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EXCLUSIVE: An eight-figure bidding war has broken out on the rights to a new thriller novel from the unlikely pairing of James Patterson and MrBeast aka Jimmy Donaldson.
Deadline understands that Patterson, who is among the book world’s highest grossing authors, and YouTube’s biggest star, MrBeast, have jointly penned the novel, which has shades of Squid Game. We hear UTA has put the novel out for submission and is quickly gaining traction.
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Film, TV and novel rights are being shopped, with sources close to the process saying “eight-figure offers” for the publishing rights are being fielded. One source said it was going under the title The Most Dangerous Game, but this hasn’t been confirmed and we hear other titles are being considered.
Logline on the book reads: “Players fight to survive deadly tests held in dangerous locations around the world, as they battle to become ‘The One’.
The novel is being repped by UTA on behalf of MrBeast and by Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell of Williams & Connolly on behalf of Patterson.
There is also an accompanying nonfiction book in the package, we hear.
Prolific thriller writer Patterson has consistently raked in millions of dollars through books such as the Alex Cross novels, including Along Came a Spider. Many of his works have become films and TV shows, including Prime Video series adaptation Cross last year. His literary collaborators include Michael Crichton, Bill Clinton, Viola Davis and Dolly Parton. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal, as well as the National Book Foundation’s Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. He also has received an Edgar Award and nine Emmys. Patterson is repped by CAA and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, and Clark.
MrBeast’s popularity has exploded over recent years, and he now has the most subscribers on YouTube, currently sitting at 378M. He has pushed into numerous areas of business. His Prime Video series Beast Games earlier this year became the streamer’s most-watched unscripted show after racking up 50 million views in 25 days. The show was subject to a lawsuit when contestants claimed they were exposed to unsafe conditions and sexual harassment during filming. MrBeast has rejected the claims, saying they were blown out of proportion.
