Entertainment
'Ender's Game' Kicks Off Your Official 2013-2014 Guide to YA Movies
After decades of hype, more than half a dozen attempts, and a controversy that might just lead to a boycott, Ender's Game is finally coming to the big screen. The film adaptation of Orson Scott Card's classic YA sci-fi novel hits theaters on Nov. 1, and if reviews are to judge, both fans of the book and filmgoing newcomers will be more than pleased with the result.
For those of you who have been waiting years for Ender's Game to get its big-screen adaptation, choosing to see the fantasy film, which takes place in a post-alien attack future where young children are trained for combat, is a no-brainer. Yet for the rest of us who have trouble keeping track of all the young adult book-to-movie adaptations being released this coming year — and there are plenty — we need some guidance in deciding which ones to see and which ones to skip. For every Hunger Games, there's a Mortal Instruments, and there's just too many of them coming out in the coming months to take our chances. To help you figure out which teen-based film is right for you, here is Bustle's guide to to the next year in YA movies.
Image: Summit/Lionsgate
'Ender's Game' (Nov. 1, 2013)
About: Ender, a brilliant child who, after aliens attack Earth in 2086, leads the mission to save the human race from a second invasion. Based on Orson Scott Card's 1985 novel.
Starring: Hugo's Asa Butterfield as Ender, Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff, and Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, Ben Kingsley and Abigail Breslin in supporting roles.
Perfect For: Fans of alien attacks, sci-fi, and Sir Ben Kingsley looking like this.
Critics are Saying: Pretty good. It only has a 61 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but the general consensus is that while Ender's Game is far from perfect, it's an enjoyable film that's sure to make Butterfield The Next Big Thing.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? Unlikely, but you never know. Welles wrote several sequels to his original novel, and if Ender's Game is a box office success, studio execs could have a franchise on their hands.
Image: Summit/Lionsgate
'The Book Thief' (Nov. 15, 2013)
About: Liesel, a young, book-loving girl in Nazi Germany whose foster parents give shelter to a Jewish refugee. Based on Markus Zusak's 2006 bestselling novel.
Starring: Monsieur Lazhar's Sophie Nelisse as Liesel, Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson as her foster parents, and Roger Allam as Death, the narrator.
Perfect For: Book lovers, history buffs, those willing to take a risk.
Critics are Saying: Not much yet, but the few reviews that are out are extremely positive.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? No. Zusak's novel is beloved, but it's not meant for a sequel, and certainly not for a franchise. The Book Thief is powerful but quiet, not the stuff of blockbusters.
Image: 20th Century Fox
'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' (Nov. 22, 2013)
About: The events following the 74th Hunger Games, an annual competition in which the children and teens of post-apocalyptic Panem are forced to fight each other to the death. Based on Suzanne Collins' 2009 sequel to The Hunger Games.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, a victor of the Hunger Games and the accidental inspiration for nationwide rebellion. Also with Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and more.
Perfect For: Every pre-teen in America, sci-fi lovers, masochists.
Critics are Saying: Nothing yet, but after the acclaim and success of the first movie in the series, expectations are high.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? It already is. Sure, nothing can replace the magic (pun intended) of the film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's beloved series, but The Hunger Games has amassed an enormous following over the last few years.
Image: Lionsgate
'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' (Dec. 2, 2013)
About: The troublesome journey of Bilbo Baggins and his companions, who encounter dragons, giant spiders, and more after having left the Carrock in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Based on The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's hugely acclaimed 1937 novel.
Starring: Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug.
Perfect For: Tolkien lovers, and not many others.
Critics are Saying: Will it be great? No. Will it make a ridiculous amount of money? Without a doubt.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? Technically, it's a Lord of the Rings movie, so it's actually the first Harry Potter. Still, while it's expected to be a success financially, the reviews will probably be as middling as they were for An Unexpected Journey.
Image: New Line/MGM
'Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters' (Feb. 14, 2014)
About: A teenage half-human/half-vampire who returns to boarding school after being on the run for two years. Based on the 2007 first book in Richelle Mead's bestselling series.
Starring: Zoey Deutch (Switched at Birth) as protagonist Rose Hathaway, along with Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky, and Modern Family's Sarah Hyland.
Perfect For: Fans of vampires, paranormal romance.
Critics are Saying: It could be good, but it's three more months until we know for sure.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? Ehh, probably not. Blood Sisters is just the first of six books of Mead's series, but they don't have the same hold on teens the way The Hunger Games or Twilight do.
