Fans of the young-adult (YA) genre will get to watch The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in 2023, with the Hunger Games prequel recently casting Peter Dinklage. The film may just reignite interest in the young-adult landscape, which has seen a relative downturn since its peak in the 2010s.

Nevertheless, many YA franchises have become big blockbusters, including Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga, along with animated series like How to Train Your Dragon. The success of these YA films culminates at the box office, with Box Office Mojo a great source to keep track of the commercial performances of movies. The box office performances of films in the genre also show why some series came to an end prematurely and which ones ended on a high note.

The Divergent Series (2014-2016) - $765 Million

Shailene Woodley holds up her hands in Divergent

There were already quite a few movies like Divergent by the time it was released, which may have been why it wasn’t as big of a hit as other young-adult franchises. Intended to be a tetralogy, it ended up as a trilogy when the planned final installment never came to fruition.

Still, the story of Tris Prior’s insurgency against the totalitarian regime made quite a bit of money across its three films. Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant grossed $288.8 million, $297 million, and $179.2 million for a global sum of $765 million (according to Box Office Mojo). The series missed a shot at the $1 billion mark but was unlucky to be released at a time when the young-adult genre was seeing a downturn in popularity.

The Maze Runner (2014-2018) - $949 Million

Characters standing in a field in The Maze Runner

Although The Maze Runner was released when the teen sci-fi genre was far from its peak, the three movies performed better than most would have expected. The story of youngsters trapped in a labyrinth with seemingly no way out was gripping enough for the trilogy to reach its natural conclusion.

The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Death Cure grossed $348.3 million, $312.3 million, and $288.1 to reach a final total gross of $949 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo). Although the films suffered from the law of diminishing returns, they had a good holdover in international markets.

The Chronicles Of Narnia (2005-2010) - $1.580 Billion

The Pevensie children become kings and queens in The Chronicles of Narnia

Long considered one of the best fantasy series of all time, The Chronicles of Narnia was a big deal upon the first film's release. The classic tale of the Pevensie children heading to the magical land of Narnia to rid it of evil didn’t quite get to tell its whole story, as only three films were made out of the seven installments from the book.

The film trilogy comprised The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader grossing $745 million, $419.6 million, and $415.6 million, respectively for a global haul of $1.580 billion (according to Box Office Mojo). The noticeable downturn in performance was responsible for the young-adult series’ abandonment.

How To Train Your Dragon (2010-2019) - $1.636 Billion

Hiccup and his friends riding dragons in How to Train Your Dragon 2

The How to Train Your Dragon series is a rare animated franchise designed to appeal to young adults rather than being purely for children. The story is about the friendship between Viking youngster Hiccup and the dragon Toothless as they prevent many attacks from outside forces on their community.

How to Train Your Dragon’s three films grossed $494.9 million, $621.5 million, and $519.9 million, to rake in $1.636 billion worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo). Although the average per film remains impressive, the lower gross for the third installment signifies that it was probably the right decision to conclude the series at its peak.

The Hunger Games (2012-) - $2.968 Billion

Katniss Everdeen prepares her bow in The Hunger Games

Katniss Everdeen is recognized as one of the most badass female characters from the 2010s, with Jennifer Lawrence’s career also propelled to new heights. The Hunger Games is about the protagonist’s participation in a gladiatorial arena pitting youngsters against each other.

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1, and Mockingjay Part 2 grossed $694.4 million, $865 million, $755.3 million, and $653.4 million for a final total of $2.968 billion (according to Box Office Mojo). The series initially came to an end after the main story was told but will return soon with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which will act as a prequel.

The Twilight Saga (2008-2012) $3.359 Billion

Edward and Bella dancing in Twilight

There was a time when The Twilight Saga ruled pop culture, as young adults waited excitedly each year for the release of the latest installment. The story of Bella Swan falling in love with the vampire Edward Cullen brought significant interest to the monster genre that had a heavy emphasis on romantic overtones.

The five films made a combined gross of $3.359 billion worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo), becoming the second highest-grossing film series based on a young-adult novel. It also proved instrumental in pushing Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart into the A-list category.

Harry Potter (2001-2011) $7.793 Billion

Harry, Ron, and Hermione smiling in Order of the Phoenix

The Harry Potter series is the ultimate benchmark for success in the young adult film genre, having ruled the box office for an entire decade. Unlike most young adult series, the franchise carries a lighter tone with the titular protagonist at the magical school of Hogwarts before facing off against the villainous Lord Voldemort.

The eight films were at one point the highest-grossing franchise overall before being overtaken by other media. Still, a combined worldwide gross of $7.793 billion is an astounding figure that few can ever hope to match (according to Box Office Mojo). The series’ gross was increased slightly when the re-release of the first installment pushed its gross to $1.022 billion (according to Box Office Mojo).

Spider-Man (2002-) - $8.2 Billion

Peter holding MJ in Spider-Man No Way Home

The Spider-Man series is one of the few superhero efforts to solely focus on teenage characters and caters largely to young adult audiences. Each iteration has focused on a version of Peter Parker going up against foes that threaten him and his friends in New York City.

The Tobey Maguire-led series grossed $2.5 billion worldwide, while Andrew Garfield’s duology raked in $1.467 billion (according to Box Office Mojo). Tom Holland’s MCU “Home” trilogy proved to be an even bigger blockbuster, making as much as $3.913 billion worldwide. In addition, the Miles Morales-led animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse grossed $375.5 million to boost the Spider-Man brand’s performance further (according to Box Office Mojo).

NEXT: 10 Best New Movies To Watch On Disney+