Book sales are soaring as more novels make their way from page to screen this year.
From Project Hail Mary to The Odyssey, movie fans are exploring the books behind some of 2026’s biggest cinema releases.
New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry saw book sales rise by 97% two weeks after the film version of People We Meet On Vacation arrived, according to Penguin Publishing Group.
Spotify also recorded a 494% increase in audiobook listens for the psychological thriller His and Hers after Netflix premiered its series adaptation.
However, half of UK adults do not read regularly. So, can movie adaptations help bring more people back to books?
The ancient poem tackling a modern crisis
Christopher Nolan’s version of The Odyssey has sparked huge interest in the ancient epic.
According to market researchers NielsenIQ, sales of the classic increased by 1,400% during the four weeks before the film’s release.
The 2026 fantasy action film stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland. It has also created strong interest among the BookTok community.
TikTok creator @melovesreading included the poem in her “rot and read” series. She wanted to finish Emily Wilson’s translation before watching the film in cinemas.
She used headphones and annotation stickers while reading the epic. In her reading recap last month, she gave the book 3.75 stars out of five.
She is not the only reader joining the trend.
Book clubs on reading app Fable are also taking on the classic. Members discuss the 24-chapter work together through community forums.
Almost one in four readers say reading helps them feel connected to other people.
As a result, online communities can play an important role. They can help new readers stay engaged with the hobby.
The more controversial, the better?
On February 14, Emerald Fennell released her adaptation of Emily Brontë’s gothic classic Wuthering Heights in cinemas.
The film sparked debate across social media. Fennell’s casting choices and modern soundtrack by Charli XCX attracted particular attention.
Some viewers defended the adaptation on TikTok.
Content creator @cstar1992 said: “I could have watched 4 more hours of Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie pine after each other.”
However, other viewers strongly disagreed.
@nooriekhalid criticised the film, saying: “It shows a complete lack of care for Emily Bronte’s work through the inaccurate casting and costuming.”
Whether audiences loved or disliked the film, the debate generated fresh interest in Brontë’s novel.
Penguin Classics UK reported a 132% increase in sales after the first teaser trailer arrived last September.
READ NEXT: Harry Potter fans force reroute of major UK-Ireland electricity cable
