In celebration of World Book Day on April 23, we want to spotlight upcoming and recent book-to-screen Netflix adaptations like beloved stories 3 Body Problem, One Day, and Society of the Snow. These series and films have not only captivated global audiences; they’ve also caused a resurgence in popularity for the original source material, with many books returning to bestseller lists around the world – years and sometimes even decades – after their original release.
Following in the footsteps of past Netflix adaptations like The Queen’s Gambit, Bridgerton and Lupin, these are just some of the books tied to recent Netflix series and movies that have also experienced a literary revival:
- 3 Body Problem: The books this sci-fi epic is based on – Remembrance of Earth’s Past and Silent Spring – both appeared on Amazon’s Most Sold Chart within days of the series’ debut and The Three-Body Problem returned to the The New York Times Best Seller list.
- One Day: Following the limited series’ release, David Nicholls’ novel returned at #1 on The Sunday Times Bestsellers List bestseller list and topped Amazon UK Best Sellers of 2024 List, 15 years after the release of the novel.
- Fool Me Once: This limited series not only climbed to #7 on Netflix’s most popular TV list, but sales of Harlan Coben’s novel skyrocketed to the Amazon UK Best Sellers of 2024 List, The New York Times Best Seller list and the tie-in cover sold 20,000 physical copies post-release in the US.
- All the Light We Cannot See: In addition to spending five weeks in Netflix’s top 10 list, Anthony Doerr’s award-winning novel returned to The New York Times Best Seller list for eight weeks and reached #1 on The Washington Post paperback bestsellers list, nine years after its original release.
- Leave the World Behind: Following the debut of the film, which now sits at #5 on Netflix’s most popular list, there was more than a 20% increase in sales of Rumaan Alam’s novel per Nielsen.
- My Life With the Walter Boys: Following the series’ release, Ali Novak’s novel doubled its US print book sales, climbing onto The New York Times Best Seller list and USA Today’s Best-selling Booklist.
- Society of the Snow: After the film’s release, Pablo Vierc’s 2009 novel became the #1 seller on Amazon Spain’s Most Sold Chart. As of publication, the book is still #6 in biographies and #9 in “most gifted” on the Amazon Spain Most Sold Charts, four months after the release of the film.
And that’s not all. Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated book-to-screen adaptations coming to Netflix this year that just might also return as bestsellers:
- A Man in Full based on the novel by Tom Wolfe| Series | On Netflix May 2
- Bridgerton Season 3 based on Julia Quinn’s ‘Romancing Mr. Bridgerton’ | Series | Part 1 on Netflix May 16 and Part 2 June 13
- Thelma the Unicorn based on the novel by Aaron Blabey | Film | On Netflix May 17
- Geek Girl based on the novel by Holly Smale | Limited Series | Date Announcement – On Netflix (Ex-Canada) May 30
- Uglies based on the novel by Scott Westerfeld | Film | On Netflix 2024
- A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder based on the novel by Holly Jackson | Series | On Netflix 2024
- The Helicopter Heist based on the novel by Jonas Bonnier | Limited Series | On Netflix 2024
- The Perfect Couple based on the novel by Elin Hilderbrand | Series | On Netflix 2024
- That Christmas based on the charming trilogy of children’s books by Richard Curtis | Film | On Netflix Winter 2024
- One Hundred Years of Solitude based on the novel by Gabriel García Márquez | Series | On Netflix Late 2024
- Pedro Páramo based on the novel by Juan Rulfo | Film | On Netflix Late 2024
- The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3 based on the novels by Michael Connelly | Series | Coming Soon
- Forever, based on Judy Blume’s groundbreaking 1975 novel, is being reimagined for a new generation by Mara Brock Akil | Series | Coming Soon
Here’s to discovering and rediscovering new worlds and falling in love with stories all over again, both on and off the screen. Happy watching — and reading!