The stream of remakes and sequels looks less like a creative retreat than a slate-level bet on audiences that already exist. New demand data shows existing intellectual property again outperformed original titles, and books were the biggest source of that IP.
IP punches far above its volume
In 2025, adaptations made up just 11.5% of films premiering but captured 47.1% of total audience demand. Television followed the same pattern: adapted shows were 13.8% of new series but produced 37.5% of demand. That over-index is not fringe; it is the core of the market.
For media planners, the ratio matters more than the total. A small number of IP titles is doing outsized work, which means those titles are likely to anchor release calendars, sponsorship packages and campaign plans while original titles serve as the longer-tail bet.
Over the past three years, series have also closed the adaptation gap with film. New series premieres sourced from existing IP ranged between 12% and 14%, slightly ahead of movie premieres. Within the top 100 most in-demand titles, that reliance is even heavier.
Books are the primary library
Among all adapted IP titles that premiered in 2025, literary works accounted for 37.6% – the highest share since 2017. The mix behind books was:
- Franchise extensions: 22.3%
- True stories: 15.2%
- Comic adaptations: 5.1%
- Video game adaptations: 1.6%
Book-based films and series generated 3.4 times the global demand of the average title. The reason is not a mystery: a novel comes with a tested narrative and a built-in readership, which gives marketing teams an early audience to convert rather than build from scratch. That pre-sold awareness helps a title cut through an increasingly crowded release calendar.
Not all IP is equally broad
For slate planners, the demographic detail matters more than the total. Video game adaptations are concentrated: they pull a 73.6% male audience and a 48.5% Gen Z audience. That is excellent for targeting young men but not a broad play.
Literary adaptations skew slightly older overall, with 30.6% of the audience Gen X or older. But that headline hides range. “The Odyssey” connected with young men, while the latest “Wuthering Heights” adaptation won young women. Books are not one demographic; they are a flexible source that can be aimed at different segments by the title chosen.
A literary title’s reader base is therefore a useful proxy for early audience composition – but it is not a guarantee. The adaptation’s positioning still decides who actually shows up.
The takeaway for planners is to treat literary IP as a pre-sold audience layer, but to check the title’s reader profile before assuming broad reach. As a slate-planning tool, the book catalogue is now one of the strongest demand engines available.
Source: TheWrap
