From the Cinema to the Bookstore: Why Book Sales Rise after Film Premieres

After film adaptations are released, Ukrainian publishers and bookstores report growing sales of the books the films are based on.

How film premieres affect the book market, which Ukrainian publishers have already felt this effect, and why after watching a film viewers look for the original stories — read about it in DeTalks' article.

One example of an adaptation’s effect on book demand is Colleen Hoover’s novel “It Ends with Us”.

It is a novel by the American writer Colleen Hoover about love, complicated relationships, and an attempt to break the cycle of domestic abuse. The protagonist, Lily Bloom, moves to Boston, where she opens her own flower shop and meets neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid.

At first, the relationship seems perfect, but over time Lily notices traits in Ryle’s behaviour that remind her of her difficult childhood and her parents’ relationship. The situation is complicated by the appearance of Atlas Corrigan — Lily’s first love.

After the film was released in Ukrainian cinemas, the publishing house “Vivat” reported a quick sell-out of the print run.

Vivat CEO Yuliia Orlova told Forbes Ukraine that in August 2024 the publishing house received 15,000 copies of the novel. Within two weeks, the print run was sold to buyers and distributors. After that, Vivat planned an additional print run of 10,000 copies.

Changes in sales were also reported by the “Readeat” bookstore. After the film’s release, the bookstore’s total sales grew by 8%, with nearly half of that growth driven by the aforementioned novel.

“Wuthering Heights” is a novel by the English writer Emily Brontë, first published in 1847. The plot centres on the complicated relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a boy whom Catherine’s family took in at their estate.

Their story unfolds against a backdrop of social inequality, insults, and a desire for revenge, and its consequences affect the next generation of characters as well.

After the release of the new adaptation, whose premiere in Ukraine took place on February 12, 2026, Ukrainian publishers and bookstores reported growing interest in the novel.

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As reported by Suspilne Culture, the publishing house “KSD” released a print run of four thousand copies on February 5 — a week before the premiere. The print run sold out within two weeks.

Growing interest in the novel was also reported by “Knigolove”. According to the publishing house, attention to the book grew over three months amid the publicity campaign around the adaptation. The company prepared an additional print run, which it sold out in a month and a half.

An increase in reader searches, sales in partner bookstores, and orders for "Wuthering Heights" on its own website was also recorded by Nebo BookLab Publishing.

“Dune” is a science fiction novel by the American writer Frank Herbert, first published in 1965. The book is set on the desert planet Arrakis, where melange is harvested — an extremely valuable substance that influences political and economic power in the galaxy.

The plot centres on Paul Atreides, heir to a noble house whose family gains control of Arrakis. After his father’s betrayal and death, Paul finds himself among the Fremen — the planet’s indigenous people — and gradually becomes part of the fight for its future.

After the release of “Dune: Part Two”, directed by Denis Villeneuve, Ukrainian bookstores and publishers recorded growing sales of Frank Herbert’s book series.

In early March 2024, sales of “Dune” books at the “Ye” bookstore were three times higher than in January. Knigoland reported a 36% increase in average sales of the series after the film’s release.

KSD recorded similar dynamics as well. According to PR manager Tetiana Riabchenko, in the first 11 days of March the publishing house sold as many books of the series as in the previous two months.

The book’s updated design also played a role in the sales growth. KSD noted, that the new dust jacket, designed in the style of the film poster, could also have drawn readers’ attention.

“The Housemaid” is a psychological thriller by the American writer Freida McFadden, published in 2022. The protagonist is Millie Calloway, who agrees to work as a maid for the wealthy Winchester family.

At first, the new job seems like a chance to start life over, but gradually Millie notices the strange behaviour of the lady of the house, Nina, and faces circumstances that make her doubt her own safety. Behind the family’s outward troubles lies a series of secrets, and Millie herself finds herself in a situation where not everything is what it seems.

The film adaptation of the novel was released in Ukrainian cinemas on January 1, 2026. After the first month of the film’s run, “The Housemaid” became the most popular thriller in paperback format in the “Vivat” online bookstore. The publishing house announced this in its January sales ranking.

The book’s popularity was not limited to the print edition. In the e-book ranking for January, the top two spots went to “The Housemaid” and its series follow-up “The Housemaid’s Secret”. And among audiobooks, all three novels made it into the top three — “The Housemaid”, “The Housemaid’s Secret”, and “The Housemaid Is Watching”.

Vivat CEO Yuliia Orlova also noted in a column for NV that interest in the novel had been growing even before the film’s premiere. Before the film’s release, the publishing house printed a new print run with a dust jacket designed after the film poster.

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A study by Netflix and “NIQ” explains why viewers decide to buy the book after watching an adaptation. “From Screen to Page” was presented in May 2026 based on data from the Italian book market. Analysts examined 187 films and series released in 2022–2025 and 2,403 related book editions.

According to data from Netflix, average sales of the respective books grew by 197% in the first four weeks after the adaptation’s release. Over the first 16 weeks, the increase was 120%, and over a period of up to 44 weeks — 64%. About 87% of the total sales growth in the first weeks came from books that were already in publishers’ catalogues.

A reader survey also revealed the reasons for interest in literary originals. 68% of respondents wanted to find out how the book differs from the adaptation, and 66% bought the book after watching the adaptation.

For some viewers, watching the film becomes their first encounter with the story. The book makes it possible to learn more about the characters, pay attention to details that did not make it into the screenplay, or compare the author’s text with the director’s interpretation.