Hollywood has always looked to books for its next great story. But in 2026, the market for literary adaptations appears particularly energized. Ahead of this year’s London Book Fair, Publishers Weekly identified a “vigorous” book-to-film pipeline. A few months later, United Talent Agency media-rights agent Orly Greenberg described the adaptation market as remarkably healthy following several years of uncertainty, adding that 2026 had been unusually ripe with big sales and big swings.
Many books remain in development for years, change hands or never reach production at all. But the volume of current activity is hard to ignore. An analysis by What’s on Netflix recently identified more than 25 books that Netflix has quietly optioned for future film and television development, following more than 30 books and comics the publication identified during the preceding 12-month period. Netflix declined to comment on the individual options. The question for mystery and thriller authors isn’t whether Hollywood is still interested in books.
It clearly is. We’re seeing that activity at BestThrillers.com. A review of recent BestThrillers.com Book Award winners and finalists found numerous recognized books that have entered film or television development. Among them is Brian Cuban’s The Ambulance Chaser, which is being developed as a feature film with Lou Diamond Phillips attached as director and co-star and Academy Honorary Award recipient Wynn Thomas attached as production designer. NDoor Productions also owns the rights to Cuban’s sequel, The Body Brokers, which BestThrillers.com named the Best Crime Thriller of 2025.
Upcoming book-based projects are plentiful. According to What’s on Netflix, recent Netflix options include Richard Osman’s mystery We Solve Murders, George Pelecanos’ hardboiled detective novel Right as Rain, Elizabeth Klehfoth’s murder mystery All These Beautiful Strangers, Jane Buckingham’s YA thriller A Lie for a Lie and Harlan Coben’s Drop Shot, the second novel in his Myron Bolitar series. Netflix is also developing Freida McFadden’s Never Lie as a feature film produced by Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment. Meanwhile, 2026 theatrical adaptations include Colleen Hoover’s psychological thriller Verity and Daniel Kraus’ survival thriller Whalefall, while McFadden’s The Housemaid’s Secret is scheduled for December 2027.
The Real Prize May Be Reader Discovery
Of course, getting a Hollywood option can generate income and prestige.
But for authors and publishers, the more consequential opportunity may come later.
Screen adaptations can sell books, and in 2026, there is unusually strong evidence showing exactly what that can look like.
When Netflix released its adaptation of Alice Feeney’s psychological thriller His & Hers, the original 2020 novel climbed to #15 on Amazon’s bestseller list.
Also, Spotify audiobook listening increased 494%. That is remarkable for a book that had already been on the market for roughly six years.
Agatha Christie provides another dramatic example. HarperCollins reported that sales of The Seven Dials Mystery increased fourfold following the premiere of its Netflix series adaptation.
The phenomenon isn’t limited to thrillers.
Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation returned to the New York Times bestseller list after its Netflix adaptation and experienced a 97% increase in sales across all formats during the following two weeks. Spotify listening jumped 515%.
Jennifer Iacopelli’s Finding Her Edge provides perhaps an even clearer demonstration of how a screen adaptation can expand an author’s publishing footprint. Its Netflix tie-in paperback reportedly sold 500% more copies than the original hardcover, Spotify audiobook listening rose 990%, and interest surrounding the adaptation helped generate additional international publishing and translation deals.
These aren’t simply movie-ticket stories.
They are reader-acquisition stories.
The Backlist Suddenly Has Another Life
This may be the most important lesson for authors.
Traditional book marketing is heavily weighted toward launch.
New-release campaigns, advertising, reviews, publicity, discounts and retailer promotion are generally strongest around publication.
Then attention moves elsewhere.
Hollywood operates on an entirely different timetable.
A book can be optioned months or years after publication. Development can take several additional years. And if the adaptation finally reaches a large audience, an older book can suddenly behave like a new release again.
That is essentially what happened with His & Hers.
A six-year-old psychological thriller suddenly found itself near the top of Amazon after Netflix introduced the story to an enormous new audience.
For publishers, that can reopen the backlist.
For authors, it can introduce an entire catalog to readers who may never previously have encountered their work.
And for series writers, the effect can potentially extend beyond the adapted title.
A viewer who discovers one mystery through Netflix may become a reader of the next five books.