In March 2025, it was announced that YouTube’s biggest creator, MrBeast (also known as Jimmy Donaldson), would be co-writing a thriller novel alongside James Patterson, one of publishing’s most prolific names.
The book is set for a global simultaneous release in September 2026, across 15 different languages. And while that alone is a strange enough pairing, the details surrounding the deal get considerably odder from there.
James Patterson holds the New York Times record for the most number one bestsellers, sitting at 67. He has written over 200 novels since 1976, averaging roughly four books a year. That output is only possible because Patterson famously co-writes. He typically develops a 50 to 70 page outline and then brings in collaborators to fill in the gaps, leading to longstanding accusations that ghost writers do much of the heavy lifting.
Past collaborators have ranged from Bill Clinton to Dolly Parton, so MrBeast is far from the first non-writer to attach his name to a Patterson project.
The book itself centers on 100 contestants competing in a high-stakes global challenge, surviving dangerous tests in treacherous locations around the world while proving their leadership skills.
Relationships form, betrayals occur, contestants are eliminated or perish along the way, and the last person standing wins one billion dollars. It has been compared to Squid Game, though whether that comparison holds remains to be seen.
Harper Collins president and CEO Brian Murray said, “In the age of social media, storytelling has the power to travel the globe in an instant. And when the world’s number one thriller writer and the number one social media creator come together to write a book, it demands a global simultaneous release.”
Mr. Beast himself added, “I’m pumped to be teaming up with James, one of the bestselling authors of all time, on this action-packed story. We’re both passionate about inspiring people around the world to read more and I hope this also opens doors for other creators looking to get published.”
Shortly after the announcement, Deadline reported that an eight-figure bidding war had broken out over the movie rights, which means the book had not even been published before Hollywood was already circling it.
Part of the stated goal behind this collaboration is addressing a widely discussed concern in the publishing world: men are not reading. According to one report, more than 40% of American men did not read a single book in the past year, and publishers have been searching for a figure who could change that. MrBeast, apparently, is that figure, someone described in one piece as a potential “male Oprah Winfrey.”
Public reaction has been largely skeptical. Critics have questioned whether a thriller novel realistically targets MrBeast’s core audience, and whether the co-writing credit reflects any meaningful creative contribution from Donaldson at all.
