TENIYAH HARRIS

The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, took the YA dystopian genre by storm in 2008. It quickly became a bestseller and was followed by two sequels. The books were adapted into an even more successful movie series, which went on to become one of the most profitable franchises in movie history. Considering that it was one of the first of its kind to achieve such a wide audience success, it set quite a high bar for others to compete with. The series’ emergence was followed by a number of new series, some of which were moderately successful, while others failed to find the same popularity and were quickly forgotten.

Within the YA dystopian genre, The Maze Runner, written by James Dashner, falls under the moderately successful category. The series was praised for its captivating plot and characters, and its success was attributed to its well-crafted story. Like The Hunger Games, it was later adapted into a movie and played in theatres worldwide. The movies did exceptionally well at the box office, grossing a combined total of $949,063,154, reported by Cinema blend. Despite being in demand at the time, why has such a popular franchise fallen into virtually oblivion in the years since, while The Hunger Games continues to thrive? Some fans blame the sequels for not being as good as the first, and others argue it’s due to changes in trends. Both points raise valuable questions, but not many know the true explanation for the franchise’s decline. As a result, this essay seeks to explain why The Maze Runner failed to replicate an almost identical success streak as The Hunger Games, examining a number of factors that contributed to its decline, such as both book and film success, as well as the effectiveness of the various marketing strategies done by its publishing houses.

In an interview for The Credits in 2015 talking about the success of his best-selling trilogy, James Dashner gave his reasoning on why post-apocalyptic type series and films were so appealing, especially to younger viewers. He explained how he felt like he “was in the right place at the right time with this series.” Dashner then proceeded to state, “we came out right after Hunger Games…I think people were ready for a new wave of something.” At this point in time, he had come out with his 3-part series consisting of The Maze Runner (2009), The Scorch Trials (2010) and The Death Cure (2011). He also released the prequel novel, The Kill Order (2012), which was the first of two. Delacorte Press, a branch of Penguin Random House, published the critically acclaimed first novel in 2009, and it was an instant success selling millions of copies worldwide and becoming the #1 New York Times bestseller within days.

The series revolves around Thomas and fellow teens he meets who find themselves trapped in a strange and deadly maze. It opens with Thomas waking up in the Glade, surrounded by walls and without memory of how he arrived or his past. In order to survive, the teen Gladers must navigate the mysterious maze and battle ghastly creatures called Grievers. The team soon realize that they are part of an experiment by a secret organization called WICKED that seeks to cure a deadly disease. Over the course of the series, themes of trust, loyalty, and survival are explored as the Gladers strive to escape their mysterious prison. The series comes to a climax when the Gladers finally discover the secrets of WICKED and their world’s fate.

The book’s themes mirror those of The Hunger Games, with both stories featuring teenage protagonists who must fight for survival in a dystopian world. Both also feature a central conflict between the protagonists and a oppressive administration. It is thought that the publication of The Maze Runner at the beginning of The Hunger Games’ success helped aid the book’s own success, since both had several similarities. Thus, people on instinct gravitated toward the book. Critics, however, say that this was Delacorte Press’s first mistake, and marked the beginning of the downward trend regarding the series’ longevity and future perceptions. By the time the book was published in 2009, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games had already become a significant success. Since its publication in 2008, it topped The New York Times Best Seller list, selling around “2.6 million copies” in the United States alone, according to Scholastic. The Maze Runner was then published a year later, and received mixed reviews as it faced the challenge of standing out from its predecessor. One common critique made towards the novel was the lack of character development. A book review written by PPLD expressed that because the book was so plot-driven and “action-packed” it lead to the author “[leaving] out some of the more subtle nuances” you would find in a quality novel. These nuances include a deeper exploration of the protagonist’s motivations, as well as the development of the relationships between characters. The Hunger Games executed this phenomenally by delving deep into the characteristics of Katniss and the bond she had with her sister Prim. Her relationship with Peeta is showcased, as is the well-written backstory of Peeta, and how both characters develop as they come together over time in the book. Apart from Thomas, the main character of The Maze Runner, you don’t get an in-depth look at any of the other characters, even though they play an immense role in the plot. This could be because the reader is meant to focus on Thomas and his development, but since the reader doesn’t get the chance to explore the relationships between the characters, they may feel disconnected from the other characters, which ultimately affects how they feel continuing on in the book.

The series also contains a subtle, yet direct criticism of its female characters. Despite their central role in the plot, Teresa and Brenda’s treatment has drawn mixed reviews from critics and readers alike. Starting with the fact that they are the only primary female characters in the series, with Brenda being introduced later on. The Hunger Games featured Katniss as the main protagonist, as well as many significant female characters such as Effie, Rue, and Prim. Each of these characters had a rich and complex backstory and added to the plot itself. However, Teresa and Brenda were often reduced to plot devices or props for the main story, which often served to benefit their male counterparts’ character arcs. In this way, The Hunger Games had the upper hand, and gained a wider audience since it had many prominent female characters in such a powerful dystopian novel because it showed that women could lead and fight for a cause. Katniss was also portrayed as a strong message of female empowerment and resilience in The Hunger Games. The Maze Runner introduces Teresa as a mysterious character who is able to read and communicate with Thomas through her mind. The emphasis of this trait throughout the series led some readers to think that her character arc was often trumped by her connection with Thomas and the overall plot, which led to criticism that she was underdeveloped. Brenda is brought into the second installment of the series, The Scorch Trials, as an aid to Thomas and the group. Brenda is often portrayed through her relationship with Thomas, so it sometimes feels like she has been reduced to a potential romantic partner rather than a dynamic protagonist. Dashner’s failure to convey these two characters’ lives well and lack of diversity could have attributed to the book losing its momentum in comparison to The Hunger Games.