Image: The Weinstein Company
'Divergent' (Mar. 21, 2014)
About: Tris, a 16-year-old "Divergent" who proves herself a danger by not fitting into just one of the five factions society is divided into in dystopian Chicago. Based on the 2011 novel by Veronica Roth, which spawned two sequels.
Starring: Shailene Woodley as Tris, Theo James as Four, her trainer, and a star-studded ensemble that includes Ansel Egort, Kate Winslet, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, and Tony Goldwyn.
Perfect For: Feminists, underdogs, and not shippers of Woodley and Egort: While the two star as lovers in The Fault in Our Stars (next slide, don't worry), they play siblings in Divergent.
Critics are Saying: This could be huge.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? It's definitely possible. Divergent has a major fan base, and the movie looks promising. If it does well in theaters, Roth could see her entire trilogy on the big-screen.
Image: Summit/Lionsgate
'The Fault in Our Stars' (Jun. 6, 2014)
About: Two cancer-ridden teens who fall in love. Based on the bestselling, critically acclaimed 2012 novel by John Green.
Starring: Shailene Woodley as Hazel and Ansel Egort as Augustus, the doomed lovers. Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, and Willem Dafoe co-star.
Perfect For: Everyone. Unless you are a cold-hearted monster, it's impossible not to love The Fault in Our Stars.
Critics are Saying: Please, please, let this be as good as the book. The director, writers, and stars are all spot-on, and so the TFIOS movie definitely has potential (along with the much-coveted John Green seal of approval).
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? Nope, and it wouldn't want to be. The Fault in Our Stars is a truly special book, and hopefully, that'll translate to the screen, but it's far too intimate to be a blockbuster.
Image: Instagram/AnselEgort
'The Maze Runner' (Sept. 19, 2014)
About: A post-apocalyptic world where a group of boys are trapped in a maze and must join forced in order to escape. Based on James Dashner's 2009 book, the first in a trilogy.
Starring: Teen Wolf's Dylan O'Brien as Thomas, a teenage boy sent to the maze after his memory is erased. Also with Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Kaya Scodelario.
Perfect For: Fans of mystery, suspense, Lord of the Flies-meets-Lost.
Critics are Saying: The expectations are high. The Maze Runner is a difficult movie to make, but if it's done well, it could be a huge success.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? Perhaps. The series isn't quite as well-known as some other futuristic sagas, but depending on how the movie goes over, the trilogy could be a hit.
Image: 20th Century Fox
'The Giver' (Aug. 15, 2014)
About: A utopian society where pain and individualism have been eliminated. Based on Lois Lowry's classic 1993 novel.
Starring: Brenton Thwaites as Jonas, a boy given the difficult task of storing all pre-"Sameness" memories, and Jeff Bridges as the Giver, the previous "Receiver." Also with Meryl Streep, Taylor Swift, and Katie Holmes.
Perfect For: Fans of dystopia, seventh-grade English teachers.
Critics are Saying: The stakes are high. Bridges as The Giver is perfect casting, but eyebrows were raised when 24-year-old Thwaites was cast as Jonah, who is 12 in the book. There's no telling how The Giver will turn out, but the pressure is on.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? Doubtful. The Giver and its two sequels are wonderful books, but they're too depressing for mainstream audiences. If The Giver does well in theaters, it won't be with the under-18 crowd.
Image: @KatieHolmes212
'If I Stay' (TBA, 2014)
About: Mia, a 17-year-old who, after a tragic car accident, must decide whether to let herself live or die.
Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz as Mia. With Mireille Enos and Jamie Blackley.
Perfect For: The emotionally strong.
Critics are Saying: It could be great. The book received fantastic reviews, and the casting of the talented Moretz as Mia is a positive sign that the movie will live up to expectations.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? No, but like The Fault in Our Stars, it's not supposed to be. Sure, the book has a sequel, but If I Stay is a sad, personal story that, while possibly a critical success, is unlikely to be a huge Hollywood hit.
Image: Dutton Penguin
'Fallen' (TBA, 2014)
About: Luce, a teenager who, while at reform school after being accused of murder, has a love triangle with two fallen angels. Based on Lauren Kate's 2009 novel, the first of five in the series.
Starring: Zero Hour's Addison Timlin as Luce and War Horse's Jeremy Irvine as Daniel, one of the angels. No other casting has been announced.
Perfect For: Fans of Twilight, paranormal romance, antiheroes.
Critics are Saying: It looks and sounds like Twilight, but there's no telling if fans of that hugely successful series will migrate to Fallen.
Will It Be The Next Harry Potter? Definitely not. Even if the movie does well and sequels are made, it doesn't have nearly the same momentum or fan love as Potter and other fantasy franchises.
Image: Delacorte Books
