James Patterson remains one of the most prolific and bestselling authors alive. His works include the Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Maximum Ride, Daniel X, NYPD Red, Witch & Wizard, Private, and Middle School series, as well as many more stand-alone thrillers. These, and many more, have been adapted into movies and TV shows over the years, including Miracle on the 17th Green (1999), Sundays at Tiffany’s (2010), Maximum Ride, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (both 2016), and The Postcard Killings (2020).

Patterson’s ongoing Alex Cross series, which currently spans 33 books and counting, is one of the author’s most frequently adapted works. It was first adapted into the movies Kiss the Girls (1997) and Along Came a Spider (2001), starring Morgan Freeman as the тιтular detective, and again in the 2012 Alex Cross reboot starring Tyler Perry. Patterson’s novels were adapted once again into the Amazon Prime Video series Cross, starring Aldis Hodge, which premiered in November 2024. Now, Patterson is reteaming with Amazon for his next movie adaptation.

James Patterson Reteams With Amazon For Billion-Dollar Ransom Movie Adaptation

The Book Releases In September

James Patterson is reteaming with Amazon for a movie adaptation of Billion-Dollar Ransom ahead of the book’s release. Co-authored by Patterson and Duane Swierczynski, the upcoming novel follows five members of a billionaire’s family who are kidnapped at the same time, in different locations, and held for an unbelievable ransom of one billion dollars. However, a brilliant and very stubborn FBI special agent doesn’t want to pay the kidnappers a dime. The novel is set for release on September 1.

Now, per ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Billion-Dollar Ransom is getting a big-screen adaptation from Amazon MGM Studios. The movie adaptation is in the works with Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for penning Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic, writing the script. James Patterson Entertainment is among the producers of the adaptation.

What The Billion-Dollar Ransom Movie Adaptation Means For James Patterson

The Author Is Reteaming With Amazon

The Billion-Dollar Ransom movie adaptation reteams James Patterson Entertainment with Amazon MGM Studios, who previously collaborated on the Prime Video series Cross starring Aldis Hodge, which premiered in November 2024 and quickly soared to the top of Nielsen’s weekly streaming chart, amᴀssing 1.36 billion minutes of viewing time within just four days. Surely both sides are hoping that the Billion-Dollar Ransom movie will see similar success, but since it’s in the works from Amazon MGM Studios, and not strictly for Prime Video, it’s likely the project will be released in theaters, and not sent straight to streaming.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline