MrBeast and James Patterson book faces questions over weak presales

MUMBAI: The book may be facing a plot twist before readers even reach chapter one. The Most Dangerous Games, the new thriller co-written by YouTube star MrBeast and bestselling author James Patterson, is reportedly tracking poorly in presales, sparking questions over whether the high-profile collaboration can deliver a blockbuster launch.

According to a Semafor report citing anonymous sources close to the project, preorders were in the four digits as of last week described as only a small fraction of the sales needed to justify the fees paid to Patterson and MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson.

The book was ranked No. 18 on Amazon’s new releases list as of Monday. However, another source familiar with the project told The Hollywood Reporter that the preorder figure is not unusual for a genre novel and argued that first-week sales, rather than pre-release orders, will be the more meaningful measure. The book was also ranked No. 1 in Amazon’s mystery novels category.

The Most Dangerous Games is built around a competition with particularly high stakes. According to its publisher’s description, 1,000 strangers receive invitations, 100 are selected and contestants compete for a $1 billion prize.

The story takes players through Antarctica, remote islands, deserts, mountains and caves before turning the competition itself into the greater threat, as alliances collapse and contestants begin targeting one another.

For MrBeast, the concept is hardly a departure from his YouTube persona. Donaldson has 515 million subscribers on YouTube and has built his enormous following through elaborate challenges, competitions and videos featuring substantial cash prizes.

He and Patterson have also been pushing the book across social media, including a YouTube Short inviting viewers to read the novel for a chance to win $1 million.

The collaboration brings together two very different forms of celebrity: Patterson’s decades-long position in commercial publishing and MrBeast’s enormous internet audience.

That combination gives the book plenty of visibility, but the early sales figures have raised the question of whether online reach will translate into readers willing to buy a physical or digital novel.

The reported presales have been challenged by another source close to the project, making the eventual first-week performance particularly important. HarperCollins, the book’s publisher, had not publicly commented on the reported preorder figures.

For now, The Most Dangerous Games remains less a confirmed publishing flop than a book whose opening chapter has already acquired a little suspense of its own.