James Patterson Books Made Into Movies and TV Shows – and Where to Watch Them All

Cross, the TV adaptation of James Patterson’s 2006 novel, premieres this week! To get you prepared for the series, we have a list of all of the author’s books that were made into movies and TV shows and where you can watch them.

For those of you who are not familiar with the novel, the story follows the titular character, a detective and forensic psychologist who can dig into the psyches of killers and their victims in order to catch serial killers. The show will consist of eight episodes, with all eight episodes available to stream on Thursday, November 14, on Amazon Prime Video. New subscribers can watch the series for free!

James Patterson Books Made into TV Shows

When it comes to the new series on Prime Video, the creator, showrunner, and executive producer, Ben Watkins, had a different vision in mind for who he wanted to portray Alex Cross. “I had a dream that Aldis would be Alex Cross,” Watkins said in an interview. “He was the blueprint. Aldis exudes this curiosity. He is wise beyond his years, but in a grounded way. He has this very intense intellectual feel to him, and I knew Alex Cross had to have that. But I also needed the vulnerability. Because for this to work—and it’s one of the things I’m most proud of about this series—Alex Cross can’t be a superhero.”

Aside from Cross, which airs on November 14, there are several other series based on James Patterson’s iconic character.

• Instinct (2018): This series follows anthropologist Ethan Powell, who becomes unhinged after not having any human contact while he is studying gorillas. A psychiatrist gets called in to investigate his well-being.
• The Postcard Killings (2020): This series follows an NYPD officer who is in search of his daughter’s murderer and uncovers a complex web of serial killers.
  • Watch for free on Prime Video or AppleTV
  • Buy the book on Amazon.

James Patterson Books Made into Movies

In addition to the aforementioned shows, Alex Cross has been featured in three different movies. Morgan Freeman played the titular character in the first two movie adaptations with Tyler Perry taking the mantle for the most recent film in 2012.

• Kiss the Girls (1997) – Forensic psychologist Alex Cross is on the search for his niece when he discovers that her disappearance could be related to an insane killer known as “Casanova.”
  • Watch for free on Prime Video or AppleTV
  • Buy the book on Amazon
• Along Came a Spider (2001) – This psychological suspense thriller follows Alex Cross, who is lured into a case by a methodical predator named Gary Soneji, who commits a kidnapping.
  • Watch for for free on Paramount+, Prime Video or AppleTV
  • Buy the book on Amazon.
• Alex Cross (2012)—This film follows Alex Cross, a detective for the Detroit Police Department who can get inside criminals’ heads to discover their crimes.
  • Watch for free on Prime Video or AppleTV
  • Buy the book on Amazon