We might be a little bit biased, here at FYA HQ, but we happen to think the YA genre is pretty swell. Hollywood seems to be jumping on our bandwagon, and we’re more than happy to make room. But y’all know the drill. There are YA adaptations, and then there are YA adaptations. The former make us feel like this:
The latter, well:
But the machine keeps chugging along, presenting us with the opportunity to go to the theater and watch our favorite characters on the big screen. We can only hope that the more adaptations that are made, the more we’ll feel like this:
When the house lights come back on.
What YA (and YA-adjacent) film adaptations are coming to (U.S.) theaters near you in 2015? Read on to find out.
Releases: Feb. 6
Based on: The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
The Deal: Young Thomas is apprenticed to the local Spook to learn to fight evil spirits. His first great challenge comes when the powerful Mother Malkin escapes her confinement while the Spook is away.
Familiar Faces: Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Kit Harington, Djimon Hounsou
Releases: Feb. 6
Based on: Where Rainbows End by Cecilia Ahern
The Deal: Rosie and Alex have been best friends since they were 5, so they couldn't possibly be right for one another … or could they? When it comes to love, life and making the right choices, these two are their own worst enemies.
Familiar Faces: Lily Collins, Sam Clafin
Releases: Feb. 20
Based on: The Duff by Kody Keplinger
The Deal: A high school senior instigates a social pecking order revolution after finding out that she has been labeled the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier more popular friends.
Familiar Faces: Mae Whitman, Allison Janney, Robbie Amell, Ken Jeong
Releases: March 13
Based on: The Cinderella fairy tale
The Deal: A live-action retelling of the classic fairy tale about a servant step-daughter who wins the heart of a prince.
Familiar Faces: Lily James, Helena Bonham Carter, Hayley Atwell, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård
Releases: March 20
Based on: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
The Deal: Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side.
Familiar Faces: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort, Naomi Watts, Maggie Q, Octavia Spencer, Mekhi Phifer, the rest of the cast of Divergent
Releases: June 5
Based on: Paper Towns by John Green
The Deal: A young man, Quentin, and his four friends, embark upon the road trip of their lives to find the missing girl next door.
Familiar Faces: Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne
Releases: July 24
Based on: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
The Deal: The story of an orphan who is spirited away to the magical Neverland. There, he finds both fun and dangers, and ultimately discovers his destiny—to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.
Familiar Faces: Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Amanda Seyfried
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Releases: Sept. 18
Based on: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
The Deal: The Gladers have escaped the Maze, but now they face a new set of challenges on the open roads of a world ravaged by solar flares and disease.
Familiar Faces: Dylan O’Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Patricia Clarkson, Aidan Gillen, Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper, Lili Taylor, the remaining cast of The Maze Runner
Releases: Oct. 2
Based on: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Deal: Told from Igor's perspective, we see the troubled young assistant's dark origins, his redemptive friendship with the young medical student Viktor Von Frankenstein, and become eyewitnesses to the emergence of how Frankenstein became the man—and the legend—we know today.
Familiar Faces: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Mark Gatiss
Releases: Oct. 9
Based on: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
The Deal: An orphan boy is raised in the jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear, and a black panther.
Familiar Faces Voices: Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Lupita Nyong’o, Giancarlo Esposito
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay–Part 2
Releases: Nov. 20
Based on: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Deal: After being symbolized as the "Mockingjay," Katniss Everdeen and District 13 engage in an all-out revolution against the autocratic Capitol.
Familiar Faces: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, the rest of the cast of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay–Part 1
The rest of these films are rumored to be opening this year, but don’t have definite release dates:
- Ashes in the Snow—Based on: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
- The Great Gilly Hopkins—Based on: The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
- Fallen—Based on: Fallen by Lauren Kate
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies—Based on: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen (and Seth Grahame-Smith)
Did we miss an adaptation you’re excited about? (And before you go getting antsy—Fifty Shades of Grey was excluded on purpose.) Let us know in the comments.
All of the dates are subject to change, natch.