There are not always chances for a book to get its own movie adaptation, and some are never even considered. Adapting a book into a movie requires significant public recognition and popularity, since they would have a higher chance of profitability. Studios invest substantial amounts of money into production, marketing, and distribution, making it a high-stakes endeavor. If the film fails to attract a large audience, it can result in significant financial losses. Additionally, the desire to meet fans’ expectations while appealing to a broader audience can lead to creative compromises that might not be accepted by either group. The Hunger Games showed the potential of an adaptation to reach a wider audience, and ultimately succeeded at the box office, grossing nearly $700 million worldwide off the first film. With such stellar earnings, the franchise quickly established itself as a global sensation, earning a total of $3 billion across all movies.

The Maze Runner was seen as one of the few books that could be adapted for the silver screen. The adaptation was produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Various reports surrounding the casting encouraged buzz surrounding the upcoming film, as it included A-list actors Dylan O’Brien from the hit show Teen Wolf, and Kaya Scodelario from the British television series Skins. The marketing campaigns leading up to the premiere were extensive as it involved major social media interactions such as a website named wckdisgood where fans could interact and immerse themselves with the characters from the series. A viral Snapchat challenge was also created on December 13th, 2014 to build excitement using the hashtag #SurviveTheNight. Shorty Awards describes this event as involving two well-known social media influencers, Kenny Holland and Amymarie Gaertner, who competed in challenges similar to events in the movie, and fans were able to vote for their favorite influencer. Multiple trailers were released as well as interviews with the cast members and the director about the behind-the-scenes. Overall, the movie had a strong backing, which resulted in the film doing well as it grossed over $348 million worldwide. This significant difference translates into a $400 million decrease from The Hunger Games. With such an impressive marketing campaign, is it surprising that the movie did not gross more? Interesting enough, the promotion between the two movies mirrored one another, as both heavily focused on social media campaigns to engage their audience. Using a “phased approach”, Pinnacle Promotions explains how The Hunger Games’ publishers released steady streams of creative content over an extended period of time leading up to the release. This included a Tumblr blog called Capitol Couture displaying the movie’s elaborate costumes and sets. Marketing also included various fan contests like a Twitter promotion “requiring participants to find and piece together a movie poster”(2). With the help of Microsoft, Lionsgate also created a virtual tour of the Capitol, where the movie takes place. These strategies were effective in driving anticipation and excitement for the film, resulting in a successful opening weekend at the box office. Perhaps if The Maze Runner’s publicists had used similar strategies, like the phased approach and increased their promotional period, the movie could have performed even better. It may have also helped if collaborations with other prominent brands had been formed to boost hype, as people who were unaware the film was coming out might have discovered it and been intrigued to watch it.

YA dystopian fiction grew to be extremely popular and profitable in the early 2010’s with releases such as The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, and more contributing to the significant boom in the genre. Despite their success, their popularity ultimately led to market saturation, resulting in the appearance that interest has declined since more books have attempted to replicate the trope and capitalize on it. Following The Hunger Games, as more and more books were released, the genre has become less unique, and readers have begun to move on to the next trend. There is no denying that literary trends change naturally, and readers’ interests shift, so authors must create unique stories that will catch readers’ attention, as well as publishers must invest in marketing and promotion to keep up with the changes, as this method has proven to be just as important in today’s time. What’s important to note about The Hunger Games’ success is not to try to replicate its success, but rather to think about where the genre is going and how you can find a unique angle or perspective to take. It allows for greater creativity and originality in storytelling, as well as a means for books to achieve even greater success and longevity in the long run.

Works Cited

Dashner, James. The Maze Runner. Delacorte, 2009.

El-Mahmoud, Sarah. “Why we didn’t see more maze runner movies.”  CINEMABLEND. 19 April 2021. https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2565916/why-we-didnt-see-more-maze-runner-movies-dylan-obrien-james-dashner-ya-book-series

Kercher, Ceimone. “The Maze Runner by James Dashner (The Maze Runner Trilogy #1)” Fantasy Book Review. https://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/james-dashner/the-maze-runner.html#readerreviews

Ladd, Hannah. “How Much the Hunger Games Cast Was Paid for the First & Last Movie.” ScreenRant, 27 Sept. 2023, https://screenrant.com/hunger-games-movies-cast-actors-salary-how-much/.

M, E. “Book Review: The Maze Runner.” Pikes Peak Library District, https://ppld.org/book-reviews/maze-runner-4.

“Mockingjay Tops All National Bestseller Lists with Sales of More Than 450,000 Copies in Its First Week of Publication.” Scholastic Media Room, https://mediaroom.scholastic.com/node/363.

“The Maze Runner: #SurviveTheNight.” The Shorty Awards, https://shortyawards.com/7th/the-maze-runner-survivethenight.

“The Hunger Games: Marketing Strategies and Takeaways.” Pinnacle Promotions Blog, 19 Aug. 2021, https://www.pinnaclepromotions.com/blog/the-hunger-games-marketing-strategies-and-takeaways-2/.

Wasley, Andrew. “Talking to Author James Dashner About Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.” Motion Picture Association, 17 Sept. 2015, https://www.motionpictures.org/2015/09/talking-to-author-james-dashner-about-maze-runner-the-scorch-trials/.