MrBeast can add best-selling author to his resumé.
The creator (real name Jimmy Donaldson) and James Patterson‘s new novel, The Most Dangerous Games, has debuted at No. 3 on The New York Times hardcover-fiction bestseller list.
In addition, the book ranks at No. 1 on Amazon’s list of mystery, thriller and suspense new releases and No. 2 in action and adventure new releases. It also reached No. 2 on Amazon new-release list and is on the top 10 list of USA Today‘s bestsellers.
Donaldson is also selling the book on his own website, but those numbers don’t factor in to the bestseller lists.
Meanwhile, sources inside his company confirm there are active talks around film rights.
According to the book’swebpage, the logline is: “A thousand strangers receive the invitation. One hundred make the cut. An unprecedented competition from MrBeast, the world’s #1 creator with more than a billion followers, and James Patterson, the world’s #1 bestselling author, where the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“The Games begin in Antarctica, where one wrong step “on the ice kills you, and they never let up: Shark water off a remote Chilean island, desert heat that cooks you where you stand, storm-battered peaks, and caves so black you cannot find your own hand. No rescue. No second chances. A billion dollars to whoever is still standing.
“Then the terrain stops being the thing that can kill you, and the other players start. Alliances turn into ambushes. Trust becomes the sharpest weapon. And somewhere above it all, a hidden voice is watching every move, testing, deciding who deserves to survive.”
The book came about when Patterson traveled to Greenville, North Carolina, where Donaldson lives and operates his business, to brainstorm some ideas. While on a walk around the property, the two discussed the vision and officially greenlit the project and co-developed the core concept.
Patterson then constructed the story outline, meeting weekly with Donaldson to review drafts, provide notes and refine the narrative. It’s understood that Patterson became a writing mentor to Donaldson, who learned more about traditional storytelling outside of YouTube as well as insight into how to craft a tale of suspense, develop characters and drive the narrative.
Donaldson and Patterson have been promoting the book on social media, including in a YouTube short titled “Read My Book, You Could Win $1,000,000.” Donaldson, who has 515 million subscribers on YouTube, is known for giving away money to his followers for taking part in (and successfully completing) various outlandish stunts. He also hosts competition series Beast Games on Prime Video.