The young adult dystopia movie boom, which generally started with the first Hunger Games, has pretty much run its course. Katniss’ journey is over, Divergent never got its final sequel, and the long-delayed Maze Runner: Death Cure finally crosses the finish line and into theaters this Friday. It’s been a fun run, giving kids who grew up on Harry Potter something to latch onto in their teens, so this week’s gallery looks at 24 actors from YA dystopia movies and where they are now.
Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss in The Hunger Games series) Lawrence seeded her career with high-end dramas from David O. Russell, the Biblical allegory mother!, and the almost-there Passengers. Hunger Games may be over, but she’ll be back as Mystique for X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Russian spy thriller Red Sparrow.
Ansel Elgort (Caleb in the Divergent series) He took the lead in Baby Driver, and has been cast in an adaptation of the best-seller The Goldfinch.
Saoirse Ronan (Melanie Stryder in The Host) Ronan has had among the most fulfilling careers of the YAers. How I Live Now was more post-apocalyptic fare, kept the Wes Anderson hype train going with Grand Budapest Hotel, and an Oscar nomination for Brooklyn, and even now, just another nom for Lady Bird.
Miles Teller (Peter in the Divergent series) Every movie Teller has been in recently has gotten a wide release (War Dogs, Bleed for This, Thank You for Your Service, Only the Brave), but struggled at the box office.
Chloe Grace Moretz (Cassie in The 5th Wave) Moretz played the foil in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and was the pervy subject of the buried Louis C.K. indie confessional I Love You, Daddy. She’s got intriguing projects coming soon: the Suspiria remake, a Neil Jordan movie, and one from Appropriate Behavior director Desiree Akhavan.
Josh Hutcherson (Peeta in The Hunger Games series) Hutcherson was in winning horror indie Tragedy Girls and played Denny in Disaster Artist, about winning indie horror Tommy Wiseau.
Hailee Steinfeld (Petra in Ender’s Game) Steinfeld, who also starred in True Grit, returned to the Western well for The Homesman and The Keeping Room, and then joined The Barden Bellas in the Pitch Perfect sequels. (She also put out a single called “Love Myself” about, oh, hmm…) Next, she’s in the front seat for Transformers spinoff Bumblebee.
Shailene Woodley (Tris in the Divergent series) Woodley is still probably contractually obligated to finish the Divergent series when Lionsgate finds the money for it. Right now, she’s in fan-favorite Big Little Lies.
Bill Skarsgard (Matthew in Divergent: Allegiant) Skarsgard certainly made an impression as Pennywise in IT, and he’ll return to the Stephen King universe with TV series Castle Rock.
Maika Monroe (Ringer in The 5th Wave) After star turns in horror flicks like The Guest and It Follows, Monroe’s post-Wave has had its ups and downs: Independence Day: Resurgence was a summer tentpole and Mark Felt was a prestige vehicle for Liam Neeson, but both underperformed critically and commercially.
Liam Hemsworth (Gale in The Hunger Games series) When he isn’t loaning money to his brother Chris to cover his failed acting career, Liam has time to do movies like Isn’t It Romantic, playing the love interest in a romantic comedy about a woman (Rebel Wilson) who gets trapped inside a romantic comedy.
Zoe Kravitz (Christinar in the Divergent series) American woman Kravitz has been in Mad Max, LEGO Batman, and Rough Night. She was also in Fantastic Beasts as Leta and will return for the sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Abigail Breslin (Valentine in Ender’s Game)
Breslin’s most notable work has been in TV, like in Scream Queens or the much ballyhooed Dirty Dancing remake.
Tony Revolori (Dumbo in The 5th Wave) Revolori was Flash Thompson in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and his Please Stand By, a comedy about Star Trek starring Dakota Fanning, also opens this week.
Odeya Rush (Fiona in The Giver) Rush helped turned Goosebumps into a sleeper hit, and co-starred with fellow YA dystopic alum Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird. Coming up: lead in broad satire Dear Dictator with Michael Caine, and a musical called Dumplin’ with Jennifer Aniston.
Jake Abel (Ian in The Host) Abel re-teamed with Host director Andrew Niccol for Good Kill, and was in the wonderful Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy.
Isabelle Fuhrman (Clove in The Hunger Games) Fuhrman was in the adaptation of Stephen King’s Cell, and had a recurring role on TV’s Masters of Sex.
Asa Butterfield (Ender in Ender’s Game) Butterfield’s biggest gig since Wiggin out was Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Pecuilar Children. There was also The Space Between Us, which failed to ignite on this planet or any other. He has a horror-comedy up next with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (!) called Slaughterhouse Rulez.
Willow Shields (Primrose in The Hunger Games series) Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David, cast Shields in her upcoming mystery A Fall From Grace.
Sam Claflin (Finnick in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1 & 2) Claflin was in The Huntsman: Winters War, Their Finest, and My Cousin Rachel. The Nightingale, from Babadook director Jennifer Kent, is up next.
Talitha Bateman (Teacup in The 5th Wave) The same year of The 5th Wave, she was in Nine Lives. Remember when the worst part of “Kevin Spacey talking cat movie” was the “talking cat” part? Simpler times. Then Bateman was the title character in the surprisingly Fresh Annabelle: Creation and endured the countdown to Geostorm.
Brenton Thwaites (Jonas in The Giver) He was the unfortunate lead in glittery bomb Gods of Egypt, and came to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with underperformer Dead Men Tell No Tales. Better luck may be forthcoming in zombie comedy Office Uprising with Jane Levy and Zachary Levi.
Theo James (Four in the Divergent series) James was in the most recent Underworld movie, and is next in Zoe, from director Drake Doremus and starring Ewan McGregor.
Max Irons (Jared in The Host) Irons had a part in the relatively unseen Nazi drama Woman in Gold. Next, he’ll be in Terminal starring Margot Robbie as an assassin.
