2026. A feature film, not a series.
She’s got her hands on it. She says she has a say in “the script, the casting, the music, the set design”. That’s not a writer smiling from the side lines.
She’s casting like she means it. On 11 October she started a hunt for her Adeline: five signed copies of the book in a Los Angeles Barnes & Noble, each hiding a clue. In August there were open auditions for Sibby.
Now the rubbish. Netflix: false. The posters of Zade with a famous face: fan edits. The 2027 release date: nobody official has said it.
Full rundown, sources and all, on the Haunting Adeline movie page. Ratings for the book are here.
If you don’t want to wait for a cinema, I’m already here. Read Zade Masked on Patreon.
Why the film is controversial
Not everyone wants this film. Within days of the announcement, the row had spilled well past BookTok.
Critics say the book sells stalking and sex without consent as romance, and that a film puts it in front of people who never chose to pick up the book. Supporters say adults can tell fiction from endorsement, and that the warnings exist so nobody walks in blind.
Carlton’s answer has been short: the film is still happening.
Both sides deserve a fair hearing, so I’ve laid them out here: Is dark romance harmful?
Is there a petition?
Yes, several, and they pull both ways. As of 16 October 2026, the biggest petition against the film on Change.org has more than 30,000 signatures. One asking for it to go ahead has about 1,100.
A petition can’t cancel a film. What it does show is how loud this fight has got.
Graphic novels
The film isn’t the only adaptation. Haunting Adeline is also being turned into an adult comic series by Deviant Ink Publishing, with collected graphic novels to follow and Blackstone distributing. Variety says the comics are due in early 2027.
What will it be rated?
No rating has been announced. Carlton has promised not to water it down, so it’s likely to be pitched at adults. Whether that ends up a standard R or something stricter is pure guesswork for now, and nothing is confirmed.
FAQ
Is the Haunting Adeline movie cancelled?
No. Carlton has said the film is still happening, backlash and petitions and all. No studio or distributor has been announced yet.
Is there a Haunting Adeline graphic novel?
Yes. Deviant Ink Publishing is turning it into an adult comic series, with collected graphic novels to follow. Variety says the comics are due in early 2027.
What age rating will the Haunting Adeline movie have?
No rating has been announced. Carlton says the film won’t be watered down, so it’s expected to be pitched at adults, but the actual rating is anyone’s guess.
On the shelf
The books this essay is standing next to. Notes on those pages are original. The warnings are there before the plot.
Essays are opinion. They are not a substitute for an author’s own warning note. Patreon · Ko-fi · Library