Diary of a Wimpy Kid

In 1998 Kinney began writing down jokes and illustrations in journals, and from May 2004 he released them in daily installments on Funbrain.com; in 2006, after showing a printed sample at New York Comic Con, he signed a multi-book deal with Abrams.⁠[1]

The first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book was published in 2007 and became an instant bestseller; a year later more than 100,000 copies were in print in the United States alone.⁠[2]

The live-action film Diary of a Wimpy Kid was released on March 19, 2010, with a production budget of $15 million and a worldwide gross of about $76.95 million; the sequels Rodrick Rules (March 25, 2011) and Dog Days (August 3, 2012) grossed about $73.70 million and $77.23 million worldwide.⁠[3]

The musical Diary of a Wimpy Kid premiered at the Children’s Theatre in spring 2016 to sold-out houses, directed by Rachel Rockwell; the book is by Kevin Del Aguila, with music and lyrics by Alan Schmuckler and Michael Mahler.⁠[4]

The live-action film Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul was released on May 19, 2017, with a production budget of $22 million and a worldwide gross of about $35.61 million.⁠[3]

The spin-off Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid was published in April 2019; as of the week ending May 4, NPD BookScan recorded sales of just under 300,000 copies.⁠[5]

Book 14, Wrecking Ball, was published simultaneously around the world on November 5, 2019. At the time the series had sold more than 200 million copies globally, in 74 editions in 62 languages.⁠[6]

Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure was published on August 4, 2020, in hardcover, ebook and audio editions, with an announced first printing of 3 million copies.⁠[7]

Book 15, The Deep End, was published simultaneously in 25 countries on October 27, 2020. By then the series had sold more than 250 million copies globally in 13 years, in 76 editions in 64 languages.⁠[8]

In September 2021 Disney+ announced that the animated film Diary of a Wimpy Kid would premiere on December 3, directed by Swinton Scott, with Kinney adapting it for the screen and serving as a producer. Disney had first planned a television adaptation in 2019 before reworking the project as an animated film.⁠[9]

Abrams announced that Book 16, Big Shot, would be published in 28 countries on October 26, 2021, and that a special Disney+ cover edition of the first book would follow in 16 countries on November 23; the series then appeared in 79 editions in 65 languages.⁠[10]

At Disney+ Day in November 2021, Disney announced a 2022 animated adaptation of Rodrick Rules, Kinney’s 2008 novel.⁠[11]

In 2022 the Children’s Theatre Company staged an updated version of the musical directed by Jenn Thompson, running through June 18; Patrick Scott McDermott and Huxley Westemeier shared the role of Greg, Patricia Wilcox choreographed, and Kevin Del Aguila wrote some new songs and scenes for this version.⁠[12]

Book 17, Diper Överlöde, was published in October 2022 with an announced first printing of three million copies; the series had by then sold more than 275 million copies globally.⁠[13]

The same month Wimpy Kid Inc. refreshed its licensing program, adding licensees including The Op Games, Go! Toys and Games and Trevco for games, puzzles and apparel; Vanessa Jedrej, the company’s global brand manager, said it planned to expand into categories such as bedding, party goods and stationery.⁠[14]

The animated film Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules premiered exclusively on Disney+ on December 2, 2022, directed by Luke Cormican.⁠[15]

On August 17, 2023, USAopoly’s The Op Games launched CLUE: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a Hasbro-licensed game with an MSRP of $44.99 in which two to six players aged eight and up search for the missing toddler Manny; a release event was held on August 23 at Kinney’s bookstore in Plainville.⁠[16]

Book 18, No Brainer, was published on October 24, 2023; in it Greg tries to save his crumbling school before it is closed for good. The accompanying tour, The No Brainer Show, visited 13 bookstores in California, Oregon and Washington, with Jon Klassen, Gene Luen Yang and Matt de la Peña appearing at select stops.⁠[17]

The animated Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever premiered exclusively on Disney+ on December 8, 2023, directed by Luke Cormican and written and produced by Kinney.⁠[18]

Its voice cast included Wesley Kimmel, Spencer Howell, Chris Diamantopoulos, Erica Cerra and Hunter Dillon.⁠[19]

Ghostlight Records released the musical’s cast album on December 15, 2023. The show was developed by Alchemation by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatricals and premiered in 2016 at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis.⁠[20]

In May 2024 Wimpy Kid partnered with Bare Tree Media, a digital publisher of licensed IPs, to offer messaging stickers, mobile themes and smartwatch faces on the Apple iMessage app store and the Samsung Galaxy store.⁠[21]

For Book 19, Hot Mess, Kinney launched The Hot Mess Show tour in Plainville on October 20, 2024, ending in Milwaukee on November 3; Kinney and Abrams also partnered with First Book to donate 100,000 Diary of a Wimpy Kid books to schools nationwide.⁠[22]

In 2025 the animated Christmas comedy Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw began streaming only on Disney+; its copyright is held by 20th Century Studios.⁠[23]

Book 20, Partypooper, was published by Abrams in hardcover and ebook on October 21, 2025. The series had by then sold more than 300 million copies globally, in 87 editions in 70 languages.⁠[24]

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati staged the musical at the Emery Theater in its inaugural season, with Kinney scheduled for a post-show talkback after the February 20, 2026, opening, hosted by Bob Herzog of WKRC-TV.⁠[25]

In August 2026 the University of Maryland announced a Wimpy Kid apparel collection of T-shirts and hoodies featuring illustrations from the series, to be sold at Fanatics, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Rally House and the campus University Book Center.⁠[26]

Book 21, Fight or Flight, was published on October 20, 2026; in it Greg, who calls himself a coward who never wants to fight, faces his middle school bullies, and Kinney researched karate culture for the book’s karate sequences. About 800 children auditioned for the role of Greg in the latest animated film.⁠[27]

The main series comprises 21 books: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules, The Last Straw, Dog Days, The Ugly Truth, Cabin Fever, The Third Wheel, Hard Luck, The Long Haul, Old School, Double Down, The Getaway, The Meltdown, Wrecking Ball, The Deep End, Big Shot, Diper Överlöde, No Brainer, Hot Mess, Partypooper and Fight or Flight; there is also the Awesome Friendly Kid series featuring Rowley Jefferson.⁠[28]

The official website states that more than 300 million copies of the series have been sold worldwide.⁠[29]

The animated Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: The Getaway is set to stream exclusively on Disney+ on December 4.⁠[23]

Schools and theaters can license the musical for performance through Concord Theatricals.⁠[30]

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Official website: https://wimpykid.com/ (opens in a new window)⁠[29]

X: Official account: https://x.com/wimpykid (opens in a new window)⁠[29]

YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Official account: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvnSutsWmXaO1hg47RVmeRQ (opens in a new window)⁠[29]

ABRAMS: Official website: https://www.abramsbooks.com/ (opens in a new window)⁠[6]