The Rise of 'Screen Sellers': How Films Like 'Odyssey' Drive Book Sales

The landscape of intellectual property (IP) expansion in popular culture is shifting. The traditional one-way flow of popular novels or webtoons being adapted into films is being reversed, as successful films in theaters and on streaming services are now leading the best-seller lists in bookstores, a phenomenon known as 'screen sellers.'

This reverse expansion is clearly illustrated by the recent success of the film 'Odyssey.' According to the integrated ticketing system, 'Odyssey' attracted 1,321,189 viewers during its third weekend (August 21-23), maintaining the top spot at the box office for three consecutive weeks. The cumulative audience has surpassed 7 million, with a booking rate of 71.3% for the fourth week.

This box office success has translated into increased sales for the original book. Kyobo Bookstore reported that sales of related books, including Homer's original 'Odyssey,' surged by approximately 600% compared to the same period last year. In the second week of August, the original book ranked high on the best-seller lists of both Yes24 and Kyobo Bookstore.

Notably, this trend extends beyond just purchasing the original novel; it also encompasses interest in the work's universe and background. On the e-book platform Millie's Library, searches for 'Odyssey' increased by 3.3 times following the film's release, while searches for the broader term 'Greek and Roman mythology' rose by 3.6 times. Audiences are not stopping at the original story but are expanding their interest to the entire mythology that the narrative is based on.

Similar trends have been observed in domestic films. When 'The King’s Affection' attracted 16.91 million viewers, sales of Lee Kwang-soo's novel 'The Tragic Life of King Danjong,' which covers the historical backdrop of the film, saw a significant increase. This reflects readers' demand to revisit the historical narrative presented on screen in written form.

The screen seller phenomenon has been particularly strong in the complex and expansive science fiction genre. When 'Dune: Part Two' dominated the first half of 2024, sales of Frank Herbert's original 'Dune' collection, which was translated into Korean in 2001, surged more than 5.5 times in the first week of its release. Similarly, sales of Liu Cixin's novel 'The Three-Body Problem,' adapted into a Netflix series, increased by 8.7 times immediately after the show's release. The film adaptation of Andy Weir's 'Project Hail Mary' also saw a staggering 5,731.7% increase in sales on Yes24 compared to the previous year, reaching the top of the best-seller list. This pattern of audiences seeking out the original works to fill in the gaps left by the film's shorter runtime is becoming increasingly common.

This phenomenon can even be observed before a film's release, starting from the production announcement stage. The original novel 'Mickey7' by Edward Ashton, directed by Bong Joon-ho, sold over 30,000 copies simply under the title 'Bong Joon-ho's New Work' when it was published in South Korea in 2022. Similarly, the series 'The Sympathizer,' directed by Park Chan-wook, saw its Pulitzer Prize-winning source material prominently displayed in bookstores even before airing. The upcoming Netflix adaptation of 'Pavane for a Dead Princess' has led to the re-release of the original work by author Park Min-kyu in a special hardcover edition, showcasing how the news of adaptations can drive publishers to reissue titles.

Now, adaptations are not the end of the original work but rather a new beginning. The reverse trend of IP expansion driven by the screen is creating new momentum in the publishing industry, extending beyond theaters and streaming services. As the organic connection between visual media and text invigorates the market, the trend of audiences seeking to explore the deeper narratives in written form is expected to solidify as a lasting consumer behavior.