Rachel Zegler and more to contribute to book about The Phantom of the Opera

Penguin Random House and LW Entertainment have announced a worldwide multi-format publishing partnership to mark 40 years of The Phantom of the Opera, launching a new programme of books and audiobooks inspired by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical.

The initiative will begin on 1 September 2026 with Our Strange Duet, a young adult reimagining of the story by Erin A Craig. Published by Delacorte Press, the novel focuses on Christine Daaé’s perspective, exploring her ambition, inner life and the central love triangle with Raoul and the Phantom. A UK edition will follow on 3 September, alongside a special hardback available exclusively in theatres and online.

Craig said it was “the honour of a lifetime” to revisit the story, describing the project as an opportunity to explore the mystery of the Phantom through “Broadway’s most beloved gothic heroine”.

An audiobook edition, produced by Penguin Random House Audio, will accompany the release, featuring a full cast recording with light dramatisation and music drawn from the stage score.

Further titles will follow, including a visual anthology, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera: A Behind-the-Mask Look at the Global Phenomenon, published in October 2026. The book will feature archival material and interviews with figures associated with the musical over the years, including Cameron Mackintosh, Sierra Boggess, Michael Crawford and, intriguingly, Evita star Rachel Zegler.

According to the book information, it will “offer a special look at what’s next for Phantom as the franchise continues to evolve.”

A children’s retelling will also be released as part of the Little Golden Books line, with a version by Christy Websterarriving on the same date as Our Strange Duet, followed by two additional titles in 2027.

First staged in 1986, The Phantom of the Opera has been seen by more than 160 million people worldwide across 58 territories and 23 languages. The story follows a masked figure living beneath the Paris Opéra who becomes obsessed with soprano Christine Daaé, nurturing her talent while exerting control over the theatre and its inhabitants.