Bindery signs deal to adapt TikTok-approved books for the screen

It’s been less than a year since Bindery Books launched its first digital book clubs, but the audacious startup is already moving forward with the next phase of its operations.

As it looks to harness the power of the #BookTok community, Bindery is signing a deal with Atlas Literary and Independent Artist Group. The agreement will see screen adaptations for projects that come out of Bindery’s development pipeline.

Bindery works with literary influencers on TikTok, who partner with the startup to launch their own publishing imprints. The imprints double as book clubs, where fans of the influencers in question can gather to discuss the titles that see release through Bindery.

Last November, Bindery announced the first four pickups to come out of that innovative model. BookTok star Jaysen “Ezeekat” Headley

published a “cozy fantasy” through his imprint, while Kathryn Budig‘s Inky Phoenix Press threw its weight behind a gothic mystery named Strange Beasts.

Bindery’s initial slate is still in production, but that hasn’t stopped the startup from planning screen adaptations that will inevitably follow the publication of its books. Atlas Literary is a subsidiary of Atlas Entertainment, a firm that has financed Hollywood productions like the 2017 blockbuster Wonder Woman and the recent Best Picture winner Oppenheimer.

Independent Artist Group (IAG) has its own ties to the BookTok-to-screen pipeline. A press release from Bindery notes that IAG’s Media Rights department has packaged several best-selling books. It has participated in the process that will result in an Amazon Studios adaptation for Fourth Wing, the “romantasy” novel that broke out after becoming a BookTok favorite.

In addition to its latest deal, Bindery also has a first-look agreement with the J.J. Abrams-founded studio Bad Robot.

“This new generation of tastemakers has their pulse on the stories people want, allowing us to surface those trends with more immediacy,” said Bindery Co-Founder and CEO Matt Kaye in a statement. “Atlas Literary and IAG share our vision for the future of publishing and entertainment. I couldn’t be more thrilled to work with them to take these incredible stories to the next level.”

Bindery’s initial pickups are due out in the fall of 2024. The projects included in its second development slate are expected to see release in the spring of 2025.