In the 2000s, the colossal success of young adult fantasy juggernauts like Twilight and Harry Potter led competing Hollywood studios to search for their own highly-profitable, teen-oriented franchise. Soon enough, the entire release roster for the upcoming years was full of book-to-movie adaptations, many of which would be dead on arrival despite their sizable budgets and established fandoms.

RELATED: The 10 Best Teen Movies Of The 2000s, Ranked

While many of these franchises failed to impress, a few lucky ones rightfully claimed their spot in the YA hall of fame by capturing the hearts of critics, general audiences, and fans of the source material alike. They might not be everyone's cup of tea, but these young adult film series have established themselves as pop culture icons for entire generations.

10 The Divergent Series Won Several Fan-Voted Awards For Its Performances

Tris and Four from Divergent.

The Divergent series is set in a dystopian Chicago where the population has been divided into five factions. It stars Shailene Woodley as Tris, a teen girl who finds out she fits into more than one faction, making her Divergent. As the story progresses, Tris and her friends uncover a larger conspiracy that has taken over their government.

Despite mixed to negative reviews from critics, all three films in the Divergent series were considered commercial successes, making a combined $765 million at the box office. Woodley, in particular, was praised for her acting and won three Teen Choice Awards for her performance.

9 The Maze Runner Trilogy Received Praise For Its Darker Atmosphere

An image from The Maze Runner.

Based on James Dashner's book series of the same name, The Maze Runner film trilogy follows a group of teenagers who must find their way out of a gigantic maze. It starred Teen Wolf star Dylan O'Brien as Thomas, Kaya Scodelario as the only female main character, Teresa, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt.

After the first entry in The Maze Runner made over $300 million worldwide, two sequels, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure, were put into production and released in 2015 and 2018, respectively. The Maze Runner film trilogy received mostly positive reviews, with critics exalting its strong performances and darker atmosphere.

8 To All The Boys Trilogy Re-Popularized Modern Teen Rom-Coms

Peter and Lara Jean looking at each other in To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

In 2018, Netflix released the first film in a trilogy based on Jenny Han's wildly popular To All The Boys novels. The story revolves around a shy high school junior called Lara Jean, who writes passionate letters for the boys she likes and then locks them away in her closet. After the letters are accidentally delivered, Lara Jean must confront her old crushes while dealing with her feelings for another classmate.

RELATED: 10 Great Sci-Fi/Fantasy Shows With LGBTQ+ Characters

To All The Boys I've Loved Before was a massive commercial and critical success for the streaming service. It launched the careers of its main cast, namely Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, and led to the production of two sequels: P.S. I Love You in 2020 and Always and Forever in 2021.

7 The Kick-Ass Duology Became A Cult Favorite Despite Its Polarizing Content

Aaron Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz as Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass.

Created by Mark Millar and illustrated by John Romita Jr, the Kick-Ass comics center on Dave Lizewski, a teenager who decides to become a real-life superhero and adopts the moniker of Kick-Ass to fight crime. The first two volumes were adapted into a film duology starring Aaron Johnson as the main character and Chloë Grace-Moretz as the vigilante Hit-Girl.

Known for their explicit language and violence, the Kick-Ass films were moderately successful — making a combined $160 million worldwide — and received polarizing feedback from critics and audiences alike. While many thought the R-rated content highly offensive, others considered it refreshing and made the Kick-Ass franchise into a cult favorite.

6 The Chronicles Of Narnia Made Over $1 Billion With Only Three Films

An image from The Chronicles of Narnia.

A classic in children's literature, C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia septology tells the entire history of the fictional land of Narnia, from its inception to its eventual destruction. In 2005, Disney adapted the second book in the series, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, into an incredibly lucrative film starring the likes of Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton, and James McAvoy.

Two sequels, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, followed, propelling the franchise past the $1 billion mark by 2010. Eight years after the last movie's premiere, Netflix announced its intentions to develop various Narnia film and TV adaptations with direct input from Lewis' estate.

5 The Twilight Saga Kick-Started A Slew Of Far-Less Successful YA Film Franchises

Bella and Edward from Twilight in their meadow.

When Twilight was released in 2008, it kick-started an avalanche of young adult film franchises that would dominate most of the late 2000s and early 2010s. While most of them failed to capture much attention, the story about a young girl falling for a hundred-year-old vampire in the tiny town of Forks became an immediate trend-setter for years to come.

Comprised of five highly-successful films, the Twilight saga soared past less-than-ideal reviews to earn a combined $3 billion at the box office. It made stars out of its main cast, which included Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, and revitalized the vampire genre for an entire generation of teenagers.

4 How To Train Your Dragon Proved That Animated YA Franchises Are Just As Lucrative

Toothless and Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon.

Based on Cressida Cowell's eponymous book series, Dreamworks' How To Train Your Dragon follows a young Viking named Hiccup as he befriends a dragon and tries to dispel his village's negative opinion about the mysterious creatures. Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Gerard Butler, and Jonah Hill were part of the movie's star-studded voice cast.

RELATED: 10 Best Teen Movies To Watch If You Liked Do Revenge

How To Train Your Dragon was a major awards contender, being nominated for two Academy Awards and winning several Annie Awards. The film's immense success spawned two movie sequels, three TV series, various short films, and even a series of graphic novels and comic books.

3 The Spider-Man Franchise Continues The Legacy Of Everyone's Favorite Superhero

An image of Spider-Man.

Easily one of the most beloved superheroes in the world, Spider-Man has had his fair share of cinematic adaptations. Sam Raimi's trilogy introduced the character to a mainstream audience, The Amazing Spider-Man duology continued his legacy, and the MCU films gave him a much-needed refresh that brought him back into the limelight. Into the Spider-Verse was certainly the cherry on top.

The Spider-Man films are also some of the most well-received by both critics, general audiences, and fans of the source material. So far, the franchise has made over $8 billion, with Far From Home, the latest entry in the series, earning almost $2 billion worldwide by itself.

2 The Harry Potter Series Has Inspired Millions Of Fans Worldwide

Harry, Ron, and Hermione from Harry Potter.

Ranked as the fourth highest-grossing film franchise of all time, the Harry Potter series is one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons of the new millennium. The eventful life of the eponymous young wizard and his best friends has inspired millions of fans worldwide, who continue to enjoy the story a decade after the release of Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

The Harry Potter series was one of the first youth-oriented franchises to make it big in Hollywood, with two of its movies making over $1 billion each and the other six not being far behind. The franchise also made the main trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint into overnight celebrities.

1 The Hunger Games Series In One Of The Most Critically-Acclaimed YA Franchises

Katniss looking concerned as fire burns behind her in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

Based on Suzanne Collins' trilogy, The Hunger Games is set in a post-apocalyptic United States that has been divided into 12 districts and a capital city. When Katniss Everdeen's sister, Prim, gets selected as the tribute for that year's Hunger Games, a mandatory battle-to-the-death competition, she volunteers and accidentally jumpstarts a revolution.

The Hunger Games is one of the most critically-acclaimed young adult franchises yet, receiving kudos for is themes, acting, and thrilling action sequences. Critics also praised Jennifer Lawrence for her performance as Katniss, calling her superb in the role and contributing to her rising stardom. A fifth installment in the series, a prequel named The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is currently in post-production and is expected to premiere in 2023.

NEXT: 10 Best Teen Shows Of The 2000s